Housing data for Cary, NC
Cary, NC has an estimated 179,306 residents and 73,795 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a town in Wake County.
33.4% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,738 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+7.8%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 179,306 (±190)
- Housing units
- 73,795 (±1,157)
- Households that rent
- 33.4%
- Median gross rent
- $1,738
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +7.8%
What stands out in Cary
Median home value: $580,200 (±$11,119) in Cary, higher than in Wake County ($461,300).
Median household income: $134,905 (±$3,712) in Cary, higher than in Wake County ($105,768).
Median real estate taxes: $4,142 (±$71) in Cary, higher than in Wake County ($3,260).
Homes built before 1980: 12.0% (±0.9 points) in Cary, lower than in Wake County (17.9%).
Housing in Cary at a glance
- Median rent: $1,738 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,699 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 38.2% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 33.4% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $134,905 median household income
- Home values: $580,200 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $2,389 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $4,142 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 24.2% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 70.8% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 12.0% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 10.1% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 55.1% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 22.5 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 75 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +7.8% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 28.7% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 1.9% of homes have more than 1 person per room
- Fair Market Rent: $1,610 Small Area FMR, 2 bedrooms (ZIP 27511)
Cary against Wake County, its state and the nation
| Cary | Wake County | North Carolina | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 179,306 (±190) | 1,178,653 (exact) | 10,730,404 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 73,795 (±1,157) | 496,047 (±204) | 4,895,668 (±642) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 33.4% (±1.7 points) | 35.9% (±0.7 points) | 33.4% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,738 (±$30) | $1,623 (±$16) | $1,228 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $134,905 (±$3,712) | $105,768 (±$1,626) | $72,388 (±$324) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $580,200 (±$11,119) | $461,300 (±$3,848) | $288,900 (±$1,086) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $4,142 (±$71) | $3,260 (±$35) | $1,896 (±$8) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 12.0% (±0.9 points) | 17.9% (±0.5 points) | 33.9% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 22.5 minutes (±0.8) | 25.1 minutes (±0.3) | 25.1 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 96.6% (±0.8 points) | 95.3% (±0.4 points) | 90.1% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 40.2 years (±0.9) | 37.3 years (±0.1) | 39.1 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Cary covers 61.0 square miles of land, about 2,941 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Cary has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 166,268 (±315) | 179,306 (±190) | +7.8% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 66,492 (±777) | 73,795 (±1,157) | +11.0% | Measurable increase |
| Median gross rent | $1,246 (±$24) | $1,738 (±$30) | +39.5% | Up after inflation |
| Median home value | $356,400 (±$3,775) | $580,200 (±$11,119) | +62.8% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $104,669 (±$1,788) | $134,905 (±$3,712) | +28.9% | Up after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,974 (±$32) | $2,389 (±$42) | +21.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $3,134 (±$56) | $4,142 (±$71) | +32.2% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 31.6% (±0.9 points) | 33.4% (±1.7 points) | +1.8 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 7.0% (±1.6 points) | 10.1% (±1.9 points) | +3.1 percentage points | Measurable increase |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Cary
In 2025, the Cary Police Department reported 75 violent and 967 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
ZIP codes in Cary
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27511 | 98% | 33,221 | $1,515 | $456,000 | $107,860 |
| 27518 | 91% | 19,735 | $1,681 | $632,200 | $123,488 |
| 27513 | 88% | 46,979 | $1,617 | $519,800 | $121,989 |
| 27519 | 77% | 69,836 | $1,952 | $670,900 | $165,586 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Cary
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morrisville | 3.9 mi | $1,858 | $518,800 | 54.6% |
| Apex | 5.0 mi | $1,902 | $576,100 | 23.5% |
| Holly Springs | 8.9 mi | $2,021 | $535,800 | 19.4% |
| Raleigh | 11 mi | $1,572 | $415,800 | 49.3% |
| Governors Village | 12 mi | $1,779 | $602,100 | 39.9% |
| Fuquay-Varina | 13 mi | $1,720 | $451,500 | 25.8% |
| Governors Club | 13 mi | — | $889,500 | 2.7% |
| Garner | 13 mi | $1,549 | $355,000 | 36.8% |
Places in North Carolina most like Cary
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornelius | $1,722 | $559,400 | $113,767 | 30.5% |
| Knightdale | $1,674 | $380,100 | $103,220 | 35.3% |
| Matthews | $1,764 | $445,100 | $108,611 | 35.6% |
| Davidson | $1,652 | $687,700 | $166,556 | 20.0% |
| Huntersville | $1,834 | $472,900 | $120,516 | 28.3% |
| Governors Village | $1,779 | $602,100 | $125,857 | 39.9% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across North Carolina.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Cary, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,489 | $1,552 | $1,689 | $2,103 | $2,823 |
HUD also publishes a Small Area Fair Market Rent for each ZIP code in the area; the Fair Market Rent page for this place lists its ZIP codes.
HUD income limits for Cary, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $27,800 | $46,350 | $74,100 |
| 2 people | $31,800 | $52,950 | $84,700 |
| 3 people | $35,750 | $59,550 | $95,300 |
| 4 people | $39,700 | $66,150 | $105,850 |
| 5 people | $42,900 | $71,450 | $114,350 |
| 6 people | $46,100 | $76,750 | $122,800 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $82,050 | $131,300 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $87,350 | $139,750 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $132,300.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Cary
What is the average rent in Cary, NC?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Cary is $1,738 (±$30) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Cary?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Cary, NC is $1,470 (±$37) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Cary rent-burdened?
38.2% of renting households in Cary pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Cary?
Cary has an estimated 23,271 (±1,315) renting households, 33.4% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Cary?
The median household income in Cary is $134,905 (±$3,712) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Cary, NC?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $580,200 (±$11,119) for owner-occupied homes in Cary (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Cary growing?
In Cary, the number of residents went from 166,268 in 2015–2019 to 179,306 in 2020–2024 (+7.8%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in Cary?
The ZIP codes that cover Cary are 27511, 27518, 27513, 27519.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 27511?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 27511 is $1,515 (±$83) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Cary town, North Carolina
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Cary town, North Carolina
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Cary town, North Carolina
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Cary town, North Carolina
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Cary town, North Carolina
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Cary town, North Carolina
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Cary town, North Carolina
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Cary Police Department (ORI NC0920300)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Cary town, North Carolina (place:10740, in state:37).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .