Map the Block › Places › North Carolina › Wake Forest
Wake Forest, North Carolina by the numbers
According to the FBI, Wake Forest had 0.85 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents in 2025, 74% lower than the North Carolina rate (3.3). Median household income is $123,802 and the median home value is $474,500. About 52,844 people live in Wake Forest.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income by neighborhood · home values · schools
What is the crime rate in Wake Forest?
Wake Forest's violent-crime rate for 2025 was 0.85 per 1,000 residents, based on 50 offenses reported to the FBI. It stands at 74% lower than the North Carolina rate (3.3); the U.S. figure is 3.3. The department recorded 2 murders. There were also 589 property crimes, a rate of 10.0 per 1,000. Violent crimes fell 30% between 2021 and 2025 (71 to 50).
| Offense (2025) | Wake Forest count | Per 1,000 | North Carolina per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 50 | 0.85 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
| Murder | 2 | 0.03 | 0.06 | 0.04 |
| Rape | 4 | 0.07 | 0.26 | 0.36 |
| Robbery | 4 | 0.07 | 0.41 | 0.49 |
| Aggravated assault | 40 | 0.68 | 2.6 | 2.4 |
| Property crime | 589 | 10.0 | 17.8 | 15.3 |
| Burglary | 50 | 0.85 | 3.0 | 1.9 |
| Larceny-theft | 500 | 8.5 | 12.7 | 11.4 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 39 | 0.66 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
How has crime in Wake Forest changed since 2021?
| Year | Violent crimes | Property crimes | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 71 | 464 | 0 |
| 2022 | 59 | 538 | 1 |
| 2023 | 83 | 836 | 1 |
| 2024 | 82 | 732 | 3 |
| 2025 | 50 | 589 | 2 |
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. City figures are the Wake Forest Police Department's own reports.
How does Wake Forest compare with North Carolina?
The median household income in Wake Forest is $123,802, 71% higher than the North Carolina median ($72,388). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $474,500, and half of renters pay more than $1,596 a month. About 52,844 people live on 20 square miles of land, roughly 2,659 per square mile. The city lies in Wake County and Franklin County.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Wake Forest | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 52,844 | 10,730,404 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $123,802 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $474,500 | $288,900 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,596 | $1,228 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 4.0% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 4.5% | 13.0% | 12.5% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 59.5% | 35.7% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 74.0% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 38.6 | 39.1 | 38.9 |
What environmental sites and hazards are in Wake Forest?
The National Inventory of Dams lists 4 high-hazard dams in Wake Forest. 1 is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 3 Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are Wake Forest Water Supply Dam (36 ft) and Holding Lake Dam (35 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Wake County carries a “Relatively High” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. 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.
Is there road construction in Wake Forest?
The state DOT feed had no interstate, U.S. or state highway work zones in Wake Forest city limits on October 11, 2026. Some states publish only part of their road work in open feeds, so check the state's 511 site before you travel. The map's layer refreshes every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in or near Wake Forest?
Federal school lists place 13 public and 2 private schools within Wake Forest. 1 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home is in the city. Within about 15 miles: 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 Forest
Gun shops
One gun shop with a public storefront is on the map inside the Wake Forest city limits, plus 1 more licensed dealer without a public storefront (not shown). On the ATF list: Walmart #5254 (Wake Forest).
Liquor stores
One liquor store is on the map inside the Wake Forest city limits: ABC. 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
There is no Planned Parenthood health center inside the Wake Forest city limits on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
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 Forest?
In 2025, Wake Forest had 0.85 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (50 reported), 74% lower than the North Carolina rate (3.3). The property-crime rate was 10.0 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Wake Forest?
$123,802 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024), compared with $72,388 for North Carolina.
How much do homes cost in Wake Forest?
The median value of owner-occupied homes is $474,500 (Census ACS 2020-2024), against $288,900 statewide.
What natural hazards affect Wake Forest?
Wake County carries a “Relatively High” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. Of the seven hazards on our map, FEMA rates these highest: tornadoes (Relatively High), river flooding (Relatively High) and heat waves (Relatively High).
Nearby cities
Raleigh, NC (12 mi) · Cary, NC (21 mi) · Durham, NC (22 mi) · Apex, NC (26 mi) · Chapel Hill, NC (30 mi) · Rocky Mount, NC (39 mi)
More: North Carolina statewide numbers · county pages: Wake County and Franklin County · Sex-offender registry search (NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, agency counts 2021-2025 (Return A); state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables, for the Census place Wake Forest town.
- Land area: Census 2024 Gazetteer. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores (county level).
- 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).
- 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).
- 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.
Home · Open the map · All places · About the data · Privacy · Terms