Raleigh-Cary, NC Metro Area

Metro Area

Population: 1,449,594 (2023 estimate)

Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA)

Metro area data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) are defined by the Office of Management and Budget and group counties with a central urban core plus surrounding communities that are economically tied to it. Metro areas often cross county and state lines, making them the best unit for understanding regional labor markets, housing costs, and commute patterns.

Metro income rankings Compare to another metro

Trends 2017–2023

Income Poverty Home Values Rent Homeownership Education Unemployment Commute Time Work From Home Foreign-Born Uninsured

Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).

Quick Facts — Raleigh-Cary, NC Metro Area

What is the median household income in Raleigh-Cary, NC Metro Area?: The median household income in Raleigh-Cary, NC Metro Area is $96,066 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
What is the poverty rate in Raleigh-Cary, NC Metro Area?: The poverty rate in Raleigh-Cary, NC Metro Area is 5.5% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
What is the median home value in Raleigh-Cary, NC Metro Area?: $381,000 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
What is the average rent in Raleigh-Cary, NC Metro Area?: The median gross rent in Raleigh-Cary, NC Metro Area is $1,459 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
What percentage of Raleigh-Cary, NC Metro Area residents have a college degree?: 50.2% of adults in Raleigh-Cary, NC Metro Area hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).

Population

1,449,594

Median Income

$96,066

Median Home Value

$381,000

Poverty Rate

5.5%

Unemployment (ACS 2023)

4.2%

Median Age

37.0 yrs

Since 2019 Median Income: +$20,215 (+26.7%) Home Value: +$131,200 (+52.5%) Poverty Rate: -1.1 pp (-16.7%) Bachelor's+: +3.4 pp (+7.3%) Unemployment: 0.0 pp (+0%)

Demographics

Total Population 1,449,594

Median Age 37.0

Female 50.9%

Race & Ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino 12.1% White (non-Hisp.) 58.1% Black 19.1% Asian 6.6% Two or More 7.8% Other 5.4%

Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)

Indian

3.6%

Chinese

0.9%

Vietnamese

0.5%

Korean

0.4%

Filipino

0.3%

Japanese

0.1%

Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)

Mexican

6.0%

Puerto Rican

1.4%

Cuban

0.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Income & Poverty

Median Household Income $96,066 ±$1,180

Per Capita Income $127,976

Median Family Income $119,445

Poverty Rate 5.5%

Child Poverty Rate 8.0%

Working-Age Poverty Rate —

SNAP Recipients 7.3%

Social Security Income —

Retirement Income 21.4%

Household Income Distribution

< $10k

3.4%

$10–15k

2.2%

$15–25k

4.9%

$25–35k

5.4%

$35–50k

9.0%

$50–75k

14.6%

$75–100k

12.1%

$100–150k

19.5%

$150–200k

11.9%

$200k+

16.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Housing

Total Housing Units 601,103

Owner-Occupied 67.0%

Renter-Occupied 33.0%

Vacancy Rate 7.6%

Median Home Value $381,000

Median Gross Rent $1,459

Owner Cost Burden (30%+) 14.9%

Renter Cost Burden (30%+) 37.2%

Home Value Distribution

< $50k

3.2%

$50–100k

2.1%

$100–200k

3.7%

$200–300k

19.3%

$300–500k

36.2%

$500k–$1M

26.2%

$1M+

3.9%

Gross Rent Distribution

< $500

3.4%

$500–1k

13.4%

$1–1.5k

36.5%

$1.5–2k

31.2%

$2–2.5k

10.0%

$2.5–3.5k

3.4%

$3.5k+

2.1%

Vehicle Availability

No vehicle

4.0%

1 vehicle

30.3%

2 vehicles

41.7%

23.9%

Housing Type

Single-fam. det.

61.7%

Single-fam. att.

9.4%

2–4 units

1.4%

5–19 units

4.2%

20+ units

9.7%

Mobile home

5.4%

Housing Age

Pre-1940

2.5%

1940–1969

1.2%

1970–1999

8.2%

2000–2009

23.7%

2010+

20.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Education

High School or Higher 92.9%

Bachelor's or Higher 50.2%

Graduate Degree 19.4%

Some College / Associate 16.6%

Less Than High School 3.2%

Enrolled in School —

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Employment

Labor Force Participation 68.9%

Unemployment Rate 4.2%

Work from Home 23.4%

Self-Employed 4.8%

Government Workers 13.3%

Private For-Profit 81.8%

Industry

Edu/Health

20.1%

Prof. Services

19.9%

Retail

9.8%

Manufacturing

9.2%

Finance

7.9%

Arts/Entmt.

7.5%

Construction

7.3%

Public Admin

4.7%

Transportation

4.1%

Information

2.4%

Wholesale

2.2%

Agriculture

0.6%

Occupation

Management

53.1%

Sales

18.8%

Food Prep

12.5%

Production

8.8%

Construction

6.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Commute

Median Travel Time 26.9 min

Drove Alone 67.0%

Carpool 6.5%

Public Transit 0.6%

Work from Home 23.4%

Walked 1.1%

Bicycle —

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Households & Families

Total Households 555,371

Avg. Household Size 2.00

Avg. Family Size —

Married-Couple Households 52.2%

Single-Mother Households —

Single-Father Households —

Living Alone —

Households with Children 23.8%

Multigenerational —

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Age Distribution

Under 5

5.9%

5–9

6.5%

10–14

7.0%

15–19

6.9%

20–24

6.0%

25–34

14.2%

35–44

14.8%

45–54

14.1%

55–64

6.3%

65–74

5.6%

75–84

8.0%

85+

3.6%

Under 18: 23.6% Working age (18–64): 76.4% 65 and over: 12.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Social Characteristics

Immigration

Foreign Born 13.1%

Naturalized Citizen 45.0%

Speaks English Less Than Very Well 5.9%

Foreign-Born Origin

Latin America

39.2%

Asia

38.1%

Europe

10.2%

Africa

9.8%

Veterans & Disability

Veteran 6.2%

With a Disability 10.0%

Cognitive Difficulty —

Ambulatory Difficulty —

Health Insurance

Insured 91.3%

Uninsured 8.7%

Employer Insurance —

Medicaid —

Medicare —

Technology & Mobility

Broadband Internet 93.1%

Has a Computer 97.1%

Same House 1 Year Ago 85.7%

Moved from Abroad 0.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023