Census tract · Wake County
Census Tract 521.02, Wake County, North Carolina
Census Tract 521.02, GEOID 37183052102, in Wake County, North Carolina, mostly within Raleigh (83% of its census blocks). 7,617 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±1,585); the 2020 Census counted 5,966.
Residents, 2020-2024
7,617
±1,585 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 5,966
Median household income
$53,542
±$15,857 (90% margin)
Wake County: $105,768
Median home value
$248,600
±$90,189 (90% margin)
Wake County: $461,300
Median gross rent
$1,573
±$418 (90% margin)
Wake County: $1,623
Where is Census Tract 521.02?
Census Tract 521.02 is one of 230 census tracts in Wake County, North Carolina. It covers 1.67 square miles of land, 3,570 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 37183052102, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Raleigh | 83% |
5 census tracts border Census Tract 521.02: Tract 507 ($54,136), Tract 520.02 ($53,062), Tract 521.01 ($53,237), Tract 528.11 ($73,473) and Tract 528.16 ($99,835). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 521.02?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 521.02's population at 7,617 (±1,585) in 2,089 households; the 2020 Census counted 5,966 residents and 2,080 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 521.02 | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 7,617 ±1,585 | 481,031 |
| Households | 2,089 ±206 | 203,443 |
| Average household size | 3.64 ±0.54 | 2.27 |
| Housing units | 2,198 ±215 | 224,853 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 521.02?
The median resident of Census Tract 521.02 is 28.8 years old; 29.9% are under 18 and 8.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 67.3%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 16.8%. 16.5% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 521.02 | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 28.8 ±4.2 | 34.7 |
| Under 18 years | 29.9% ±5.3 pts | 19.8% |
| 65 years and over | 8.7% ±2.9 pts | 11.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 16.8% ±6.5 pts | 12.6% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 4.8% ±3.1 pts | 51.1% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 67.3% ±8.2 pts | 26.0% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 5.3% ±4.6 pts | 5.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.6 pts | 0.2% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.6 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.4% ±5.7 pts | 4.4% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 2.4% ±2.5 pts | 0.5% |
| Born outside the United States | 16.5% ±6.1 pts | 13.8% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 22.7% ±7.5 pts | 18.9% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.4% ±3.1 pts | 4.7% |
| With a disability | 6.1% ±3.5 pts | 9.6% |
| No health insurance coverage | 21.9% ±8.7 pts | 9.3% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 78.7% ±7.6 pts | 92.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 17.9% ±6.4 pts | 54.0% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.1% ±3.3 pts | 21.1% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 84.3% ±10.6 pts | 81.3% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Census Tract 521.02 earn?
Half of the 2,089 households in Census Tract 521.02 earn less than $53,542 a year (±$15,857), against $105,768 across Wake County: 216th highest of the county's 228 tracts with a reliable estimate. 21.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 521.02 | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,542 ±$15,857 | $85,395 |
| Mean household income | $74,224 ±$13,674 | $122,525 |
| Per capita income | $22,011 ±$4,135 | $52,897 |
| People below the poverty line | 21.8% ±13.7 pts | 11.9% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 36.3% ±27.3 pts | 16.0% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 16.7% ±9.2 pts | 8.4% |
| Households with a computer | 94.1% ±6.4 pts | 98.1% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 89.9% ±7.5 pts | 94.7% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Census Tract 521.02?
Owners occupy 41.5% of Census Tract 521.02's occupied homes and renters 58.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $248,600 by its owner (±$90,189). The median renter pays $1,573 a month including utilities, and 41.2% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 521.02 | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $248,600 ±$90,189 | $415,800 |
| Median gross rent | $1,573 ±$418 | $1,572 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 41.2% ±13.7 pts | 41.1% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,429 ±$142 | $1,910 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 41.5% ±9.1 pts | 50.7% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 58.5% ±9.1 pts | 49.3% |
| Housing units | 2,198 ±215 | 224,853 |
| Single-family detached homes | 48.8% ±9.8 pts | 43.7% |
| Mobile homes | 0.6% ±1.3 pts | 1.3% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±1.9 pts | 3.0% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.6% ±4.1 pts | 18.3% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 2.5% ±3.9 pts | 2.5% |
| Households with no vehicle | 18.2% ±10.7 pts | 6.0% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Census Tract 521.02 get to work?
65.7% of Census Tract 521.02's workers drive alone and 13.9% work from home. The average trip to work takes 29.4 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 6.3%.
| Measure | Tract 521.02 | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 70.7% ±9.2 pts | 70.9% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% ±4.0 pts | 4.4% |
| Drove alone to work | 65.7% ±13.3 pts | 62.3% |
| Carpooled | 3.7% ±3.7 pts | 6.7% |
| Public transportation | 16.1% ±8.9 pts | 1.4% |
| Walked | 0.0% ±1.2 pts | 1.6% |
| Worked from home | 13.9% ±6.4 pts | 25.8% |
| Mean travel time to work | 29.4 min ±6.6 | 23.0 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
How does Census Tract 521.02 compare with the other tracts in Wake County?
Among Wake County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 521.02 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Wake County | In Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 30th of 228 | 11th of 109 |
| Residents per square mile | 51st of 230 | 37th of 111 |
| Median household income | 216th of 228 | 98th of 109 |
| Per capita income | 223rd of 228 | 104th of 109 |
| Median home value | 218th of 226 | 103rd of 108 |
| Median gross rent | 122nd of 211 | 59th of 108 |
| Poverty rate | 18th of 102 | 17th of 58 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 225th of 228 | 106th of 109 |
| Median age | 219th of 228 | 100th of 109 |
| Owner-occupied share | 185th of 222 | 75th of 104 |
The tracts next to it on Wake County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 508 | 213th | $55,536±$16,055 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 507 | 214th | $54,136±$3,445 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 524.11 | 215th | $53,685±$12,702 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 521.02 | 216th | $53,542±$15,857 |
| Tract 521.01 | 217th | $53,237±$10,404 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 520.02 | 218th | $53,062±$14,343 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 545.02 | 219th | $49,348±$7,240 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 521.02?
1 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 521.02 on this page carries a coefficient of variation over 40% and is marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections