What it's like to live in Rolesville
Rolesville 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. Rolesville deals with home prices well above the national average and commute times longer than most cities.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
How Rolesville compares
Median household income
Median home value
What it takes to move to Rolesville
Based on Rolesville's median rent, home value and household income
To buy
$107,000
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $53,500
- Homes cost 3.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
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▼ 76% below US
80 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 337/100k · Rolesville Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 21% above US
32 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 31.5 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 28% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 85°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 30°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 73% above US
62% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Guilford Courthouse National Military Park (78 miles away).
Bottom line
Rolesville's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (28% of workers here already work from home).
See all the data for Rolesville →·All North Carolina cities →
Other places near Rolesville
All North Carolina guides →Moving to Wake Forest →
4 mi away · pop. 52,844
Rent $1,596/mo · Income $123,802
Compare with Rolesville →Moving to Knightdale →
9 mi away · pop. 20,214
Rent $1,674/mo · Income $103,220
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