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Wake County

#1 in Best Counties to Live in North Carolina
  • A+
    Overall Grade
  • County in North Carolina
  • 27 reviews
    A+
    Overall Niche Grade
    How are grades calculated?
    1. Public Schools
      A+
    2. Crime & Safety
      B-
    3. Housing
      A-
    4. Nightlife
      A
    5. Good for Families
      A+
    6. Diversity
      A
    7. Jobs
      A
    8. Weather
      B
    9. Cost of Living
      B-
    10. Health & Fitness
      A+
    11. Outdoor Activities
      A-
    12. Commute
      B-
    View Full Report Card
    Wake County is located in North Carolina with a population of 1,023,811. Wake County is one of the best places to live in North Carolina. In Wake County, most residents own their homes. In Wake County there are a lot of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many families and young professionals live in Wake County and residents tend to lean liberal. The public schools in Wake County are highly rated.
    Population
    1,023,811

    Real Estate

    Median Home Value
    $250,700
    National
    $184,700
    Median Rent
    $1,043
    National
    $949
    Rent vs. Own
    • Rent
      36%
    • Own
      64%
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    Niche may be compensated by the third party lenders and others who place ads on the website. Niche is not a lender and does not endorse the products of these advertisers. Fees that Niche receives for ads do not affect the terms you may be offered by the lender you choose. There are many additional borrowing options available.

    Wake County Rankings

    Niche ranks thousands of places to live based on key statistics from the U.S. Census and and expert insights.

    Crime & Safety

    Crime & Safety
    B-
    Based on violent and property crime rates.
    Violent Crimes
    • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
    National
    • Assault
      62
      282.7
    • Murder
      0.5
      6.1
    • Rape
      7
      40.7
    • Robbery
      29.7
      135.5
    Property Crimes
    • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
    National
    • Burglary
      232.1
      500.1
    • Theft
      1,189.8
      2,042.8
    • Motor Vehicle Theft
      51.8
      284

    Residents

    Diversity
    A
    Based on ethnic and economic diversity.
    Age
    • <10 years
      13%
    • 10-17 years
      11%
    • 18-24 years
      9%
    • 25-34 years
      15%
    • 35-44 years
      15%
    • 45-54 years
      15%
    • 55-64 years
      11%
    • 65+ years
      11%
    Education Levels
    National
    • Master's degree or higher
      19%
      12%
    • Bachelor's degree
      32%
      19%
    • Some college or associate's degree
      26%
      29%
    • High school diploma or equivalent
      16%
      28%
    • Less than high school diploma
      8%
      13%

    Working in Wake County

    Jobs
    A
    Based on employment rates, job and business growth, and cost of living.
    Median Household Income
    $73,577
    National
    $55,322
    Search for Jobs in Wake County
    • Public Schools
    • Private Schools
    • Colleges

      Wake County Reviews

      27 reviews
      All Categories
      My name is Kimberly Noriega. I am currently a Puerto-Rican high school senior at Wake Forest High, and in dual enrollment courses at Wake Technical College. I’ve lived here for roughly 4 years and loved each and every one of them. Wake County is an amazing area to live in. There are so many events, shopping plazas, good restaurants, and places of entertainment. Bored? No problem, go to downtown Wake Forest! After school, I sometimes go with my friends to downtown Wake Forest and bowl, play pool at Shorty’s, and take a stroll through the beautiful town.
      One thing I would like to seek change in is keeping Wake County’s trees and environments for animals. Currently, there is deforestation in Wake Forest. It is saddening to see new apartments and corporations being built on top of forests thriving with plant and animal life.
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      Wake county is a very diverse area and has great networking opportunities for all ages. Wake county is a growing city and has evolved over time. This has brought about various job opportunities. Wake county has various colleges, community colleges, and technical school within the triangle area. This in term brings in more people from various backgrounds and also builds the schools as well. The wake county area is also safe and family friendly environment this helps the real estate as well. I enjoy the various festivals and family activities that they have on the weekends.
      Wake County offer a variety of things. For those who are looking for new job opportunities then look no furthers. For parents who looking for schools for their kids then you are luck. There are numerous schools you can enroll your kids.

      Wake has very big real estate market and it is very diverse. I never encounter Indians (not native), Japanese, Chinese, Iranian and even Romanian before I move here.

      On the opposite end the commute time can be terrible due to traffic jams on small lane highways and impatient people. While housing can be very affordable depending on where you live; rent however is a different story altogether. Raleigh is starting suffer what people currently experience in Washington D.C and NYC.