Wake Forest, North Carolina
AffordabilityAffordability: grade D, better than 17% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade D, better than 16% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 44% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B+, better than 74% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 59% of US places
- top 9% for airport distance
- top 10% for broadband access
- bottom 2% for monthly owner costs
Wake Forest is a mid-size city in North Carolina with about 48,000 residents. It grades B+ for getting around and D for weather. Standout strengths include airport distance, broadband access, and walkability. It rates lower on cost of living and monthly owner costs.
- The median home value in Wake Forest is $397k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median household income in Wake Forest is $115k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median gross rent in Wake Forest is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Wake Forest has a violent crime rate of 646/100k, per the FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
- The average one-way commute in Wake Forest is 32 min, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
Climate
Hot, humid summers · Cool winters · Moderate rain · Light snow
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62%51%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.5 in3.6 in
muggy 93%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$115k90th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$64kbetter than 8% of US places
Home Value$397k86th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 21% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$12kbetter than 2% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.89%better than 57% of US places
Income Tax4.50%better than 61% of US places
Sales Tax7.00%better than 60% of US places
Estimated total tax burden9.87%better than 49% of US places
Unemployment4.3%better than 45% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)41°F73rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)80°F72nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation49.4 in77th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall3.3 inbetter than 71% of US places
Sunny Days194 daysbetter than 17% of US places
Summer Humidity69°Fbetter than 20% of US places
Comfortable Days80 daysbetter than 44% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk43.5better than 78% of US places
Air Quality49 AQIbetter than 34% of US places
School Quality45.4better than 26% of US places
Violent Crime646/100kbetter than 55% of US places
Property Crime1047/100kbetter than 46% of US places
Community
Population48,04797th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age39.041st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.4881st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9339th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+2710th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)67.4%28th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)17.9%89th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)7.9%68th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)2.3%82nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)4.5%67th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time32 minbetter than 18% of US places
Walkability8.9/20better than 81% of US places
Airport Distance17 mibetter than 91% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access97.5%better than 90% of US places
Amenities Nearby35.17better than 31% of US places
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 45% of US places
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Wake Forest an affordable place to live?
- Wake Forest is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $64k, better than 8% of comparable areas. Median rent is $1k.
- Is Wake Forest safe?
- Wake Forest is about average for safety comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 646/100k (better than 55%). Property crime is 1047/100k.
- What is the weather like in Wake Forest?
- Wake Forest averages 80°F in July and 41°F in January, with 49.4 in of annual precipitation and about 194 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Wake Forest?
- Public-school quality in Wake Forest is below average, scoring better than 26% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Wake Forest?
- The average one-way commute in Wake Forest is 32 min.