Census place 3755000

Raleigh

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: Raleigh city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in Raleigh.

According to the 2025 estimate, Raleigh has a population of 506,306 and 3,325 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 93 covered North Carolina places are: population density is 3,325/sq mi, above the comparison median of 1,644/sq mi; median home value is $415,800, above the comparison median of $309,100; and median household income is $85,395, above the comparison median of $66,738. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

population density
3,325/sq mi
Above the comparison median of 1,644/sq mi
median home value
$415,800
Above the comparison median of $309,100
median household income
$85,395
Above the comparison median of $66,738

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare Raleigh's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
506,306
2025 estimate
Annual change
+1.5%
Population estimate
Density
3,325/sq mi
152.3 sq mi land area
Median age
34.7 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income
$85,395
Median home value
$415,800
Median gross rent
$1,572
Bachelor’s degree or higher
54%
Typical commute
23 min
Drive-alone commute
62.3%
Public transit commute
1.4%
Walked to work
1.6%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes
49.3%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
52.1%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+
67.7%
Unemployed residents 16+
3.1%
Working from home
25.8%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband
94.7%
Homes built 2020+
3%
Households without a vehicle
6%
Households with children
26.3%
Residents with a disability
9.6%
Residents without insurance
9.3%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for Wake County provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000
13
Hurricane declarations
8
Severe Storm declarations
2
Tropical Storm declarations
2

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: RALEIGH AP (9 mi from place center)
Average high
72°F
Average low
50.4°F
Annual rainfall
46.1"
Annual snowfall
5.2"

Month by month

A year in Raleigh.

Typical high and low °F
20°F40°F60°F80°F100°F
JFMAMJJASOND
Typical precipitation inches

Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Similar places

More places to consider.

Selected by the closest mix of population, density, median home value, and average annual high.

Atlanta, GA

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
529,110
Median home
$439,600

Albuquerque, NM

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
556,588
Median home
$291,500

Bakersfield, CA

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
422,165
Median home
$371,700

Keep exploring

Compare Raleigh with Atlanta