The Raleigh–Cary metro has 1.5M residents (per 2024 ACS 5-year Estimates ), a 2024 median household income of $100K, median home value of $418K, median age of 38, and a 51% bachelor's-degree share among adults 25 and older — one of the most educated metros in this series. The analysis below clusters neighborhoods within the metro's urbanized areas, covering 941K of those 1.5M residents. The western tech corridor around Cary, Apex, and Morrisville and the close-in north and central Raleigh neighborhoods lead on wealth and education, while east and southeast Raleigh sit at the bottom.
Median home value
The highest values sit in close-in Raleigh and the western suburbs. South Raleigh tops the metro at $787K, followed by the area around Raleigh at $709K, the area west of Cary — a tech suburb tied to Research Triangle Park — at $708K, a second area west of Cary at $707K, and west Raleigh at $702K. The lowest values are in east and southeast Raleigh: one area south of Raleigh bottoms the metro at $287K, another south-of-Raleigh area at $298K, east Raleigh at $300K, and two areas east of Raleigh at $309K and $312K. The ≥$700K tier is confined to central Raleigh and west Cary; the under-$320K tier covers the eastern and southeastern edges.
Median household income
The area north of Raleigh tops the metro at $195K, followed by the area west of Cary at $179K, a second area west of Cary at $167K, the area east of Apex at $155K, and the area south of Cary at $154K. The lowest incomes are in east and southeast Raleigh: one area south of Raleigh at $54K, another south-of-Raleigh area at $61K, east Raleigh at $61K, a south Raleigh area at $61K, and a third south-of-Raleigh area at $63K. The ≥$160K tier follows north Raleigh and west Cary; the under-$80K tier sits on the eastern and southeastern edges.
Median age
The oldest neighborhoods are the established western and northern suburbs. The area north of Raleigh tops the metro at 48, with the area west of Cary, east Cary, the area south of Cary, and west Cary all between 43 and 44. The youngest neighborhoods sit in and around the city: a south Raleigh area at 27, another south Raleigh area at 28, two south-of-Raleigh areas at 32, and the area west of Raleigh at 32. Most of the metro sits in the 36–44 range.
Adults with a bachelor's degree
Education peaks in the western suburbs. The area west of Cary leads at 81%, followed by the area west of Cary at 77%, the area north of Raleigh at 75%, south Raleigh at 75%, and the area west of Morrisville at 74%. The lowest shares are in east and southeast Raleigh: one south-of-Raleigh area at 28%, another at 31%, east Raleigh at 37%, and two areas east of Raleigh at 36% and 34%. Even the metro's lowest education shares sit near 30%, a level that ranks mid-tier in much of this series.
Where the metrics overlap
The western suburbs and close-in Raleigh hold the top corner — the area west of Cary leads on home value at $707K, income at $167K, age at 44, and education at 81% all at once, while the area north of Raleigh tops income at $195K and south Raleigh tops home value at $787K even as it runs young at 32. East and southeast Raleigh form the opposite corner: one area south of Raleigh bottoms home value at $298K, income at $63K, age at 32, and education at 28% together. The east–west split tracks the metro's tech corridor.
Key Takeaways
- Across the metro, the median home value is $418K, median household income is $100K, median age is 38, and the bachelor's-degree share is 51%.
- South Raleigh tops home value at $787K, and the area north of Raleigh tops income at $195K.
- The area west of Cary tops education at 81%.
- An area south of Raleigh sits at the bottom of home value ($298K), income ($63K), and education (28%) together.
- The youngest neighborhoods fall to a median age of 27 near the city; the oldest reach 48 north of Raleigh.