Raleigh, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Raleigh, NC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A
Health Above average
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B
Income Around average
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A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Raleigh | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 423,734 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2787.6 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.13% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.7 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 179,973 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Raleigh grew by 24.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 423,734 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Raleigh is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 26.0% of residents. That is 4.1 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 110,068 26.0% +4.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 108,428 25.6% +4.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 83,142 19.6% -0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 50,298 11.9% -5.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below North Carolina, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.4% of the people living in Raleigh and men 48.6%.
- Women 51.4% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 48.6% North Carolina 48.9%
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Economy
Raleigh has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Raleigh | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $86,293 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.09% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Raleigh is about 19% higher than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Raleigh | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $402,287 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,560 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 50.7% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Raleigh is about 21.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,560 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Raleigh spend about 42 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 175 hours, about 7.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Raleigh | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.0 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.9 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 175 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,417 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 26.2% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 20,569 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,985 | 1,609 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Raleigh is 21 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in North Carolina.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Raleigh has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Raleigh | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 48.7% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.25 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Raleigh has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Raleigh | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.0 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 10.7% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 13.3% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
Raleigh, NC Compared With Nearby Cities
Raleigh, NC is the largest of the 5 cities compared here, 423,734 residents against a local median of 31,683. Where Raleigh, NC breaks from the cities next to it is median household income, sitting 28% below the local median of $119,356 at $86,293. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $402,287 against a local median of $495,334, 19% below it. The cities themselves spread $59,111 on median household income, so Raleigh, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Raleigh, NC has the 4th highest median household income of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh, NC | 423,734 | $86,293 #4/5 | $402,287 #4/5 | 21.0 min #2/5 |
| Garner, NC | 24,278 | $77,830 | $270,927 | 25.9 min |
| Wake Forest, NC | 39,088 | $108,801 | $545,194 | 30.8 min |
| Cary, NC | 159,804 | $129,912 | $445,474 | 21.1 min |
| Morrisville, NC | 22,339 | $136,940 | $566,521 | 20.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Raleigh, North Carolina.
What is the population of Raleigh, North Carolina?
About 423,734 people live in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 179,973 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 33.7, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Raleigh, North Carolina?
Averaged over its land area, Raleigh, North Carolina has 2,788 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 32 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Raleigh, North Carolina?
The median home costs 4.7 times the median household income ($402,287 against $86,293), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,560 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Raleigh, North Carolina have a college degree?
48.7% of adults in Raleigh, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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