Garner vs Wake Forest
Garner, 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.
Garner 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 | Garner | Wake Forest |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $77k | $115k |
| Cost of Living | $64k | $64k |
| Home Value | $289k | $397k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.83% | 0.89% |
| Income Tax | 4.50% | 4.50% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.92% | 9.87% |
| Unemployment | 5.8% | 4.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 41°F | 41°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 80°F | 80°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 50.7 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 | 80 days | 80 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 31.5 | 43.5 |
| Air Quality | 48 AQI | 49 AQI |
| School Quality | 45.4 | 45.4 |
| Violent Crime | 1734/100k | 646/100k |
| Property Crime | 3493/100k | 1047/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 31,684 | 48,047 |
| Median Age | 37.3 | 39.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.55 | 0.48 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.92 | 0.93 |
| Political Leaning | D+27 | D+27 |
| White (%) | 58.4% | 67.4% |
| Black (%) | 24.1% | 17.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 11.1% | 7.9% |
| Asian (%) | 1.6% | 2.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.8% | 4.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 28 min | 32 min |
| Walkability | 9.6/20 | 8.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 17 mi | 17 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.3% | 97.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 36.30 | 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 Garner or Wake Forest more affordable?
- Wake Forest has the lower cost of living: its index is $64k, compared with Garner's $64k and Wake Forest's $64k. Median rent is $1k in Garner versus $1k in Wake Forest.
- Is Garner or Wake Forest safer?
- Wake Forest has the lower violent crime rate. Garner reports 1734/100k and Wake Forest reports 646/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Garner or Wake Forest?
- The median home value is $289k in Garner and $397k in Wake Forest, so homes are more affordable in Garner.