Wake Forest, NC

Census Place

Add Comparison

2024 Population

52,844

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

38.6

0.515% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

4.49%

52.3% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$123,802

2.5% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$474,500

9.08% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Wake Forest, NC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96.9% of the residents in Wake Forest, NC are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Wake Forest, NC was $474,500, and the homeownership rate was 74%.

Most people in Wake Forest, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 30.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Wake Forest, NC was 2 cars per household.

United States North Carolina Franklin County, NC Wake County, NC Raleigh, NC Franklin & Vance Counties PUMA, NC Wake County (Northeast)--Raleigh City (Northeast), Wake Forest & Rolesville Towns PUMA, NC

Population & Diversity

Wake Forest, NC is home to a population of 52.8k people, from which 96.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 9.52% of Wake Forest, NC residents were born outside of the country (5.03k people).

In 2024, there were 3.31 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (34.2k people) in Wake Forest, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 10.3k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 2.27k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.9%

2024 Citizenship

97.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.9% of Wake Forest, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Wake Forest, NC was 97.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Wake Forest, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Wake Forest, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
34.2k ± 1.93k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
10.3k ± 1.69k
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
2.27k ± 915

8.98%

Hispanic Population

4.74k people

8.98% of the people in Wake Forest, NC are hispanic (4.74k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Wake Forest, NC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
228,441 ± 11,609 people
India
90,815 ± 7,367 people
Honduras
52,061 ± 5,588 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 228,441 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 90,815 and Honduras with 52,061.

Foreign-Born Population

9.52%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

5.03k people

7.84%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

4.01k people

As of 2024, 9.52% of Wake Forest, NC residents (5.03k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Wake Forest, NC was 7.84%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Wake Forest, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (1990s)
904 ± 388
Gulf War (2001-)
836 ± 409
Vietnam
692 ± 311

Wake Forest, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (1990s), 1.08 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Wake Forest, NC.

Health

95.3% of the population of Wake Forest, NC has health coverage, with 61.9% on employee plans, 6.95% on Medicaid, 9.68% on Medicare, 13% on non-group plans, and 3.78% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see 1,413 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,413 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1634 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 299 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.2% were men and 51.8% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 28.3% under 18 years, 17.8% between 18 and 34 years, 41.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 12.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.2% were men and 51.8% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

4.73%

Uninsured

61.9%

Employer Coverage

6.95%

Medicaid

9.68%

Medicare

13%

Non-Group

3.78%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Wake Forest, NC declined by 17.6% from 5.74% to 4.73%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Wake Forest, NC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Economy

Employment

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Median Earnings by Industry

$75,296

Median earning men ± $6,062

$53,726

Median earning women ± $6,085

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($124,545), Manufacturing ($111,563), and Information ($107,578).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($96,477), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($84,082), and Information ($82,939).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Y-Axis

3.04%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in North Carolina.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in North Carolina went to Donald J. Trump with 50.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (47.6%), followed by Other (0.675%).

Thom Tillis and Ted Budd are the senators currently representing the state of North Carolina. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

North Carolina is currently represented by 14 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Wake Forest, NC. Showing the available data for North Carolina.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (50.9%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (47.6%)
Democratic Party
Other (0.675%)
Other Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in North Carolina went to Donald J. Trump with 50.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (47.6%), followed by Other (0.675%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in North Carolina for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from North Carolina

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Thom Tillis

Senator from North Carolina

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Ted Budd

Senator from North Carolina

Assumed office on January 3, 2023

Thom Tillis and Ted Budd are the senators currently representing North Carolina.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in North Carolina over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2024, universities in Wake Forest, NC awarded 537 degrees. The student population of Wake Forest, NC in 2024 is skewed towards men, with 2,162 male students and 1,058 female students.

The median tuition cost for private four year colleges is $10,008.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Wake Forest, NC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 74.6%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 78.7%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 3,220 (67.1% men and 32.9% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 3,220 students enrolled in Wake Forest, NC, 67.1% men and 32.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,530 records, of which 33.8% were women and 66.2% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Divinity & Ministry
191 degrees awarded
Theological Studies
54 degrees awarded
Christian Studies
44 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for N/A recipients in Wake Forest, NC was Divinity & Ministry with 191 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a N/A from schools in Wake Forest, NC according to their major.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($10,008) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,310) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($800) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Wake Forest, NC was $474,500 in 2024, which is 1.43 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $435,000 to $474,500, a 9.08% increase. The homeownership rate in Wake Forest, NC is 74%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Wake Forest, NC have an average commute time of 30.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Wake Forest, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$474,500

Median Property Value 2024

±$13,300

$13,617

Median Property Taxes

±$858

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Wake Forest, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Wake Forest, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

74%

Homeownership

2024

67.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 74% of the housing units in Wake Forest, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 74.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Wake Forest, NC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$123,802

Median Household Income

± $6,456

18.4k

Number of Households

± 1,262

In 2024, the median household income of the 18.4k households in Wake Forest, NC grew to $123,802 from the previous year's value of $120,777.

The following chart displays the households in Wake Forest, NC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Wake Forest, NC is from North Carolina.

0.466

2024 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.467

2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2024, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.466 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.16% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in North Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (64.5%)
Worked At Home (28.7%)
Carpooled (5.09%)

In 2024, 64.5% of workers in Wake Forest, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (28.7%) and those who carpooled to work (5.09%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

30.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Wake Forest, NC have a longer commute time (30.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.25% of the workforce in Wake Forest, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Wake Forest, NC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Wake Forest, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Wake Forest, NC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

4.49% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Wake Forest, NC (2.32k out of 51.7k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Males 55 - 64 and then Females 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Wake Forest, NC is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.