Wake County, North Carolina

NC · FIPS 37183 · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates

Key Statistics

Total Population
1,178,653
Rank #38 of 3,222
99th %ile
Median Household Income
$105,768 +40.7% vs nat'l
Rank #120 of 3,222
96th %ile
Poverty Rate
8.1% −35.5% vs nat'l
Rank #383 of 3,222
88th %ile
Median Home Value
$461,300 +63.6% vs nat'l
Rank #175 of 3,222
95th %ile
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
57.2% +69.6% vs nat'l
Rank #38 of 3,222
99th %ile
Unemployment Rate
4.1% −23.2% vs nat'l
Rank #1,356 of 3,222
58th %ile

At a Glance

64.1% Homeownership
92.5% Insured
57.2% Bachelor's+

Age & Sex Distribution

MaleFemale
0-910-1920-2930-3940-4950-5960-6970-7980+10%5%0%5%10%

Race & Ethnicity

White (non-Hispanic)Black (non-Hispanic)Hispanic or LatinoAsian (non-Hispanic)Two or More RacesOther (non-Hispanic)American Indian (non-Hispanic)Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.0%17.0%33.9%50.9%56.2%18.5%11.6%8.5%4.4%0.7%0.2%0.0%

About Wake County, North Carolina

Wake County, North Carolina has a total population of 1,178,653, making it the 38th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Wake County is 37.3 years, which is 4.1% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Wake County is $105,768, which ranks #120 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 40.7% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 8.1%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.1%.

The median home value in Wake County is $461,300, 63.6% above the national median. Renters in Wake County pay a median gross rent of $1,623 per month. The homeownership rate is 64.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Wake County, 57.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 69.6% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.6 min.

Wake County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 56.2% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (18.5%) and Hispanic or Latino (11.6%).

All data for Wake County, North Carolina comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.

About this data

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024). All values are estimates derived from survey samples and are subject to margin of error. For more information, see our methodology.