What it's like to live in Wake Forest
Wake Forest is a smaller city in North Carolina with 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. Wake Forest deals with home prices well above the national average and commute times longer than most cities.
The good
- Low unemployment
- 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 Wake Forest compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Wake Forest
Based on Wake Forest's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,192
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $63,840 a year
- 45% of Wake Forest renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$94,900
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $47,450
- Homes cost 3.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 13% above US
$1,596/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,596 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are steep, with a median around $474,500. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $474,500 · 45% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 23% below US
3.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.3%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 74% below US
85 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 1021/100k · Wake Forest Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 19% above US
31 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 30.9 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; 29% 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▲ 65% above US
60% 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
13 public schools inside the boundary
There are 13 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Guilford Courthouse National Military Park (75 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Wake Forest's strongest points are 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. A year of median rent ($1,596/mo) equals 15% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (29% of workers here already work from home).
See all the data for Wake Forest →·All North Carolina cities →
Other places near Wake Forest
All North Carolina guides →Moving to Raleigh →
12 mi away · pop. 481,031
Rent $1,572/mo · Income $85,395
Compare with Wake Forest →Moving to Knightdale →
12 mi away · pop. 20,214
Rent $1,674/mo · Income $103,220
Compare with Wake Forest →Not sure Wake Forest is the one?
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