Raleigh vs Wake Forest
Raleigh, 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.
Raleigh and Wake Forest score about the same overall (43 vs 46 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Raleigh | Wake Forest |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $79k | $115k |
| Cost of Living | $64k | $64k |
| Home Value | $347k | $397k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.80% | 0.89% |
| Income Tax | 4.50% | 4.50% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.32% | 9.87% |
| Unemployment | 4.5% | 4.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 41°F | 41°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 80°F | 80°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 49.6 in | 49.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 4.5 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 | 57.7 | 43.5 |
| Air Quality | 50 AQI | 49 AQI |
| School Quality | 45.4 | 45.4 |
| Violent Crime | 1899/100k | 646/100k |
| Property Crime | 2364/100k | 1047/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 465,517 | 48,047 |
| Median Age | 34.6 | 39.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.60 | 0.48 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.95 | 0.93 |
| Political Leaning | D+27 | D+27 |
| White (%) | 52.5% | 67.4% |
| Black (%) | 27.5% | 17.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 11.6% | 7.9% |
| Asian (%) | 4.5% | 2.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.9% | 4.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 32 min |
| Walkability | 12.5/20 | 8.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 9 mi | 17 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.2% | 97.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 16.24 | 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 Raleigh or Wake Forest more affordable?
- Wake Forest has the lower cost of living: its index is $64k, compared with Raleigh's $64k and Wake Forest's $64k. Median rent is $1k in Raleigh versus $1k in Wake Forest.
- Is Raleigh or Wake Forest safer?
- Wake Forest has the lower violent crime rate. Raleigh reports 1899/100k and Wake Forest reports 646/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Raleigh or Wake Forest?
- The median home value is $347k in Raleigh and $397k in Wake Forest, so homes are more affordable in Raleigh.