Clayton vs Wake Forest
Clayton, 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.
Clayton and Wake Forest score about the same overall (44 vs 46 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Clayton | Wake Forest |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $72k | $115k |
| Cost of Living | $54k | $64k |
| Home Value | $260k | $397k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.97% | 0.89% |
| Income Tax | 4.50% | 4.50% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.33% | 9.87% |
| Unemployment | 1.8% | 4.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 42°F | 41°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 81°F | 80°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 52.1 in | 49.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 3.2 in | 3.3 in |
| Sunny Days | 194 days | 194 days |
| Summer Humidity | 69°F | 69°F |
| Comfortable Days | 79 days | 80 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 48.8 | 43.5 |
| Air Quality | 47 AQI | 49 AQI |
| School Quality | 31.8 | 45.4 |
| Violent Crime | 673/100k | 646/100k |
| Property Crime | 1232/100k | 1047/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 26,837 | 48,047 |
| Median Age | 32.6 | 39.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.52 | 0.48 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.97 | 0.93 |
| Political Leaning | R+25 | D+27 |
| White (%) | 58.0% | 67.4% |
| Black (%) | 23.5% | 17.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 13.8% | 7.9% |
| Asian (%) | 0.8% | 2.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.8% | 4.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 32 min | 32 min |
| Walkability | 6.6/20 | 8.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 24 mi | 17 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 86.2% | 97.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 33.54 | 35.17 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | 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 Clayton or Wake Forest more affordable?
- Clayton has the lower cost of living: its index is $54k, compared with Clayton's $54k and Wake Forest's $64k. Median rent is $1k in Clayton versus $1k in Wake Forest.
- Is Clayton or Wake Forest safer?
- Wake Forest has the lower violent crime rate. Clayton reports 673/100k and Wake Forest reports 646/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Clayton or Wake Forest?
- The median home value is $260k in Clayton and $397k in Wake Forest, so homes are more affordable in Clayton.