United States › North Carolina › Cary CITY · 2010 ACS
Cary North Carolina · 135,234 residents · 60.1 sq mi
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The short version
Cary is a city of 135,234 people in North Carolina. This is an unusually credentialed place: 62% of adults have a four-year degree. Households here earn about 96% more than in North Carolina as a whole. The population is up 43% since 2000. Households take in $89,542 a year at the median, 70% more than the country as a whole. The poverty rate is 5.0%, under the national 13.8%.
At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $52,703
Mid-age
median age 36.6
US median: 37.2
More educated
62% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01
Population & growth from 33.7 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Population, 1990 – 2024
30K 71K 112K 152K 193K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Cary Age distribution, 2010
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Section 02
Income & economy $89,542
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $75,122 in 2000
US average: $52,703
from $32,974 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
from 57.4% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
from 3.4% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Workforce by industry, 2010
Public administration 5.5%
Arts, entertainment, food 4.5%
Transportation & warehousing 3.1%
Professional, scientific, technical 1.5%
Education & health services 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0.2%
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$289,000
+18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $193,000 in 2000
US average: $225,659
$888
−15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $826 in 2000
US average: $853
from 72.8% in 2000
31.2% rent
from 5.4% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
from 2.73 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
from 19.1% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
from 34.6% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
from 3.1 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 79.7%(75,299)
Hispanic / Latino 4.3%(4,047)
2010
White, non-Hispanic 68.9%(93,202)
Hispanic / Latino 7.7%(10,364)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Hispanic origin
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 45 more ancestry groups with data from 60.7% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
from 95.1% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
from 23.0% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 13.8 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
from 81.3% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
from 7.7% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
from 0.6% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
from 7.4% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
from 1.3% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
from 2.0% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07
Work & employment from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
from 60.0% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08
People & community from 16.3% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
from 8.7% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married 27.6%(19,587)
Women 15+
Never married 25.7%(19,300)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).
from 10.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 73.2% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 14.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 12.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 6.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 1.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 85.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
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)
Gulf War (1990s) 27.8%(1,765)
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.
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Drill deeper
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Cary, North Carolina? Cary, North Carolina has about 135,234 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Cary, North Carolina? The typical household in Cary, North Carolina earns about $89,542 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 $289,000, and the typical rent is about $888 a month.
How educated are people in Cary, North Carolina? About 62.3% 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 5.0% 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 91,376 residents, a change of about 208 percent over that period.
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