Fast Facts

Wake County by the Numbers highlights general statistics of interest for each demographic area (population, housing, education, economy, transportation and land development). The data below reflects the most current information available in December 2007.

Population :

2008 Forecasted population: 854,592
2009 Forecasted population: 884,503
2010 Forecasted population: 911,038

Newcomers Projection:
2007: 91 (Per Day)
2008: 86 (Per Day)
2009: 82 (Per Day)
2010: 73 (Per Day)

NC Demographics Projection:
2007: 822,356****

Housing

2006 Housing units: 325,712*

2006 Vacancy rate: 9.5%*
2007 Average residential property value: $186,410 (County)
High: $222,550**
Low: $98,234**

2006 Average household size: 2.58 people/household*

2006 Housing density: 392 units/sq. mile

Education

2007-08 WCPSS membership: 134,002

2007-08 Number of WCPSS schools: 153; number of charter schools: 13

2006 Adult population with B.A. or higher: 45.6% *

2006 Median household income: $60,903*

2006 Population below poverty line: 9.1%*

2006 Unemployment rate: 3.6%***
2006-07 Tax base components:
Commercial: 28%**
Residential: 72%**

Transportation

2007 Registered vehicles: 706,000**
2006 Commuters who drive alone: 85.6%*

2006 Average commute time: 23.4 minutes*

2006 Commuters taking public transportation: 1.3%*

2006 Commuters carpooling: 10.7%*
2006 Commuters walking: 1.4%*
2006 Residents who worked from home: 21,606*

Land Development

Wake County proper: 857 square miles

2007 Municipal jurisdiction: 440 square miles

2007 County planning jurisdiction: 417 square miles

2007 (Jan.-Oct.) New countywide residential permits: 9,298; New commercial/industrial permits: 530**

* 2006 U.S. Census Bureau
** Wake County Revenue
*** NC Employment Security Commission
**** NC State Demographer
***** NC Center for Health Statistics