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CITY

Cary

North Carolina · 183,582 residents (2025 est.) · 60.1 sq mi
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Part of the Raleigh metro area
The short version

With 179,306 people, Cary is a city in North Carolina. This is an unusually credentialed place: 71% of adults have a four-year degree. Households here earn about 86% more than in North Carolina as a whole. The population has more than doubled since 2000, adding 84,770 people. Few US cities rank higher on income. Households take in $134,905 a year at the median, 64% more than the country as a whole.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $134,905, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.2
US median: 38.9
More educated
71% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 65%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Cary

What changed most since 1990

  • Population43,858 → 179,306 (+309%)US over the same years: +35%
  • White share88.8% → 56.7% (−32.0 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Asian share4.0% → 20.3% (+16.3 pts)US over the same years: +3.1 pts

Among the 26 cities and towns in the Raleigh metro

  • 5th in household income$134,905
  • 1st in share with a bachelor's degree70.5%
  • 1st in home value$580,200
  • 10th in diversity score77.3

Its weight in Wake County

Cary's population equals 15% of Wake County's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 24% of the county's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 11% of the county's.

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
179,306
+90%since 2000
from 94,536 in 2000
183,582 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
2,982 / sq mi
+90%since 2000
from 1,572 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
40.2
+19%since 2000
from 33.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
60.1 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
30K71K112K152K193K19902000201020202024Cary
2024179K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.2%(9,261)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.6%(11,768)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.9%(12,349)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.8%(12,256)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.3%(9,487)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3411.8%(21,244)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4415.1%(27,159)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5415.4%(27,616)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.7%(22,825)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.5%(15,271)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.4%(7,846)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.2%(2,224)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$134,905
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $75,122 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$67,409
+104%since 2000
from $32,974 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
73.1%
+15.7 ptssince 2009
from 57.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
5.7%
+2.2 ptssince 2000
from 3.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.427
+2%since 2010
from 0.419 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade10.3%
US avg: 9.9%
Information7.9%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services7.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration6.1%
US avg: 4.8%
Wholesale trade3.7%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance2.8%
US avg: 5.9%
Arts, entertainment, food2.5%
US avg: 1.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing1.8%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.4%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$580,200
+65%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $193,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,738
+16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $826 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
66.6%
−6.2 ptssince 2000
from 72.8% in 2000
33.4% rent
Vacancy rate
5.5%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 5.4% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.57 people
−6%since 2009
from 2.73 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
15.4%
−3.7 ptssince 2009
from 19.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
36.9%
+2.4 ptssince 2009
from 34.6% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.3
+38%since 2009
from 3.1 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
65
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic79.7%(75,299)
Black6.1%(5,744)
Hispanic / Latino4.3%(4,047)
Asian8.1%(7,636)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic56.7%(101,742)
Black7.6%(13,603)
Hispanic / Latino9.5%(17,117)
Asian20.3%(36,439)
Other5.8%(10,405)
Diversity Score
77
+42%since 2009
from 54 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican3.1%(5,522)
South American1.9%(3,412)
Central American1.8%(3,255)
Puerto Rican0.9%(1,674)
Guatemalan0.9%(1,598)
Colombian0.7%(1,247)
Dominican0.5%(966)
Salvadoran0.5%(920)
Cuban0.3%(626)
Ecuadorian0.3%(591)
Venezuelan0.3%(552)
Spaniard0.3%(474)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Honduran0.2%(292)
Argentine0.2%(290)
Peruvian0.2%(283)
Chilean0.1%(253)
Panamanian0.1%(174)
Costa Rican0.1%(166)
Nicaraguan0.1%(105)
Bolivian0%(69)
Uruguayan0%(27)
Asian origin
Asian Indian12.1%(21,628)
Chinese3.6%(6,504)
Korean1.2%(2,067)
Bangladeshi0.5%(975)
Vietnamese0.5%(901)
Nepalese0.5%(814)
Japanese0.3%(616)
Filipino0.3%(477)
Pakistani0.2%(393)
Taiwanese0.2%(328)
Sri Lankan0.2%(269)
Cambodian0.1%(189)
+ 8 more asian origin groups with data
Kazakh0%(56)
Laotian0%(47)
Thai0%(46)
Malaysian0%(18)
Uzbek0%(18)
Hmong0%(12)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(155)
Chamorro0%(55)
Ancestry
English14.3%(25,662)
German11.7%(20,986)
Irish8.2%(14,694)
Italian5.7%(10,189)
American4.9%(8,839)
Scottish2.8%(5,083)
Polish2.4%(4,362)
French2%(3,512)
Scotch-Irish1.4%(2,511)
Arab1.2%(2,100)
Dutch1.1%(1,971)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.9%(1,657)
Russian0.8%(1,493)
British0.7%(1,301)
Welsh0.7%(1,265)
Norwegian0.7%(1,241)
West Indian0.6%(1,157)
Czech0.6%(1,019)
Hungarian0.5%(864)
Greek0.5%(856)
Portuguese0.4%(747)
Lebanese0.4%(680)
Ukrainian0.4%(672)
Nigerian0.4%(641)
Canadian0.3%(602)
Somali0.3%(552)
Ghanaian0.3%(548)
Danish0.3%(522)
Swiss0.3%(450)
Romanian0.2%(448)
Austrian0.2%(393)
Ethiopian0.2%(387)
Slovak0.2%(382)
Jamaican0.2%(372)
Haitian0.2%(369)
Jordanian0.2%(357)
Brazilian0.2%(333)
Egyptian0.2%(306)
Iranian0.1%(268)
Palestinian0.1%(264)
Croatian0.1%(249)
Lithuanian0.1%(220)
Serbian0.1%(192)
Turkish0.1%(182)
Moroccan0.1%(165)
Israeli0.1%(143)
Finnish0.1%(123)
Bulgarian0.1%(118)
Iraqi0.1%(109)
Kenyan0.1%(100)
Syrian0.1%(96)
Slovene0.1%(96)
Belgian0%(76)
Armenian0%(69)
Guyanese0%(42)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
70.5%
+9.8 ptssince 2000
from 60.7% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
96.3%
+1.3 ptssince 2000
from 95.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
33.7%
+10.8 ptssince 2000
from 23.0% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.5 min
+63%since 2000
from 13.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
56.3%
−25.1 ptssince 2009
from 81.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
4.5%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 7.7% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.3%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 0.6% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
36.5%
+29.1 ptssince 2009
from 7.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.0%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 1.3% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
3.2%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 2.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.5%
−1.3 ptssince 2011
from 4.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
69.1%
−4.1 ptssince 2011
from 73.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
76.3%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 74.8% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
10.8%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
68.2%
+8.2 ptssince 2009
from 60.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.4%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 48.9% in 2009
Female
50.6%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
Foreign born
23.9%
+7.6 ptssince 2009
from 16.3% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.6%
−4.1 ptssince 2009
from 8.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
7.9%
+1.8 ptssince 2012
from 6.1% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
4.9%
−5.1 ptssince 2013
from 10.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
96.6%
+3.1 ptssince 2017
from 93.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
98.8%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 98.3% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
84.8%
+2.5 ptssince 2020
from 82.4% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
73.4%
−4.3 ptssince 2016
from 77.7% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
5.8%
−0.2 ptssince 2016
from 6.0% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married27.6%(19,587)
Married64.7%(45,859)
Widowed1.7%(1,191)
Divorced6%(4,254)
Women 15+
Never married25.7%(19,300)
Married59.5%(44,647)
Widowed5.6%(4,180)
Divorced9.2%(6,910)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
4.9%
−5.1 ptssince 2013
from 10.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
74.0%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 73.2% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.3%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 14.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
13.6%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 12.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
7.1%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 6.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.1%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 1.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
85.0%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 85.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
20.0%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 18.2% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)25.6%(1,621)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)27.8%(1,765)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era32%(2,026)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.8%(304)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.9%(56)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 6,338 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Cary, decade by decade

