Wake County, North Carolina

Wake County, North Carolina

Consistently rated as one of the best places to live and work in America, Wake County is home to NC State University, Research Triangle Park, the NC State Fair and 2006 Stanley Cup Champions, the Carolina Hurricanes. Wake County is also the center of state government, with our Capitol Building, legislature and many government offices located in Raleigh.

Wake County, North Carolina, is consistently rated as one of the best places to live and work in America! With our welcoming climate, major universities, nationally recognized public schools, exciting sports teams, a variety of museums and parks, great shops and restaurants, and emphasis on history -- Wake County has become home to many people who relocate here each year and is one of the fastest growing areas in the state.

Wake County is the second-most populous County in North Carolina. The County consists of 12 municipalities and includes Raleigh, the county seat and state capital. A unique mix of urban and rural small towns distinguishes Wake County from other counties and provides something for every lifestyle. The County has a population of more than 750,000 residents. The County’s General Fund budget is currently $747 million, and the County has approximately 3,400 employees. The County has a seven-year capital plan totaling $1.2 billion and grants in excess of $100 million per year.

The weather in Wake County is defined as moderate. The area's average annual rainfall is 44.7 inches per year, with an inconsistent annual snowfall of less than 2 inches per year. The average low temperature is 47 degrees, and the average high temperature is 73 degrees. The area enjoys long spring, summer and fall seasons, with relatively short winters. Highs can reach into the 90s during the peak of the summer and around freezing during the winter months.

Wake County greets more than 10 million visitors every year! Tourism brings $1.13 billion to Wake County annually -- that's $3.1 million every day! It also helps with employment, contributing to 21,500 direct jobs in the hospitality, retail and other service sectors.
With our welcoming climate, exciting sports teams, a variety of museums and parks, great shops and restaurants, and emphasis on history, Wake County has something to offer everyone -- no matter whether you are young or a senior, whether you are single or have a large family.

Geographic Facts
The size of the County is 549,000 acres, or 860 sq. miles, or 2,212 sq. kilometers. From east to west, it measures 46 miles. From north to south, it measures 39 miles.

The highest point in the County, about 540 feet above sea level, is a quarter of a mile north of Leesville.

The lowest point in the County, about 160 feet above sea level, is a half of a mile southeast of Shotwell, where Marks Creek flows into Johnston County.

The geographic center of Wake County is in Raleigh, near Broughton High School.

The County is considered to be in a transitional zone between the Piedmont uplands and the coastal plain and, therefore, within the fall zone.

The Neuse River and its tributaries drain about 80% of the County, and the southwestern part is drained by tributaries of the Cape Fear River. The stream network generally flows in a southeasterly direction.

History

The county was formed in 1771 from parts of Cumberland County, Johnston County, and Orange County. It was named for Margaret Wake, wife of Governor William Tryon.

In 1881 parts of Wake County and Orange County were combined to form Durham County. In 1911 Cedar Fork Township of Wake County was transferred to Durham County and became Carr Township.

Politics
Wake County is the second most heavily populated county in North Carolina, with, as of July 2005, a population of approximately 750,000. Although Democratic presidential candidates have only won the county in three of the last 12 elections (Kennedy in 1960, Johnson in 1964 and Clinton in 1992), the races have almost always been close, such as in 1980, when Ronald Reagan won by a landslide nationwide, but by a mere 1% in Wake County. Recently, Republican George W. Bush won the county in 2000 with 53% and defeated John Kerry in 2004 by a slim 51% to 49%.

Recently, statewide Democrats have fared well here; in the 1998 Senate Race, Democrat John Edwards won in Wake County, which helped him in his defeat of incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth. In 2000 Democrat Governor Mike Easley won here with 55% of the vote. In 2004, Easley won again in Wake County by nearly 20%, winning with 59% to 40% for opponent Patrick Ballantine. Democratic candidate for US Senate Erskine Bowles won in Wake County with 52 percent, despite losing statewide to Richard Burr by the same margin. In 2002, however, Republican Elizabeth Dole defeated Bowles with 55% of the vote here, and won by a large margin statewide.

Democratic voters are mainly located in the city of Raleigh, while Republicans are the majority in the rural areas in the north and western parts of the county. The outskirts of Raleigh, and the cities of Cary and Apex are where most of the swing voters are located.

Townships
The county is divided into twenty 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, and White Oak.

Adjacent Counties
Granville County, North Carolina - north
Franklin County, North Carolina - northeast
Nash County, North Carolina - east
Johnston County, North Carolina - southeast
Harnett County, North Carolina - southwest
Chatham County, North Carolina - west
Durham County, North Carolina - northwest

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 627,846 people, 242,040 households, and 158,778 families residing in the county. The population density was 291/km² (755/mi²). There were 258,953 housing units at an average density of 120/km² (311/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 72.40% White, 19.72% Black or African American, 0.34% Native American, 3.38% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.48% from other races, and 1.64% from two or more races. 5.41% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 242,040 households out of which 34.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.50% were married couples living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.40% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the county the population was spread out with 25.10% under the age of 18, 10.70% from 18 to 24, 36.50% from 25 to 44, 20.40% from 45 to 64, and 7.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 98.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $54,988, and the median income 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.

Municipalities
Apex
Cary
Fuquay-Varina
Garner
Holly Springs
Knightdale
Morrisville
Raleigh
Rolesville
Wake Forest
Wendell
Zebulon

Unincorporated communities
Auburn
Bonsal
Carpenter
Feltonville
Green Level
Kennebec
Lizard Lick
New Hill
Swift Creek

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