City profile · North Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Apex, NC

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Apex - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

67,765
Residents
$138,442
Median income
$514,800
Median home
$1,750
Median rent (state)

Apex - the verdict

Apex ranks in the 92nd percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.

92nd
percentile, household income
86th
percentile, home value
71st
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Apex, NC

North Carolina's Apex is a small city, with 67,765 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Apex households earn a median of $138,442 annually, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 1.7%. Apex's housing stock carries a median value of $514,800, and the median resident age is 36.0 years. 66.6% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 70.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 2,051 residential building permits were authorized in Apex (Growing), up 7% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 60.1°F with 48.3 inches of precipitation per year and 4.8 inches of snowfall.

Living costs in North Carolina run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts North Carolina at 94.3 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,750 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in North Carolina run around $215, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 95.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

67,765 residents

Census ACS 2023 - North Carolina

Median Household Income

$138,442 /yr

Poverty 1.7%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.3 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, North Carolina average

How does Apex compare to other US cities?

Where Apex sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 92% higher than other cities
Home value 86% pricier than other cities
Median rent 71% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Apex's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in North Carolina, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

92ndIncome percentile

92nd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Apex's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$514,800 14th percentile more affordable than 14% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). This entry sits in this band. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Apex $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Apex, NC Apex, NC's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Apex, NC-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Apex, NC median $138,442/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Apex, NC's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Apex, NC. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 66.6%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 1.7%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 70.9%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
67,765
Median Income
$138,442
Median Home Value
$514,800
Median Age
36.0
Poverty Rate
1.7%
Labor force participation
70.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
66.6%

Climate

Avg Temperature
60.1°F
Annual Precipitation
48.3"
Annual Snowfall
4.8"

Schools

Total Schools
21
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
60,000 residents65,000 residents70,000 residents75,000 residents80,000 residents85,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 65,249 residents 80,419 residents ▲ +23.2%
Apex's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

🏗️ Growing
Total Permits (2024)
2,051
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1,059
detached homes
Multifamily
992
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
30.3
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 1,918
2020 1,427
2021 1,444
2022 1,079
2023 1,517
2024 2,051

Permit volume increased 7% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
58.5%
Carpool
5.8%
Public Transit
0.1%
Walk
2.1%
Work from Home
32.5%
Other
1.0%

Based on 35,096 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for North Carolina - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$215
estimated/month

Estimates reflect North Carolina state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a North Carolina state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Apex sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.3
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,750/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
95.5 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in North Carolina

Huntersville
62,458 people
Jacksonville
73,507 people
Chapel Hill
59,889 people
Burlington
58,599 people
Kannapolis
56,470 people
Rocky Mount
54,175 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Apex's 67,765 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Leander, TX
67,880 people
Albany, GA
67,939 people
Weston, FL
67,952 people
Jackson, TN
68,098 people
Yorba Linda, CA
67,407 people
Bethesda, MD
67,403 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Apex's $138,442 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Mineola, NY
$138,385 median income
Fruitland, NM
$138,500 median income
Hudson Oaks, TX
$138,500 median income
Hacienda San José comunidad, PR
$138,523 median income
West Linn, OR
$138,526 median income
Shady Side, MD
$138,346 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Apex, NC Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Apex, NC - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 65.7% 8.3% 16.5% 7.6% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 7.1% White 65.7% Black or African American 8.3% Asian 16.5% American Indian 0.2% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 1.6% Two or more races 7.6% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Apex compares to nearby North Carolina cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Apex (this city) 67,765 $138,442
Huntersville 62,458 $119,951
Jacksonville 73,507 $54,069
Chapel Hill 59,889 $85,825
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NC NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Apex, NC?

What is the population of Apex, NC? +

67,765 people live in Apex, NC according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Apex, NC? +

Median annual household income in Apex runs $138,442, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Apex? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Apex; the closest available measure is the North Carolina state average, a cost of living index of 94.3 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within North Carolina vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Apex, NC? +

Homes in Apex carry a median value of $514,800, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Apex? +

The average annual temperature in Apex runs 60.1°F, 48.3 inches of precipitation, and 4.8 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.