Cary population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
199043,858$111,025$260,16748.8%25.9
200094,536$136,846$351,57960.7%44.1
2010135,234$128,813$415,74762.3%62.0
2020174,721$130,249$456,45468.6%76.6
2024179,306$134,905$580,20070.5%77.3

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Cary

Cambridge
Pop 122,588
Naperville
Pop 153,114
Frisco
Pop 236,955
Olathe
Pop 150,025
Places similar to Cary
Head to head

Compare Cary to nearby cities

CARY VS
Morrisville
Income$125,396−7%
Home value$518,800−11%
Population32,466−82%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CARY VS
Apex
Income$144,135+7%
Home value$576,100−1%
Population80,419−56%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CARY VS
Holly Springs
Income$135,578same
Home value$535,800−8%
Population50,288−73%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CARY VS
Raleigh
Income$85,395−37%
Home value$415,800−28%
Population506,306+176%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Cary, North Carolina?

Cary, North Carolina has about 179,306 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Cary, North Carolina?

The typical household in Cary, North Carolina earns about $134,905 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Cary, North Carolina expensive?

In Cary, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $580,200, and the typical rent is about $1,738 a month.

How educated are people in Cary, North Carolina?

About 70.5% of adults age 25 and over in Cary, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Cary, North Carolina?

About 5.7% of people in Cary, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Cary, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Cary, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 135,448 residents, a change of about 309 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →