Apex vs Wake Forest
Apex, North Carolina versus Wake Forest, North Carolina: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Apex edges out Wake Forest on overall objective livability (51 vs 46 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Apex | Wake Forest |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $130k | $115k |
| Cost of Living | $64k | $64k |
| Home Value | $458k | $397k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.77% | 0.89% |
| Income Tax | 4.50% | 4.50% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.55% | 9.87% |
| Unemployment | 4.1% | 4.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 41°F | 41°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 79°F | 80°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 48.3 in | 49.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 4.8 in | 3.3 in |
| Sunny Days | 194 days | 194 days |
| Summer Humidity | 69°F | 69°F |
| Comfortable Days | 80 days | 80 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 23.5 | 43.5 |
| Air Quality | 47 AQI | 49 AQI |
| School Quality | 45.4 | 45.4 |
| Violent Crime | 592/100k | 646/100k |
| Property Crime | 1148/100k | 1047/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 65,541 | 48,047 |
| Median Age | 35.9 | 39.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.50 | 0.48 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 0.93 |
| Political Leaning | D+27 | D+27 |
| White (%) | 66.3% | 67.4% |
| Black (%) | 7.7% | 17.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 6.4% | 7.9% |
| Asian (%) | 14.8% | 2.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.7% | 4.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 32 min |
| Walkability | 9.5/20 | 8.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 12 mi | 17 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 96.5% | 97.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 22.73 | 35.17 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Apex or Wake Forest more affordable?
- Wake Forest has the lower cost of living: its index is $64k, compared with Apex's $64k and Wake Forest's $64k. Median rent is $2k in Apex versus $1k in Wake Forest.
- Is Apex or Wake Forest safer?
- Apex has the lower violent crime rate. Apex reports 592/100k and Wake Forest reports 646/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Apex or Wake Forest?
- The median home value is $458k in Apex and $397k in Wake Forest, so homes are more affordable in Wake Forest.