Wake Forest, North Carolina Housing Market Prices

Wake Forest Home Prices and Rent at a Glance

The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.

  • Median home price 96% above the North Carolina median
    $545,194
  • Median rent 25% above the North Carolina median
    $1,535

Housing Market Overview

Metric Wake Forest North Carolina Avg US Average
Median Home Price $545,194 $278,288 $248,835
Price Trend (Annual %) 17.8% 9.3% 7.5%
Median Gross Rent $1,535 $1,227 $1,407
Rent Trend (Annual %) 5.9% 5.3% 5.1%
Household Income Trend (Annual %) — — —

The median home price in Wake Forest is about 96% higher than in North Carolina. Rent is about 25% higher than the North Carolina average.

Median Home and Rent Price Trends

Median Home Prices, 2015-2024

Wake Forest
North Carolina
United States
Year Wake Forest North Carolina United States

Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024

Wake Forest
North Carolina
United States
Year Wake Forest North Carolina United States

Both home prices and rent are rising in Wake Forest, up about 17.8% and 5.9% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.

Median rent in Wake Forest rose about 59.0% between 2015 and 2024, from $965 to $1,535. Over the same span, rent in North Carolina rose about 54.2%.

Affordability

On average, housing unit costs 5.0 yearly household incomes in Wake Forest.

Buying the median-priced home in Wake Forest costs roughly 29.6 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Wake Forest. The price-to-rent ratio in North Carolina is about 18.9.

Metric Wake Forest North Carolina Avg US Average
Median Home Price $545,194 $278,288 $248,835
Median Household Income $108,801 $72,438 $80,455
Price-to-Income Ratio 5.0 3.8 3.1

Home Prices vs Income Over Time

Home Prices
Household Income

Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Wake Forest rose about 192.2%, while median household income rose about 47.8% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.

Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)

Compare income and housing cost trends.

Household Income Growth %
Housing Cost Growth %
Year Income Growth % Housing Cost Growth % Gap (Cost - Income)

Occupancy & Tenure

Metric Wake Forest North Carolina Avg US Average
Homeownership Rate 62.8% 58.3% 58.5%
Rental Rate 30.5% 29.2% 31.2%
Vacancy Rate 6.6% 12.5% 10.2%
Median Tenure (years) 11.0 15.0 15.0
Median Year Moved In 2015 2011 2011

Wake Forest has a homeownership rate of 62.8%, higher than the North Carolina average of 58.3%. Its housing vacancy rate is 6.6%, compared with 12.5% in North Carolina.

Housing Stock

Metric Wake Forest North Carolina Avg US Average
Average Household Size 2.63 people 2.44 people 2.53 people
Median Structure Built Year 2003 1989 1978
Median Number of Rooms 6.3 5.6 5.5

The typical housing unit in Wake Forest was built around 2003. On average, 2.6 people live in a home with about 6.3 rooms, staying for about 11.0 years on average.

Wake Forest, NC Housing Compared With Nearby Cities

How Wake Forest, NC compares with the 1 cities closest to it.

Area Population Median home price Median rent Homeownership
Wake Forest, NC 39,088 $545,194 #1/2 $1,535 #2/2 67.3% #1/2
Raleigh, NC 423,734 $402,287 $1,560 50.7%

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the housing market in Wake Forest, North Carolina.

What is the median home price in Wake Forest, North Carolina?

The median home price in Wake Forest, North Carolina is $545,194, higher than the North Carolina average of $278,288.

What is the average home price in Wake Forest, North Carolina?

The typical home price in Wake Forest, North Carolina, reported as the median sale price, is $545,194. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.

What is the median rent in Wake Forest, North Carolina?

The median gross rent in Wake Forest, North Carolina is $1,535 per month, higher than the North Carolina average of $1,227.

What was the median gross rent in Wake Forest in 2020?

In 2020, the median gross rent in Wake Forest, North Carolina was $1,158 per month.

What is the price-to-rent ratio in Wake Forest, North Carolina?

The price-to-rent ratio in Wake Forest, North Carolina is about 29.6, meaning it would take roughly 29.6 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Wake Forest.

Are home prices or rent rising faster in Wake Forest, North Carolina?

Both home prices and rent are rising in Wake Forest, up about 17.8% and 5.9% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.

What is the homeownership rate in Wake Forest, North Carolina?

62.8% of households in Wake Forest, North Carolina own their home, higher than the North Carolina average of 58.3%.

What is the vacancy rate in Wake Forest, North Carolina?

The housing vacancy rate in Wake Forest, North Carolina is 6.6%, lower than the North Carolina average of 12.5%.

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