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CITY · 2010 ACS

Wake Forest

North Carolina · 30,117 residents · 19.6 sq mi
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The short version

With 30,117 people, Wake Forest is a city in North Carolina. The population has more than doubled since 2000, adding 17,529 people. This is an unusually credentialed place: 50% of adults have a four-year degree. Households here earn about 52% more than in North Carolina as a whole. 73% of homes are owner-occupied. The poverty rate is 7.5%, under the national 13.8%.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $52,703
Younger
median age 34.2
US median: 37.2
More educated
50% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Less affordable
home values up 34%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
30,117
+139%since 2000
from 12,588 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
34.2
+9%since 2000
from 31.5 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
19.6 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
1K15K29K43K58K19902000201020202024Wake Forest
202453K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 59.2%(2,756)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 910.3%(3,099)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 148.6%(2,587)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 196.2%(1,873)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 244.2%(1,255)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3413%(3,913)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4419.1%(5,742)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5413.3%(4,012)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 648.1%(2,428)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 744.8%(1,439)
US avg: 7%
75 to 842.3%(705)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over1%(308)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$69,222
+5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $52,307 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$31,185
+37%since 2000
from $22,746 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
47.0%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 45.6% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
7.5%
−1.3 ptssince 2000
from 8.8% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.424
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Information11.4%
US avg: 11.5%
Retail trade10.8%
US avg: 10.9%
Other services8.3%
US avg: 7%
Public administration5.6%
US avg: 4.9%
Wholesale trade5.1%
US avg: 7.2%
Finance & insurance3.2%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing3%
US avg: 3.1%
Arts, entertainment, food2.8%
US avg: 2.4%
Professional, scientific, technical2.6%
US avg: 4.2%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.2%
US avg: 1.9%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.5%
Construction0%
US avg: 1.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$240,900
+34%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $142,100 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$874
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $652 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
72.8%
+9.6 ptssince 2000
from 63.1% in 2000
27.2% rent
Vacancy rate
8.7%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 8.6% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.83 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.84 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
27.0%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 26.9% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
39.0%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 39.2% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
3.5
+3%since 2009
from 3.4 in 2009
2009 – 2024
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-Hispanic78.6%(9,897)
Black15.7%(1,978)
Hispanic / Latino2.1%(262)
Asian2%(255)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic74%(22,297)
Black15%(4,524)
Hispanic / Latino5.6%(1,681)
Asian2.9%(881)
Other2%(610)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican1.6%(426)
Cuban1.2%(322)
Colombian0.9%(229)
Mexican0.8%(216)
Dominican0.2%(65)
Honduran0.2%(50)
Salvadoran0.2%(43)
Guatemalan0.1%(37)
Nicaraguan0.1%(27)
+ 1 more hispanic origin group with data
Ancestry
Irish16.1%(4,324)
English15.4%(4,127)
German12.8%(3,442)
Italian8.7%(2,341)
American6.8%(1,823)
French4%(1,061)
Scottish3.7%(983)
Scotch-Irish3.5%(938)
Polish2.9%(781)
Dutch1.7%(465)
Norwegian1.3%(344)
+ 32 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish1%(267)
Greek0.8%(219)
Canadian0.8%(206)
Welsh0.7%(178)
Ukrainian0.6%(169)
West Indian0.6%(156)
Portuguese0.5%(146)
Czech0.5%(125)
Danish0.5%(124)
Arab0.4%(113)
Hungarian0.4%(109)
British0.4%(101)
Russian0.4%(97)
Lithuanian0.4%(94)
Lebanese0.3%(79)
Swiss0.3%(79)
Romanian0.3%(78)
Ethiopian0.3%(72)
Slovak0.3%(70)
Ghanaian0.2%(64)
Austrian0.2%(44)
Slovene0.2%(42)
Belgian0.2%(41)
Finnish0.1%(37)
Australian0.1%(36)
Brazilian0.1%(34)
Jamaican0.1%(31)
Armenian0.1%(29)
Iranian0.1%(15)
Serbian0%(10)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
50.2%
+7.2 ptssince 2000
from 43.0% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
94.3%
+5.0 ptssince 2000
from 89.3% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
14.8%
+4.1 ptssince 2000
from 10.7% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
30.0 min
+37%since 2000
from 22.0 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
82.7%
+1.8 ptssince 2009
from 80.9% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
9.2%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 10.1% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
0.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
6.9%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 7.7% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
0.7%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
0.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
4.6%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.4% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
13.4%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 13.9% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
48.3%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 48.0% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
47.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 47.2% in 2009
Female
52.9%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 52.8% in 2009
Foreign born
7.6%
+1.9 ptssince 2009
from 5.7% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
9.9%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 10.4% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married30.1%(6,063)
Married62%(12,506)
Widowed1.2%(236)
Divorced6.7%(1,355)
Women 15+
Never married24.6%(5,289)
Married58.2%(12,517)
Widowed4.8%(1,034)
Divorced12.4%(2,671)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
4.7%
−3.2 ptssince 2013
from 7.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
67.4%
−1.0 ptssince 2020
from 68.4% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.6%
−3.1 ptssince 2020
from 18.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
13.2%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 11.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
10.3%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 10.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.0%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 1.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
82.9%
−2.9 ptssince 2020
from 85.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
23.1%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 21.2% 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)28.1%(836)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)37.5%(1,117)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era25.9%(771)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.7%(81)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,975 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
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Wake Forest to nearby cities

WAKE FOREST VS
Rolesville
Income$149,565+116%
Home value$535,000+122%
Population12,839−78%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WAKE FOREST VS
Raleigh
Income$85,395+23%
Home value$415,800+73%
Population506,306+771%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WAKE FOREST VS
Knightdale
Income$103,220+49%
Home value$380,100+58%
Population23,144−60%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WAKE FOREST VS
Zebulon
Income$79,112+14%
Home value$320,700+33%
Population11,933−79%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Wake Forest, North Carolina?

Wake Forest, North Carolina has about 30,117 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Wake Forest, North Carolina?

The typical household in Wake Forest, North Carolina earns about $69,222 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Wake Forest, North Carolina expensive?

In Wake Forest, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $240,900, and the typical rent is about $874 a month.

How educated are people in Wake Forest, North Carolina?

About 50.2% of adults age 25 and over in Wake Forest, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Wake Forest, North Carolina?

About 7.5% of people in Wake Forest, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Wake Forest, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Wake Forest, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 24,348 residents, a change of about 422 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 →