Raleigh Demographics

Learn more about Raleigh before you move

Raleigh Demographic InformationRaleigh is the Capital of North Carolina and one of the fastest growing areas in the country. Our economy has thrived attracting large and small businesses from all around the globe. The Raleigh are is home to top universities including NC State, UNC Chapel Hill, Duke, NC Central and many others. Having several top medical universities so close by, we have an outstanding network of health-care facilities and hospitals.

The combination of top schools, diverse work force and dedication to smart growth make Raleigh a great place to live.

The following demographic information is found on the Official City of Raleigh website. Be sure to check out the City site for more up to date news and information about Raleigh.

Raleigh Population

  • City of Raleigh:  394,774 (est. July 2010)
  • Wake County:  940,122 (est. July 2010)
  • North Carolina:  9,519,300 (est. July 2010)

Geography
Land Area: (July 2009)

  • City of Raleigh:  142.092 square miles
  • Planning Jurisdiction:  183.816 square miles
  • Wake County:  858 square miles
  • Elevation:  434 feet above sea level
  • Average annual high:  70.7 F
  • Average annual low:  49.9 F
  • Average annual precipitation:  44.19 inches
  • Average annual snowfall:  4.5 inches

Taxes

  • City Tax Rate:  $.3735 per $100 of assessed value
  • County Tax Rate:  $.5340 per $100 of assessed value
  • Total:  $0.9075 per $100 of assessed value

City Government

  • Council/Manager form of government
  • AAA Credit Rating by Standard & Poors, Moody’s and Fitch IBCA.

Public Safety
Police (2010-2011)

  • 7 stations
  • 1.75 sworn officers per 1000 population

Fire (2010-2011)

  • 28 stations
  • 1.29 firefighters per 1000 population

Raleigh-Wake 911 Emergency Ctr. 102 employees

Parks and Recreation

  • 126 city parks
  • 26 staffed centers
  • 6 non-staffed programmed centers
  • 2 art centers
  • 112 tennis courts at 25 locations
  • 8 public swimming pools
  • 82 open space areas
  • 9,426.3 acres of parks and greenways
  • 68.4 miles of greenways

Education

Enrollment (2010-2011)

  • North Carolina State University:  34,404
  • Shaw University:  2,939
  • St. Augustine’s College:  1,510
  • Meredith College:  2,132
  • Wake Technical College Main Campus:  8,214
  • Wake Technical College North Campus:  5,214
  • Peace College:  760
  • Wake County Public Schools Enrollment:  143,250

Persons over 25 years of age with:

  • High School Diploma or higher:  89.3%
  • Bachelor’s Degree or higher:  43.9%

(source: 2000 census)

Transportation

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (2009)

  • 9 Major Airlines
  • American Airlines
  • A ir Canada
  • Air Tran
  • Continental
  • Delta
  • Jet Blue Airways
  • Southwest
  • United
  • U.S. Airways

5 Regional Carriers

  • American Ealge
  • Continental Express
  • Delta Connection
  • United Express
  • U.S. Airways Express

Trains

  • Amtrak:  141,234 passengers yearly;
  • 6 trains daily serving Raleigh
  • CSX Railroad
  • Norfolk Southern Railroad

Capital Area Transit (CAT) – City Bus System

  • 80 buses; 72 during rush hour service
  • Over 5 million riders per year

Triangle Transit – Regional Bus System

  • 59 total buses: operates 49 during rush hr service
  • approx. 314,000 riders per yr in Raleigh area (’09)

Media
Area Television Stations: WRAL-5 CBS, WTVD-11 ABC, WNCN-17 NBC, WRAZ-50 FOX, WLFL-22 WB, WRDC-28 UPN, WUNC-4 PBS, WRMY-47, Community Access Ch-10, Time Warner Cable Channel 14

23 Area Radio Stations

Newspapers

  • Daily: The News and Observer
  • Weekly: Triangle Business Journal, The Spectator, The Independent, The Carolinian, Triangle Business Weekly

General Information

Hospitals: (approx. 1847 beds)

  • Rex
  • Wake Medical Center
  • Duke Health Raleigh Hospital

Wake County Public Libraries: 9
Hotels/Motels: 120 (13,650 rooms)
Places of Worship: 250+
Financial Institutions: approx. 150 locations

2008 Raleigh Census Data from the American Community Survey

Total Households:  144,709
Average household size:  2.41
Average family size:  3.15
Median age:  32.3 yrs

Educational Attainment

Percentage high school graduate or higher:  90.8%
Percentage Bachelor’s degree or higher:  46.2%

Median Contract Rent:  $700
Average Home Sale Price:  $276,478
(source: ACCRA 4th Qtr. 2009)

Average Annual Unemployment Rates (2009)

  • Raleigh:  7.3%
  • Wake County:  8.3%
  • N.C.:  10.8%
  • U.S.:  9.3%

Average Annual Unemployment Rates (5 Yr. Average)

  • Raleigh:  4.5%
  • Wake County:  4.8%
  • N.C.:  6.4%
  • U.S.:  5.9%

Estimated Raleigh Employment 2002:  262,433
Projected Raleigh Employment 2030:  408,996

Economic Characteristics

Wake Co. Per Capita Income (2008):  $41,691
State Per Capita Income (2009):  $34,453
MSA Median Family Income (2009):  $76,900

(MSA= Metropolitan Statistical Area for the Raleigh-Cary Region)

This snapshot of demographic data is from the Official Raleigh City of Raleigh Portal and was Last Modified December 01, 2010. Please be sure to visit the Official Raleigh City Portal for their most current reported news and information.