Wake Forest, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wake Forest, 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 | Wake Forest | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,088 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1951.4 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 4.72% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.7 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 14,537 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wake Forest grew by 106.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 39,088 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wake Forest is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 23.7% of residents. That is 2.3 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,914 20.2% -1.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 9,274 23.7% +2.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,307 21.3% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,720 12.1% -4.9 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 52.2% of the people living in Wake Forest and men 47.8%.
- Women 52.2% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 47.8% North Carolina 48.9%
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Economy
Wake Forest has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Wake Forest | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $108,801 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.74% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wake Forest is about 50% higher than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Wake Forest | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $545,194 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,535 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 67.3% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Wake Forest is about 29.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,535 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Wake Forest spend about 62 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 257 hours, about 10.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wake Forest | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.8 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 61.7 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 257 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,964 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 26.9% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 11,668 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,589 | 1,609 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Wake Forest is 31 minutes, longer 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
Wake Forest has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Wake Forest | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 50.5% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.63 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Wake Forest has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Wake Forest | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.6 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 9.0% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 12.8% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
Wake Forest, NC Compared With Nearby Cities
How Wake Forest, NC compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wake Forest, NC | 39,088 | $108,801 #1/2 | $545,194 #1/2 | 30.8 min #2/2 |
| Raleigh, NC | 423,734 | $86,293 | $402,287 | 21.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wake Forest, North Carolina.
How big is Wake Forest, North Carolina by population?
About 39,088 people live in Wake Forest, North Carolina, in 14,537 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 36.7, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Wake Forest, North Carolina mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Wake Forest, North Carolina has 1,951 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 23 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Wake Forest, North Carolina?
The median home costs 5.0 times the median household income ($545,194 against $108,801), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,535 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Wake Forest, North Carolina?
Unemployment in Wake Forest, North Carolina is only 3.9%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Wake Forest, North Carolina?
50.5% of adults in Wake Forest, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 5 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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