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Living in
Wake Forest.
About
Life in Wake Forest
If you're considering Wake Forest, understand that you're looking at a prosperous suburb in the Raleigh orbit—not a small town anymore. Housing costs reflect that growth: median home values sit around $475,000 with rents near $1,596/month, which is solidly middle to upper-middle class territory. The job market is strong with unemployment under 3.4%, and if you're working in tech, research, or professional services in the Triangle, your 30-minute average commute is reasonable.
Wake Forest at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
38.6 yrs
Poverty Rate
4.5%
Foreign-Born
9.5%
Broadband Internet
97.8%
of households
Population Growth
+21.1%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics9.5% foreign-born, most often from India
Who lives in Wake Forest: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Wake Forest, the largest foreign-born group is from India (11.2%), and 4.7% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
26.5%
of residents
65 and Older
12.8%
of residents
Households with Kids
38.8%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
17.6%
of households
Married Couples
62.7%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.81
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 30% above NC average
Rent, home values, and income in Wake Forest
In Wake Forest, rent runs 30% above the NC average, and home values are 64% above the NC average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
44.7%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
19.2%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
98.2
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$3,853
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
74.0%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
2009
median year built
Vacant Homes
5.3%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $504,021 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.5 pts below NC average
Unemployment in Wake Forest and typical pay across the metro area
Unemployment in Wake Forest is 0.5 percentage points lower than the NC average.
Unemployment rate
City-level rate · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
City-level (BLS) · Annual averages
What Wake Forest Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Median Salary by Occupation · metro area
Raleigh, NC metro area
Commute30.9 min avg
How Wake Forest residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Wake Forest, most residents drive alone to work (65%), and 45% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 17 mi
Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)
Medium hub7.7M passengers boarded in 2025
- 146 mi
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
Major hub25.9M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 74% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Wake Forest runs 74% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
85.2
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
1,020.9
per 100,000 residents
Below average (1,552 national, 2025)
Wake Forest Police Department
Natural DisastersThunderstorm Wind most common — 32 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively High
95.5 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Wake County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Wake County, which includes Wake Forest, the most common type is thunderstorm wind, with 32 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 32 | Thunderstorm Wind | $167,000 |
| 2024 | 29 | Flash Flood | $425,000 |
| 2023 | 29 | Thunderstorm Wind | $326,500 |
| 2022 | 43 | Thunderstorm Wind | $1.5M |
| 2021 | 15 | Winter Weather | $265,000 |
| 2020 | 32 | Thunderstorm Wind | $2.6M |
| 2019 | 27 | Thunderstorm Wind | $101.4M |
| 2018 | 31 | Thunderstorm Wind | $7.2M |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
0 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Wake County, county-wide
Wake Forest is about 5% of Wake County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.
Air Quality43 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Wake County, which includes Wake Forest, is typically good — 250 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
43
Good Days
250
per year
Moderate Days
115
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Wake County, county-wide
Wake Forest is about 5% of Wake County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.
Climate85°F summers, 30°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Wake Forest has warm summers (avg high 85°F) and cold winters (avg low 30°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
70°/45°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
85°/66°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
69°/48°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
51°/30°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
49.4"
Annual Snowfall
1.7"
Hot Days/Year
36
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
82
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
140
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49°F | 28°F | 3.49" |
| Feb | 53°F | 30°F | 2.94" |
| Mar | 62°F | 36°F | 4.19" |
| Apr | 71°F | 45°F | 3.69" |
| May | 77°F | 55°F | 3.52" |
| Jun | 84°F | 64°F | 4.12" |
| Jul | 87°F | 68°F | 4.80" |
| Aug | 85°F | 67°F | 4.71" |
| Sep | 79°F | 61°F | 5.27" |
| Oct | 68°F | 48°F | 3.31" |
| Nov | 59°F | 37°F | 3.62" |
| Dec | 52°F | 32°F | 3.86" |
Healthcare
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Wake Forest
Uninsured
4.7%
of residents
No hospitals inside Wake Forest's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles
Wakemed, Raleigh Campus
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 13 mi away · Raleigh
Holly Hill Mental Health Services
Psychiatric · 13.2 mi away · Raleigh
Rex Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 14.8 mi away · Raleigh
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education16.3:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Wake Forest
Wake Forest's student/teacher ratio is 16.3:1, close to the national average of 16:1, and 59.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
13
within city limits
Private Schools
1
within city limits
College Degree Rate
59.5%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
16.3:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges & Universities in Wake Forest
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 585 students · in-state tuition $11,764 · 44% graduate
Nearby Colleges (within 15 miles)
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 875 students · in-state tuition $19,278 · 22% graduate · median earnings $38,822 (10 yrs after entry)
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 666 students · in-state tuition $35,180 · 52% graduate · median earnings $47,869 (10 yrs after entry)
Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)
Parks & Recreationclosest: Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, 75 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Wake Forest
Wake Forest has 2 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Guilford Courthouse National Military Park (75 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Guilford Courthouse National Military Park
National Military Park
75 mi awayAppomattox Court House National Historical Park
National Historical Park
99 mi awayPublic Libraries in Wake Forest
Wake Forest Community Library
400 E Holding Ave, Wake Forest
Cities Near Wake Forest
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Wake Forest?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Wake Forest FAQ
Is Wake Forest, North Carolina affordable?⌄
Wake Forest's median rent is $1,596/month, which is close to the national average. The median household income is $123,802/year. Median home value is $474,500.
Is Wake Forest, North Carolina safe?⌄
Wake Forest's violent crime rate was 85 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 1021 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Wake Forest, North Carolina?⌄
Wake Forest has an unemployment rate of 3.3%, which is solid, slightly below the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Wake Forest, North Carolina?⌄
The cost of living in Wake Forest is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,596/month and median household income is $123,802/year. The median home value is $474,500. About 45% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Wake Forest, North Carolina?⌄
The average commute in Wake Forest is 31 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from