Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.
Place dossier plate
SheetNC-RALEIGH-NC · Raleigh, NC 470,763 pop · income 64th pct · 230 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Raleigh
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Raleigh on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Fayetteville · lowest
56,395
Fayetteville · lowest
56,395 median HH income
43.6% of the leader · rank #1
Wallington · near
82,422
Wallington · near
82,422 median HH income
63.7% of the leader · rank #2
Milwaukie · near
82,422
Milwaukie · near
82,422 median HH income
63.7% of the leader · rank #3
Raleigh · this city
82,424
Raleigh · this city
82,424 median HH income
63.7% of the leader · rank #4
Rote · near
82,426
Rote · near
82,426 median HH income
63.7% of the leader · rank #5
Edmonston · near
82,431
Edmonston · near
82,431 median HH income
63.7% of the leader · rank #6
Cary · highest
129,399
Cary · highest
129,399 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Raleigh on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 470,763.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Raleigh - the verdict
Raleigh ranks in the 64th percentile for household income and the 13th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
64th
percentile, household income
75th
percentile, home value
48th
percentile, median rent
13th
percentile, safety
📝 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: Raleigh, NC
470,763 people live in Raleigh, North Carolina - a mid-sized U.S. city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $82,424 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 6.9%. Raleigh's housing stock carries a median value of $377,800, and the median resident age is 34.7 years. 52.9% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 67.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 5,044 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 318% from five years earlier. Raleigh's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 3308.0 crimes per 100,000 residents, above the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 61.8°F with 50.5 inches of precipitation per year.
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). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,161 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts North Carolina's average monthly utility costs around $215 (state average). On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 66.7 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Raleigh's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from population change to reported crime to schools and households to within-city variation to climate and hazard context to work and mobility to housing and income to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Raleigh, city-specific coverage includes within-city Census tract profiles, annual population history, local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count, commute-mode shares.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
1. Population change
Is Raleigh growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +39,996 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +8.6% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 5,044 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Raleigh?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 3308.0 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 45% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
PlainCities matches 230 Census tracts to this city.
Which cities make useful reference points for Raleigh?
Within North Carolina, the closest population matches are Greensboro (298,564 residents, $58,884 income); Durham (288,465 residents, $79,234 income); Winston-Salem (250,887 residents, $57,673 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Long Beach, CA (458,491 residents); Colorado Springs, CO (483,099 residents); Virginia Beach, VA (457,066 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Raleigh?
The NCES join finds 99 public schools within the city match. 52.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
Matched public schools
99
Bachelor's degree+
52.9%
Poverty estimate
6.9%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 61.8°F, with 50.5 inches of precipitation. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for North Carolina is 66.7 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
Mean temperature
61.8°F
Annual precipitation
50.5 in
FEMA risk index (state avg)
66.7
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
What does the journey to work look like in Raleigh?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 65.1%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Public transit
1.3%
Work from home
23.4%
Drive alone
65.1%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 255,448 workers age 16+.
How far does income reach against housing in Raleigh?
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 4.6 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 6.9%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
Household income
$82,424
Home value
$377,800
Value / income
4.6×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
Above median income · poverty 6.9% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
94.3 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, North Carolina average
C
City profile score · Raleigh, NC
56/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share A
52.9%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Cost of living B-
94.3 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Household income C+
$82,424
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate C-
6.9%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
489 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Raleigh profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 86/100 (A) · 52.9%
Cost of living: 67/100 (B-) · 94.3 index
Household income: 62/100 (C+) · $82,424
Poverty rate: 53/100 (C-) · 6.9%
Violent crime: 17/100 (F) · 489 /100k
Where Raleigh sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Raleigh's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Raleigh highlighted among 12 peers.Read the chart values
Raleigh, NC (this city): home $377,800, crime 3,308/100k
Long Beach, CA : home $762,200, crime 4,155/100k
Colorado Springs, CO : home $420,700, crime 4,164/100k
Virginia Beach, VA : home $366,300, crime 1,732/100k
Omaha, NE : home $230,100, crime 3,531/100k
Miami, FL : home $475,200, crime 3,468/100k
Greensboro, NC : home $221,300, crime 4,307/100k
Durham, NC : home $355,300, crime 4,419/100k
Winston-Salem, NC : home $208,200, crime 3,731/100k
Fayetteville, NC : home $171,900, crime 3,755/100k
Cary, NC : home $525,200, crime 1,388/100k
Wilmington, NC : home $350,300, crime 3,998/100k
How does Raleigh compare to other US cities?
Here's how Raleigh stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income64% higher than other cities
Home value75% pricier than other cities
Median rent48% pricier than other cities
Safety13% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to North Carolina alone, Raleigh ranks #123 of 195 North Carolina cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Raleigh against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to North Carolina only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
North Carolina-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Raleigh near the bottom of North Carolina's cities
Among the 746 North Carolina cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Raleigh ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Raleigh only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#144 of 700
79th percentile in North Carolina
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 746
0th percentile in North Carolina
Median Home Value
#91 of 708
87th percentile in North Carolina
Poverty Rate
#443 of 746
40th percentile in North Carolina
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#73 of 746
90th percentile in North Carolina
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within North Carolina only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
64th percentile nationally for median household income · 13th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Raleigh's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Raleigh's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Raleigh's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$377,80025th percentilemore affordable than 25% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
Raleigh's home-value-to-income ratio: 4.6×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#12,155 of 15,516
More affordable than 22% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#62 of 117
Large cities (200,000–999,999)
At 4.6×, Raleigh sits in the moderate band:
national rank #12,155 of 15,516 and #62 of 117large cities (200,000–999,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$82,424Raleigh, NC median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Raleigh, NC median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Raleigh, NC.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)52.9%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)6.9%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)67.3%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
470,763
Median Income
$82,424
Median Home Value
$377,800
Median Age
34.7
Poverty Rate
6.9%
Labor force participation
67.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
52.9%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
3308.0
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
488.8
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2819.2
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
61.8°F
Annual Precipitation
50.5"
Annual Snowfall
N/A
Schools
Total Schools
99
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Raleigh's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
466,310 residents
2021
471,981 residents
2022
475,226 residents
2023
490,503 residents
2024
499,017 residents
2025
506,306 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
5,044
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1,653
detached homes
Multifamily
3,391
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
10.7
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
1,207
380
827
$222.5M
2020
3,479
1,162
2,317
$705.8M
2021
6,487
1,354
5,133
$1213.1M
2022
8,635
1,875
6,760
$1417.7M
2023
6,388
1,762
4,626
$1236.9M
2024
5,044
1,653
3,391
$1063.9M
Permit volume increased 318% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
65.1%
Carpool
6.6%
Public Transit
1.3%
Walk
1.6%
Work from Home
23.4%
Other
2.0%
Based on 255,448 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
North Carolina statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $215
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across North Carolina at $215 (electricity about $115 , water and sewer about $45 ).
These are North Carolina statewide averages, not a meter reading for Raleigh. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
North Carolina's BEA cost-of-living index is 94.3 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Raleigh is $1,161/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to North Carolina statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 66.7 / 100 (Moderate).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a North Carolina statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Raleigh sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Raleigh compares to similar-size North Carolina cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, 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.