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METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS

Raleigh Metro

Raleigh-Cary, NC · 3 counties · 541,100 residents · 2,118 sq mi
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The short version

With 541,100 people, Raleigh is a metro area. There are 255,971 fewer people here than in 2000. 30% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Poverty is uncommon here, at 9.7% of people across the metro. Median household income runs $33,809, well clear of the $30,130 US median. Median home value sits at $88,281.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 32.1
US median: 33.0
More educated
30% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 19%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
541,100
−32%vs 2000
vs 797,071 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
255 / sq mi
−32%vs 2000
vs 376 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
32.1
−3%vs 2000
vs 33.3 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
2,118 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
446K730K1.0M1.3M1.6M19902000201020202024Raleigh
20241.5M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 57%(37,852)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 96.3%(34,287)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 146.3%(34,333)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 197%(37,895)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 248.9%(48,226)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3420.5%(110,997)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4417%(92,171)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 5410.7%(57,713)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 647.3%(39,393)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 745.5%(29,632)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 842.7%(14,392)
US avg: 4%
85 and over0.8%(4,209)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$33,809
−14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $51,878 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$15,971
−37%vs 2000
vs $25,187 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
9.7%
+0.8 ptsvs 2000
vs 8.9% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$88,281
−19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $142,971 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$445
−14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $678 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
63.3%
−4.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 67.7% in 2000
36.7% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic70.4%(561,365)
Black19.5%(155,743)
Hispanic / Latino5.7%(45,525)
Asian2.7%(21,675)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic76.4%(413,655)
Black21.3%(115,137)
Hispanic / Latino1.1%(6,063)
Asian1.6%(8,450)
Other0.7%(3,858)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican5.8%(86,138)
Puerto Rican1.4%(21,182)
South American1.3%(18,741)
Salvadoran0.6%(9,608)
Honduran0.6%(9,463)
Dominican0.6%(9,233)
Colombian0.5%(6,759)
Guatemalan0.4%(6,546)
Cuban0.4%(6,369)
Spaniard0.2%(3,526)
Venezuelan0.2%(3,399)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.2%(3,081)
Ecuadorian0.1%(1,981)
Argentine0.1%(1,657)
Panamanian0.1%(1,401)
Nicaraguan0.1%(1,055)
Chilean0.1%(1,051)
Costa Rican0.1%(996)
Uruguayan0%(321)
Bolivian0%(268)
Asian origin
Asian Indian3.7%(55,754)
Chinese0.9%(13,606)
Vietnamese0.5%(8,013)
Korean0.4%(6,654)
Filipino0.3%(5,090)
Pakistani0.2%(2,346)
Nepalese0.1%(1,742)
Japanese0.1%(1,621)
Bangladeshi0.1%(1,526)
Taiwanese0.1%(983)
Thai0%(585)
Sri Lankan0%(474)
+ 11 more asian origin groups with data
Burmese0%(365)
Kazakh0%(342)
Uzbek0%(326)
Laotian0%(299)
Cambodian0%(286)
Hmong0%(187)
Indonesian0%(117)
Malaysian0%(91)
Okinawan0%(14)
Mongolian0%(11)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(364)
Chamorro0%(288)
Fijian0%(47)
Guamanian0%(12)
Ancestry
English13.4%(199,623)
German9.8%(145,566)
Irish9.1%(134,665)
American6.5%(96,339)
Italian4.7%(69,254)
Scottish2.4%(35,825)
Polish1.9%(28,315)
Subsaharan African1.7%(25,181)
French1.7%(25,059)
Scotch-Irish1.6%(23,150)
Arab1.1%(16,278)
Dutch0.7%(11,040)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
West Indian0.7%(9,713)
Welsh0.6%(9,542)
Norwegian0.6%(9,325)
Swedish0.6%(9,316)
British0.6%(8,285)
Russian0.6%(8,279)
Hungarian0.4%(6,233)
French Canadian0.4%(5,468)
Nigerian0.4%(5,459)
Greek0.3%(5,198)
Ukrainian0.3%(5,060)
Portuguese0.3%(4,628)
Czech0.3%(4,569)
Lebanese0.3%(4,036)
Egyptian0.3%(3,963)
Jamaican0.2%(3,238)
Danish0.2%(3,152)
Haitian0.2%(3,025)
Canadian0.2%(2,913)
Swiss0.2%(2,837)
Lithuanian0.2%(2,656)
Slovak0.2%(2,536)
Moroccan0.2%(2,423)
Austrian0.2%(2,323)
Ethiopian0.2%(2,288)
Iranian0.1%(1,993)
Brazilian0.1%(1,989)
Romanian0.1%(1,954)
Kenyan0.1%(1,704)
Turkish0.1%(1,585)
Ghanaian0.1%(1,292)
Croatian0.1%(1,207)
Finnish0.1%(1,166)
Jordanian0.1%(1,151)
Palestinian0.1%(1,126)
Belgian0.1%(1,095)
Bulgarian0.1%(957)
Somali0.1%(912)
Iraqi0.1%(909)
Syrian0%(630)
Serbian0%(610)
Slovene0%(594)
Armenian0%(546)
Israeli0%(413)
Guyanese0%(293)
Australian0%(204)
Latvian0%(155)
Macedonian0%(122)
Barbadian0%(108)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
29.9%
−7.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 37.8% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
80.7%
−5.6 ptsvs 2000
vs 86.3% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
9.1%
−2.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 12.0% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.2 min
+15%vs 2000
vs 17.6 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married34.7%(203,214)
Married56.2%(328,787)
Widowed1.8%(10,571)
Divorced7.3%(42,940)
Women 15+
Never married30.6%(189,666)
Married52.2%(323,214)
Widowed6.3%(38,847)
Divorced10.9%(67,713)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
8.0%
−6.0 ptssince 2013
from 14.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
64.4%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 63.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.6%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 14.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
13.9%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 13.2% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
13.0%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 12.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.0%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 1.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
76.4%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 75.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
26.1%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 25.2% 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)31.6%(21,729)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)30.7%(21,123)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era26.7%(18,376)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.8%(2,644)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.5%(356)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 68,837 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
In this metro

