Living in Wake Forest, NC
Suburb in North Carolina
Wake Forest is a suburb in North Carolina, home to about 51,000 people, with 1.4 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, a car is essential. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are mostly houses.
Is Wake Forest a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Dog-friendly: 10 dog parks within 9 mi
- Safe: violent crime is 0.1× the US rate (FBI 2019)
- Strong healthcare: 7 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Family-friendly: playgrounds, family attractions and plenty of households with kids
👎 Cons
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
- Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Wake Forest ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Wake Forest: common questions
What is the cost of living in Wake Forest?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $389k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,200 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are close to the US average (index 98, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Wake Forest?
North Carolina collects about $1,615 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.83% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Wake Forest safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.1× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Wake Forest?
Wake Forest has cool winters: winter days average around 51°F and summer days around 85°F.
Does Wake Forest get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding: 5 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.22 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Wake Forest?
The nearest major airport is RDU, about 16 mi away.
How Wake Forest scores
Each bar compares Wake Forest with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Nearby
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Is Wake Forest right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.