Wake County, North Carolina

Wake County is a county in the state of North Carolina. It is the most populous county in the whole state, with over one million people living there according to the 2020 census. The county grew very quickly around 2005 and 2006, ranking among the fastest-growing places in the United States at that time. Two of its towns, Cary and Raleigh, were also growing very fast.

The main city in Wake County is Raleigh, which is also the capital of North Carolina. Besides Raleigh, there are eleven other towns in the county, with Cary being the largest after Raleigh. Cary is an important part of the Research Triangle area.

Wake County is run by the Wake County Board of Commissioners. The schools are managed by the Wake County Public School System, and safety is handled by the Wake County Sheriff's Department. The county also works with the Central Pines Regional Council for planning and other regional matters.

History

Early history

Before English settlers arrived, the area that is now Wake County was home to the Tuscarora people.

18th century

Wake County was created in 1771 from parts of Cumberland, Johnston, and Orange counties. The first courthouse was built in a village called Wake Courthouse, now known as Bloomsbury. Over time, Wake County gave up some land to help form new counties, including Franklin County in 1787 and Durham County in 1881 and 1911.

During the time before the United States became independent, the capital of North Carolina was New Bern. Later, during and after the Revolutionary War, the capital moved around. In 1794, Raleigh became the permanent capital. Raleigh was named after Sir Walter Raleigh, who helped start the first English colony in North America on Roanoke Island in 1585. The city of Raleigh became the capital and the seat of Wake County.

19th century

The Battle of Morrisville Station happened from April 13 to 15, 1865, during the American Civil War. This was the last battle of the war in the Carolinas. Union forces led by General Judson Kilpatrick pushed Confederate troops out of Morrisville, stopping them from moving supplies and wounded soldiers. Later, the Confederate general asked for a meeting to discuss ending the fighting, which happened near Durham.

20th century

In the 20th century, a new courthouse was built in 1915. By the 1960s, it was too small, so a bigger one was built in 1970.

21st century

In August 2014, Wake County’s population passed 1,000,000 people. In 2017, leaders from Wake and Harnett counties talked about changing their border to fix some mistakes. They made an agreement in May 2018 to adjust the lines between Wake, Chatham, and Harnett counties.

Geography

Wake County is in the state of North Carolina. It covers an area of 857 square miles, with most of it being land and a small part being water. The county is where two natural regions meet: the North American Piedmont and the Atlantic Coastal Plain. This meeting point is called the "fall line," where rivers and streams start to have small waterfalls.

The area has gently rolling hills that slope down toward the flat coastal plain to the east. Wake County has many bodies of water, such as Crabtree Creek, Walnut Creek, and the Neuse River.

Wake County has a mild subtropical climate. The weather is pleasant in spring, fall, and winter, but summers can be hot and humid. Winter temperatures usually stay above freezing, and the area sometimes gets a little snow. Rain is most common in July and August.

Parks and recreation

Wake County has many beautiful places to enjoy the outdoors. There are three special state parks: Falls Lake State Recreation Area, Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, and William B. Umstead State Park. These parks offer lakes, woodlands, and even a place to see bald eagles.

The county also has 152 parks and 53 community centers. Popular spots include Pullen Park and Yates Mill Park. There are many trails for walking and biking, such as the American Tobacco Trail and the Capital Area Greenway, which connect to other trails in the area.

Demographics

2020 census

According to the 2020 census, Wake County had a population of 1,129,410 people. The median age was 36.3 years, with 23.8% of residents under the age of 18 and 12.3% aged 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 58.8% White, 18.5% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 8.6% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 6.0% from some other race, and 7.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 11.4% of the population.

94.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 5.2% lived in rural areas.

There were 462,582 housing units, of which 5.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 61.6% were owned by the people living there and 38.4% were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.9%.

Racial and ethnic composition

2018 census estimate

According to the 2018 census estimate, the median income for a household in the county was $54,988, and for a family was $67,149. Males had a median income of $44,472 versus $31,579 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,004. About 4.90% of families and 7.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.60% of those under age 18 and 8.90% of those age 65 or over.

In Wake County, 29% of the population is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, 22% are affiliated with the Catholic Church, 17% are affiliated with the United Methodist Church, 6% are affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA), and 27% are religiously affiliated with other denominations or religions, or are not religiously affiliated.

2025 census estimate

According to 2025 United States census data, Wake County's estimated 2025 total population was 1,261,494, with a growth rate of 2.36% in the previous year.

