Housing data for Raleigh, NC

Raleigh, NC has an estimated 481,031 residents and 224,853 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).

It is a city in Wake County.

49.3% of households rent.

The median gross rent is $1,572 a month.

Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+3.6%).

Figures last updated on .

Residents
481,031 (±391)
Housing units
224,853 (±1,424)
Households that rent
49.3%
Median gross rent
$1,572
Residents since 2015–2019
+3.6%

What stands out in Raleigh

Households that rent: 49.3% (±1.1 points) in Raleigh, higher than in Wake County (35.9%).

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 34.9% (±1.1 points) in Raleigh, higher than in Wake County (23.9%).

Homes built before 1980: 23.0% (±0.8 points) in Raleigh, higher than in Wake County (17.9%).

Median household income: $85,395 (±$2,159) in Raleigh, lower than in Wake County ($105,768).

Housing in Raleigh at a glance

Raleigh against Wake County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
RaleighWake CountyNorth CarolinaUnited States
Residents481,031 (±391)1,178,653 (exact)10,730,404 (exact)334,922,499
Housing units224,853 (±1,424)496,047 (±204)4,895,668 (±642)143,775,355
Households that rent49.3% (±1.1 points)35.9% (±0.7 points)33.4% (±0.2 points)34.8%
Median gross rent$1,572 (±$23)$1,623 (±$16)$1,228 (±$5)$1,413
Median household income$85,395 (±$2,159)$105,768 (±$1,626)$72,388 (±$324)$80,734
Median home value$415,800 (±$7,720)$461,300 (±$3,848)$288,900 (±$1,086)$332,700
Median real estate taxes (a year)$3,048 (±$85)$3,260 (±$35)$1,896 (±$8)$3,119
Built before 198023.0% (±0.8 points)17.9% (±0.5 points)33.9% (±0.2 points)49.7%
Average commute23.0 minutes (±0.4)25.1 minutes (±0.3)25.1 minutes (±0.1)26.4 minutes
Households with broadband94.7% (±0.5 points)95.3% (±0.4 points)90.1% (±0.2 points)91.0%
Median age of residents34.7 years (±0.4)37.3 years (±0.1)39.1 years (±0.2)38.9 years

Raleigh covers 150.9 square miles of land, about 3,187 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).

How Raleigh has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
2015–20192020–2024Amount of changeVerdict
Residents464,485 (±375)481,031 (±391)+3.6%Measurable increase
Housing units202,417 (±1,358)224,853 (±1,424)+11.1%Measurable increase
Median gross rent$1,121 (±$9)$1,572 (±$23)+40.2%Up after inflation
Median home value$248,300 (±$3,295)$415,800 (±$7,720)+67.5%Up after inflation
Median household income$67,266 (±$1,360)$85,395 (±$2,159)+27.0%Up after inflation
Median owner cost with a mortgage$1,510 (±$24)$1,910 (±$36)+26.5%Up after inflation
Median real estate taxes$2,336 (±$37)$3,048 (±$85)+30.5%Up after inflation
Households that rent48.5% (±0.7 points)49.3% (±1.1 points)+0.8 percentage pointsNot a measurable change
Rental vacancy rate6.2% (±0.7 points)8.6% (±0.9 points)+2.4 percentage pointsMeasurable 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 Raleigh

In 2025, the Raleigh Police Department reported 395 violent and 2,305 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.

ZIP codes in Raleigh

ZIP Code Tabulation Areas that cover this place (2020–2024 estimates)
ZIP codeShare of the ZIP’s land in this placeResidentsMedian gross rentMedian home valueMedian household income
27601100%9,905$1,550$579,500$71,350
27605100%6,286$1,668$540,000$71,096
27608100%12,604$1,878$977,400$162,188
27695100%1,993———
27697100%0———
2760999%35,573$1,474$471,200$83,065
2761793%20,237$1,736$489,600$110,034
2761291%41,952$1,620$529,000$95,988
2760781%28,438$1,610$707,800$96,775
2761564%46,019$1,612$479,000$112,754

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 Raleigh

Nearest places with Census figures, by straight-line distance
PlaceDistanceMedian gross rentMedian home valueHouseholds that rent
Knightdale8.6 mi$1,674$380,10035.3%
Garner9.9 mi$1,549$355,00036.8%
Cary11 mi$1,738$580,20033.4%
Morrisville11 mi$1,858$518,80054.6%
Rolesville12 mi$1,085$535,0007.5%
Wake Forest12 mi$1,596$474,50026.0%
Apex15 mi$1,902$576,10023.5%
Clayton16 mi$1,661$329,60037.3%

Places in North Carolina most like Raleigh

PlaceMedian gross rentMedian home valueMedian household incomeHouseholds that rent
Charlotte$1,612$385,700$82,06849.0%
Durham$1,508$392,800$81,61947.7%
Pineville$1,552$395,100$69,35451.1%
Carrboro$1,470$539,400$85,74356.5%
Manteo$1,204$444,400$83,77736.7%
Chapel Hill$1,613$613,700$85,98952.6%

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 Raleigh, fiscal year 2027

Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA, dollars a month
Studio1 bedroom2 bedrooms3 bedrooms4 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 Raleigh, fiscal year 2026

Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA, annual household income
Household sizeExtremely 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 Raleigh

What is the average rent in Raleigh, NC?

The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Raleigh is $1,572 (±$23) 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 Raleigh?

The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Raleigh, NC is $1,408 (±$27) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Are renters in Raleigh rent-burdened?

52.1% of renting households in Raleigh 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 Raleigh?

Raleigh has an estimated 100,202 (±2,447) renting households, 49.3% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

What is the median household income in Raleigh?

The median household income in Raleigh is $85,395 (±$2,159) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

What is the average home value in Raleigh, NC?

The Census Bureau publishes the median: $415,800 (±$7,720) for owner-occupied homes in Raleigh (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Is Raleigh growing?

In Raleigh, the number of residents went from 464,485 in 2015–2019 to 481,031 in 2020–2024 (+3.6%), a measurable increase.

What ZIP codes are in Raleigh?

The ZIP codes that cover Raleigh are 27601, 27605, 27608, 27695, 27697, 27609, 27617, 27612, 27607, 27615.

What is the median rent in ZIP code 27601?

The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 27601 is $1,550 (±$96) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Sources

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 Raleigh city, North Carolina (place:55000, 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.

Request a Census API 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 .

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