What is the largest city in Wake County, NC?

Raleigh is the largest city or town in Wake County, with about 481,031 residents.

How many ZIP codes are in Wake County?

Wake County includes 33 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, including 27502, 27511, 27513, 27518, 27519.

What is the population of Wake County, NC?

About 1,178,653 people live in Wake County, based on American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

What counties border Wake County?

Wake County borders Durham County, Johnston County, Harnett County, Nash County, Chatham County, Franklin County, Granville County.

Wake County, NC: Cities, ZIP Codes & Local Data

Population

1,178,653

Land area

835sq mi

People per sq mi

1,412

ZIP codes

33

Wake County at a glance

Wake County is about 6.4 times as dense as North Carolina as a whole.
No county in North Carolina has more people.
The median household income is $105,768, 46% above the North Carolina median of $72,388.
A typical owner-occupied home is valued at $461,300 (60% above North Carolina) and median rent is $1,623 a month.
Its largest cities are Raleigh (481,031), Cary (179,306) and Apex (70,630).

Local data for Wake County, NC

Counts from official public data

Housing and community stats

Wake County, NC, American Community Survey 2020-2024

Full profile

Median household income

$105,768

Poverty rate

8.1%

Median home value

$461,300

Prices +1.0% in a year

Median rent

$1,623/mo

Homeownership

64.1%

Bachelor's or higher

57.2%

Median age

37.3

Average commute

25.1 min

Largest reported origins and ancestries: German Americans (122,532), Irish Americans (107,941), Italian Americans (56,999).

Home values and rents Income, education and commute

Economy and federal money

Jobs, income, federal spending and pandemic loans

Details

Unemployment rate

3.1%

Aug 2026, -0.4 pts in a year

Average annual pay

$81,099

665,775 jobs, 2025

Income per person

$85,573

BEA, 2024

Federal spending

$9.8B

FY 2026, $8,702 per person

PPP loans

$2.7B

34,303 loans, 311,647 jobs reported

Campaign donations

$17M

Itemized, 2026 cycle

Economy Federal spending PPP loans

How people get to work

Wake County, NC, workers 16 and older. American Community Survey 5-year estimates

Drove alone61.4%
Carpooled5.9%
Public transit0.7%
Walked1.2%
Bicycle0.2%
Taxi, ride-hailing, motorcycle or other1.5%
Worked from home29.1%

Average one-way commute: 25.1 minutes for people who do not work from home.

Environment and hazard risk

Wake County, NC, from FEMA, NOAA and EPA

Full report

Natural hazard risk

Relatively High

Top: hail

Storm events since 1996

1,525

Most often thunderstorm wind

Flood insurance policies

2,790

0.8% of homes, county

July high / Jan low

91° / 32°F

49.4 inches of rain a year

Hazards, floods and storm history Check a flood zone 150 historic places

Health statistics

Share of adults in Wake County, NC, CDC PLACES estimates

All 40 measures

Obesity

29.3%

U.S. 33.3% -4.0 pts

Diabetes

9.5%

U.S. 12.1% -2.6 pts

Smoking

9.6%

U.S. 12.8% -3.2 pts

Uninsured (18-64)

7.9%

U.S. 11.1% -3.2 pts

Cities, towns and ZIP codes in Wake County

Population shown

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Frequently asked questions

What is the largest city in Wake County, NC?: Raleigh is the largest city or town in Wake County, with about 481,031 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Wake County?: Wake County includes 33 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, including 27502, 27511, 27513, 27518, 27519.
What is the population of Wake County, NC?: About 1,178,653 people live in Wake County, based on American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
What counties border Wake County?: Wake County borders Durham County, Johnston County, Harnett County, Nash County, Chatham County, Franklin County, Granville County.