Law and government

Further information: List of Sheriffs of Wake County, North Carolina

Wake County is run by the Wake County Board of Commissioners. This board has seven members who are called county commissioners. They are chosen by voters from all over the county to serve four-year terms. Even though they are chosen by everyone, each commissioner lives in a different part of the county. Every two years, some of the commissioners have to be re-elected. They make important decisions like setting the property tax rate, managing land use, and approving the yearly budget. The commissioners meet twice a month, on the first and third Mondays. Voters also choose a register of deeds, who keeps important legal records such as property deeds, birth certificates, and marriage licenses.

The first professional county manager was hired in 1965. Wake County is part of the Central Pines Regional Council.

Politics

For much of the 1900s, Wake County was led mainly by conservative Democrats, many of them from Raleigh and wealthy. By the 1980s, many new people from the North moved in, changing the political scene. In 1994, Republicans won a big win on the county commission for the first time in over 100 years. In 2009, Republicans also took control of the Wake County Board of Education, but lost it again in 2011 after some debates over school plans.

In 2008, Barack Obama won Wake County with 56 percent of the vote, beating John McCain. This was the first time a Democrat won there since Lyndon Johnson. Obama won again in 2012 with 54 percent. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won with 57 percent, and in 2020, Joe Biden won with 62 percent—the largest win for a Democrat since 1948.

Democrats are strongest in Raleigh, Cary, Apex, and Morrisville. Republicans do better in rural and outer areas in the north and southeast. Towns like Wake Forest and Fuquay-Varina often have voters who support either party.

Economy

Wake County's economy is driven by the Research Triangle Park (RTP), a major area for high-tech and biotech research between Durham and Raleigh. This park has many companies and employs thousands of people. Big companies like IBM, GlaxoSmithKline, and Cisco Systems have offices there.

The county also has industries such as electrical equipment, medical devices, food processing, and pharmaceuticals. Farms in rural parts of Wake County grow crops like tobacco, cotton, and soybeans.

Important companies based in Wake County include SAS Institute, Verizon, Epic Games, and many others. In 2007, Raleigh and Cary were praised as great places to find jobs and build careers. In 2021, Apple announced plans to build a large office in the Research Triangle Park, creating many new jobs.

Transportation

Major highways

I-40 is the main highway running through Wake County. It connects to Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Cary, Garner, Morrisville, and Raleigh. It also has two smaller routes in the area.

I-440 forms a loop around central Raleigh, passing through areas like North Hills (Raleigh), near the Lenovo Center and Carter-Finley Stadium. The southern part of this loop is also I-40.

I-540/NC 540 Toll is a partly built 66-mile loop connecting towns such as Knightdale, Cary, Morrisville, Apex, and Holly Springs. The northern part in Wake County is called the Northern Wake Expressway. The rest of the road, which will cost around $2.2 billion, is expected to be finished by 2029.

I-42 is a highway being built between Clayton, NC and Goldsboro, NC, starting at I-40/NC-540/I-42. It plans to connect to the Northern Carteret Bypass near Beaufort, NC and should be fully open by 2032.

I-87/Future I-87 aims to link I-40 to Norfolk, Virginia. In Wake County, it overlaps with U.S. 64. Currently, it is signed as I-87 only where it meets Interstate standards, such as on the Raleigh Beltline and the Knightdale Bypass. The road east of Knightdale is a controlled-access freeway but does not yet meet Interstate standards.

Future I-587 is planned as a spur from I-87, extending from Zebulon, NC toward the Wilson, NC area. Including an existing segment from Wilson to Greenville, NC, the total length will be 56 miles, with the final part expected to open in 2026.

Other important roads include I-885/NC 885 Toll, US 1, US 64, US 64 Bus., US 70, US 70 Bus., US 264, US 401, US 401 Bus., NC 39, NC 42, NC 50, NC 54, NC 55, NC 96, NC 97, NC 98, NC 98 Bus., and NC 231.

Bicycles routes

The "Mountain to Sea" North Carolina Bicycle Route 2 goes through Wake County, as does the Maine-to-Florida U.S. Bicycle Route 1. North Carolina Bicycle Route 5, called the "Cape Fear Run", links Apex to the coastal city of Wilmington.

Major infrastructure

Wake County has several key transportation spots:

• Cary Station
• GoTriangle runs buses connecting the area to Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill.
• New Hope Valley Railway
• North Carolina State Fair Station is a seasonal Amtrak stop for the North Carolina State Fair in October
• Raleigh-Durham International Airport is in northwestern Wake County near Interstate 40. It serves over 35 domestic and international places and welcomes more than 14 million travelers each year.
• Raleigh Union Station
• Triple W Airport

Education

Wake County has eight places for higher learning, including Meredith College, North Carolina State University, Peace College, and Wake Technical Community College. The State Library of North Carolina has two locations in Raleigh and helps libraries and people across the state.

