Map the Block › Places › North Carolina › Wake County
Wake County, North Carolina in numbers: crime, income, hazards
The violent-crime rate in Wake County was 2.7 per 1,000 residents (2021-2025 average, FBI), 31% lower than the statewide rate (3.8). The median household earns $105,768 and the unemployment rate was 3.1% in August 2026. It is home to roughly 1,178,653 residents.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Wake County?
Police agencies in Wake County reported an average of 3,198 violent crimes and 20,084 property crimes a year from 2021 to 2025. The violent rate, 2.7 per 1,000 people, is 31% lower than the North Carolina rate (3.8); nationally it is 3.7. Burglary, theft and car theft together come to 16.7 per 1,000 residents, compared with 20.0 across North Carolina. Aggravated assaults make up 73% of the violent total. CDC death records show about 37 homicide deaths a year in the county (3.3 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Wake County | Per 1,000 | North Carolina per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 3,198 | 2.7 | 3.8 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 43 | 0.04 | 0.08 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 264 | 0.22 | 0.29 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 550 | 0.46 | 0.51 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 2,341 | 1.9 | 3.0 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 20,084 | 16.7 | 20.0 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 2,290 | 1.9 | 3.5 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 15,421 | 12.8 | 14.2 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 2,372 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (13 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Wake County?
The median household in Wake County earns $105,768 a year, 46% higher than the North Carolina median ($72,388). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $461,300, and the median rent is $1,623 a month. 6.2% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 12.8%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.1% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 21,850 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Wake County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,178,653 | 10,730,404 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $105,768 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $461,300 | $288,900 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,623 | $1,228 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 4.1% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 8.1% | 13.0% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 6.2% | 12.8% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 57.2% | 35.7% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 64.1% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 37.3 | 39.1 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 95.3% | 90.1% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 7.5% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Wake County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Wake County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively High”. Of the seven hazards on our map, FEMA rates these highest: tornadoes (Relatively High), river flooding (Relatively High) and heat waves (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
3 Superfund sites are on or proposed for EPA's National Priorities List in Wake County: Koppers Co., Inc. (Morrisville Plant), Ward Transformer and North Carolina State University (Lot 86, Farm Unit #1). A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
Wake County has 207 dams classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. 16 are rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 168 Satisfactory or Fair. Tallest on the list: Falls Lake Dam (92 ft) and Crabtree Creek WS Dam #11-A (54 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
30 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 321,413 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Wake County was covered by 1 federal major disaster declaration from 2016 through 2025 (Hurricane 1), not counting COVID-19. In 2024, 1 of 366 monitored days had an air quality index of “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse (EPA). Of 327 community water systems, 10 had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate). NHTSA counted 83 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 21 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Wake County?
Wake County had 135 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (2 active that day). Listed roads include I-40 Westbound, I-540 and US 264. 60 are on interstates. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Wake County?
Federal school lists show 234 public and 72 private schools in the county. 22 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 83 fire or EMS stations and 21 police or sheriff stations. 2 state parks or recreation areas: Falls Lake State Recreation Area and William B. Umstead State Park.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Wake County
Gun shops
29 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Wake County (27 from the ATF licensee list, 2 from OpenStreetMap), plus 53 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). 6 of them are pawnshops licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: Academy Sports + Outdoors #289 (Apex), Academy Sports + Outdoors #354 (Knightdale), Amendment Works LLC (Raleigh), American Gold Exchange & Pawn INC (Raleigh), Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World 464 (Garner), Bass Pro Shops Sportsman's Center 076 (Cary), Down East Gear (Deg) (Raleigh), Enforcement Supply Co (Wendell) and 19 more.
Liquor stores
28 liquor stores are on the map in Wake County: ABC (2 locations), ABC (Cary), ABC (2 in Raleigh), ABC Liquor Store (2 locations), ABC Liquor Store (Raleigh), ABC Liquor store (Wendell), ABC Liquor Store 28 (Raleigh), ABC Package Store and 17 more. North Carolina has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
One Planned Parenthood health center is on the map in Wake County: Planned Parenthood - Raleigh Health Center (Raleigh).
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores · Planned Parenthood →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Wake County?
Wake County averaged 3,198 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 2.7 per 1,000 residents, 31% lower than the North Carolina rate (3.8). The property-crime rate was 16.7 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Wake County?
$105,768 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $72,388 for North Carolina and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Wake County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.1% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 21,850 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Wake County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Wake County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively High”. Of the seven hazards on our map, FEMA rates these highest: tornadoes (Relatively High), river flooding (Relatively High) and heat waves (Relatively High).
Are there Superfund sites in Wake County?
3 Superfund sites are on or proposed for EPA's National Priorities List in Wake County: Koppers Co., Inc. (Morrisville Plant), Ward Transformer and North Carolina State University (Lot 86, Farm Unit #1).
Is there road construction in Wake County right now?
Wake County had 135 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (2 active that day). Listed roads include I-40 Westbound, I-540 and US 264. 60 are on interstates.
How many nursing homes are in Wake County?
22 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Wake County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chatham County | 80,151 | 1.9 | $94,317 |
| Durham County | 332,353 | 6.0 | $82,316 |
| Franklin County | 74,386 | 2.0 | $74,240 |
| Granville County | 60,877 | 2.8 | $71,111 |
| Harnett County | 139,150 | 2.8 | $71,287 |
| Johnston County | 234,263 | 1.5 | $83,384 |
| Nash County | 96,216 | 4.8 | $62,426 |
Cities in Wake County with their own page: Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Wake Forest.
More: North Carolina statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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