What it's like to live in Knightdale
Knightdale is a small city in North Carolina with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Knightdale deals with rent well above the national average and above-average rainfall.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Above-average rainfall
How Knightdale compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Knightdale
Based on Knightdale's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,348
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $66,960 a year
- 44% of Knightdale renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$76,020
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $38,010
- Homes cost 3.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 18% above US
$1,674/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,674 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $380,100. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $380,100 · 44% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.2% county unemployment
Unemployment in Wake County is 3.2%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Wake County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 38% below US
205 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 2283/100k · Knightdale Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 19% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 87°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 31°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 36% above US
49% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 49% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Guilford Courthouse National Military Park (79 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Knightdale's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and above-average rainfall. A year of median rent ($1,674/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (19% of workers here already work from home).
See all the data for Knightdale →·All North Carolina cities →
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