Public schools in Wake County are run by the Wake County Public School System, which is one of the largest in the country with over 155,000 students. There are many high schools, middle schools, elementary schools, and special schools, plus some charter and private schools.

The Wake County Public Library has 22 branches. Raleigh has 11 libraries, while Cary and Apex each have two. Other towns like Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina each have one library. The libraries offer books, magazines, audio books, and downloadable e-books.

Healthcare

Wake County has three main healthcare systems: WakeMed Health & Hospitals, UNC Rex Healthcare, and Duke Raleigh Hospital.

WakeMed has its main hospital in Raleigh and also runs two smaller hospitals, a hospital for rehabilitation, a hospital for mental health care, and four clinics with emergency rooms across the county.

Culture

Museums

Wake County has many interesting places to visit, including:

• North Carolina Museum of Art
• North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
• North Carolina Museum of History
• City of Raleigh Museum
• Marbles Kids Museum
• J.C. Raulston Arboretum
• Joel Lane House
• Page-Walker Hotel
• Mordecai House
• North Carolina Railroad Museum
• Pope House Museum
• Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh

Performing arts

Wake County is a great place for music and theater. Many outdoor concert venues host famous musicians, such as Coastal Credit Union Music Park in Southeast Raleigh, Red Hat Amphitheater in downtown Raleigh, and Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary. Smaller theaters and clubs also offer concerts, and sometimes big sports arenas like PNC Arena and Carter-Finley Stadium host shows too.

The Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts includes several spaces for shows, like the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium and the Meymandi Concert Hall. You can also watch plays at the Raleigh Little Theatre or at theaters in Cary, Apex, and Garner. Local colleges and universities also have performances.

Wake County has professional arts groups, such as the North Carolina Symphony, the Opera Company of North Carolina, the North Carolina Theatre, and Carolina Ballet.

Visual arts

The North Carolina Museum of Art, located on a big campus near the State Fairgrounds, has an amazing collection of art from many places, including American art, European art, African art, and ancient art. The museum has had special shows with famous artists and currently has an exhibition called You Are Here: Light, Color, and Sound Experiences.

In downtown Raleigh, the Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh always has new modern and contemporary art exhibits to see.

Sports

The National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes team moved to Raleigh in 1999. They play in the Levovo Center, which also hosts concerts and events. The Hurricanes won a big championship called the Stanley Cup in 2006.

In Cary, you can find North Carolina FC, a soccer team, and their women’s team, the North Carolina Courage, who have won many awards. The Carolina Mudcats are a minor league baseball team based in eastern Wake County.

College sports are also popular here. North Carolina State University plays basketball at PNC Arena and football at Carter–Finley Stadium. Other schools like St. Augustine’s College and Meredith College also have sports teams.

Amateur sports are fun too. You can watch the Raleigh Cú Chulainn, which includes teams for hurling and Gaelic football. There’s also the Carolina Rollergirls, a roller derby team, and many places to play pool. The USA Baseball National Training Complex is in Cary, and Raleigh is home to the Capital City Steelers, who have won national championships in youth football.

Communities

Cities

• Durham (small part; mostly in Durham County)
• Raleigh (state capital, county seat, and largest community in the county; small part in Durham County)

Towns

• Apex
• Cary (small part in Chatham County)
• Fuquay-Varina
• Garner
• Holly Springs
• Knightdale
• Morrisville (small part in Durham County)
• Rolesville
• Wake Forest (small part in Franklin County)
• Wendell
• Zebulon (partly in Johnston County)

Townships

• Bartons Creek
• Buckhorn
• Cary
• Cedar Fork
• Holly Springs
• House Creek
• Leesville
• Little River
• Marks Creek
• Meredith
• Middle Creek
• Neuse
• New Light
• Panther Branch
• Raleigh
• St. Mary's
• St. Matthew's
• Swift Creek
• Wake Forest
• White Oak

Unincorporated communities

• Asbury
• Auburn
• Banks
• Barham
• Bayleaf
• Bonsal
• Carpenter
• Clegg
• Eagle Rock
• Falls
• Feltonville
• Five Points
• Forestville
• Fowlers Crossroads
• Friendship
• Green Level
• Holland
• Hollemans Crossroads
• Hopkins
• Kennebec
• Lassiter
• Leesville
• Lizard Lick
• Macks Village
• McCullers
• McCullers Crossroads
• Medfield
• Mount Pleasant
• Neuse
• New Hill
• New Hope
• New Light
• Purnell
• Riley Hill
• Sandy Plain
• Shotwell
• Six Forks
• Stony Hill
• Wake Crossroads
• Walkers Crossroads
• Westover
• Wilbon
• Williams Crossroads
• Willow Spring
• Wyatt