Largest cities

RaleighCENTRAL506,306CaryCENTRAL183,582Apex80,419Wake Forest58,147Holly Springs50,288Garner41,562Clayton32,633Knightdale23,144Wendell19,687Smithfield13,114Rolesville12,839Zebulon11,933Selma7,406Archer Lodge5,649Louisburg3,480Lake Royale3,168Wilson's Mills2,987Four Oaks2,978Franklinton2,890Youngsville2,461Pine Level2,405Kenly1,722Princeton1,544Micro537Bunn391Centerville202
What's inside

3 component counties

Wake CountyCENTRAL1,257,235Johnston County256,448Franklin CountyCENTRAL82,037
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Raleigh

Salt Lake City
Pop 1,308,377
Providence
Pop 1,708,161
Richmond
Pop 1,389,338
Hartford
Pop 1,171,426
Places similar to Raleigh
Head to head

Compare Raleigh side by side

RALEIGH VS
Salt Lake City
Income$98,059+190%
Home value$519,848+489%
Population1,308,377−18%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RALEIGH VS
Providence
Income$87,204+158%
Home value$426,358+383%
Population1,708,161+7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RALEIGH VS
Richmond
Income$89,669+165%
Home value$351,202+298%
Population1,389,338−13%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RALEIGH VS
Hartford
Income$95,076+181%
Home value$332,239+276%
Population1,171,426−27%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Raleigh-Cary, NC?

Raleigh-Cary, NC has about 541,100 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Raleigh-Cary, NC?

The typical household in Raleigh-Cary, NC earns about $33,809 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Raleigh-Cary, NC expensive?

In Raleigh-Cary, NC, the median home is worth about $88,281, and the typical rent is about $445 a month.

How educated are people in Raleigh-Cary, NC?

About 29.9% of adults age 25 and over in Raleigh-Cary, NC hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Raleigh-Cary, NC?

About 9.7% of people in Raleigh-Cary, NC live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →