The Raleigh metro area has 12 places with their own personal loan guides on this site, across North Carolina. Median rent among them ranges from $658 to $2,021, so the same loan payment weighs differently from one town to the next. Compare written offers, and verify any lender's license first.
On this page
- Places in the Raleigh metro area that have a local guide
- About the Raleigh area
- What differs across the area
- Before you borrow in the Raleigh area
- Jobs, age and schooling by county
- Income, rent and commutes by county
- What people do for work across the Raleigh area
- Place by place in the Raleigh area
- Where budgets feel tighter in the Raleigh area
- Situations that come up in the Raleigh area
- County guides
- Frequently asked questions
Places in the Raleigh metro area that have a local guide
| Place | County | Population | Median household income | Median gross rent | Owner-occupied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh, NC | Wake County | 481,031 | $85,395 | $1,572 | 51% |
| Cary, NC | Wake County | 179,306 | $134,905 | $1,738 | 67% |
| Apex, NC | Wake County | 70,630 | $144,135 | $1,902 | 77% |
| Wake Forest, NC | Wake County | 52,844 | $123,802 | $1,596 | 74% |
| Holly Springs, NC | Wake County | 45,248 | $135,578 | $2,021 | 81% |
| Fuquay-Varina, NC | Wake County | 40,485 | $115,497 | $1,720 | 74% |
| Garner, NC | Wake County | 34,473 | $78,756 | $1,549 | 63% |
| Morrisville, NC | Wake County | 31,422 | $125,396 | $1,858 | 45% |
| Clayton, NC | Johnston County | 29,320 | $78,822 | $1,661 | 63% |
| Knightdale, NC | Wake County | 20,214 | $103,220 | $1,674 | 65% |
| Wendell, NC | Wake County | 13,064 | $95,787 | $1,457 | 78% |
| Smithfield, NC | Johnston County | 12,116 | $43,270 | $658 | 59% |
Census Bureau 2020 to 2024 ACS estimates, shown for each place. Expect margins of error, especially in smaller towns.
About the Raleigh area
Raleigh anchors the state government workforce and the Research Triangle's technology and life-science employers, with fast-growing suburbs such as Cary, Apex and Wake Forest.
What differs across the area
Median gross rent among these places runs from $658 a month in Smithfield to $2,021 in Holly Springs, and median household income runs from $43,270 in Smithfield to $144,135 in Apex. Put differently, Raleigh-area households do not share one cost of living.
Together the 12 places hold about 1,010,153 residents across 2 counties. Homeownership runs from 45% in Morrisville to 81% in Holly Springs, and the share of workers commuting 45 minutes or more runs from 5% in Morrisville to 27% in Fuquay-Varina. Ownership shapes what a loan is for: owners borrow for repairs, renters more often for moves, deposits and bills.
The local picture, from our place notes, centers on government employment, universities, technology and research employers, fast residential growth, long commutes into larger job centers.
Before you borrow in the Raleigh area
Verify first: North Carolina's Commissioner of Banks lets you check a license and file a complaint, and a lender that refuses to give a license number should end the conversation. Then compare three written offers with the offer checklist.
Jobs, age and schooling by county
Here is how the 2 Raleigh-area counties in our set compare on jobs and people: the newest BLS unemployment rate (preliminary, not seasonally adjusted), last year's rate, median age, college degrees and the biggest industry.
| County | Unemployment, latest (BLS) | A year earlier | Median age | Adults with a bachelor's degree | Largest industry (share of workers) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wake County | 2.8% | 3.1% | 37.3 | 57% | professional, scientific and administrative services (22%) |
| Johnston County | 2.7% | 3.1% | 38.1 | 29% | education and health care (19%) |
Unemployment is highest in Wake County at 2.8% and lowest in Johnston County at 2.7% (September 2026). The spread matters less than your own situation, but it explains why lenders ask about employment rather than assuming from geography.
Income, rent and commutes by county
| County | Median household income | Households under $35,000 | Households $100,000+ | Median rent | Median home value | Owner-occupied | Commute 45+ min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wake County | $105,768 | 14% | 52% | $1,623 | $461,300 | 64% | 12% |
| Johnston County | $83,384 | 19% | 42% | $1,146 | $305,600 | 76% | 28% |
Median household income runs from $83,384 in Johnston County to $105,768 in Wake County. The share of households earning $100,000 or more runs from 42% in Johnston County to 52% in Wake County, and the share under $35,000 runs from 14% to 19%. Long commutes (45 minutes or more) are most common in Johnston County (28% of workers) and least common in Wake County (12%), which tells you where vehicle costs weigh most on budgets. Measured as median rent against median income, housing takes the largest bite in Wake County (18% of the median household's income) and the smallest in Johnston County (16%). These are place averages and say nothing about any one household. Check your own budget in the calculators.
What people do for work across the Raleigh area
Industry mix by county for the biggest six employers across the area, per the 2020 to 2024 ACS.
| County | Professional | Education and health care | Retail | Manufacturing | Finance | Arts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wake County | 22% | 21% | 9% | 9% | 8% | 7% |
| Johnston County | 12% | 19% | 11% | 11% | 7% | 8% |
Wake County is led by professional, scientific and administrative services (22%), then education and health care (21%) and retail (9%); Johnston County is led by education and health care (19%), then construction (12%) and professional, scientific and administrative services (12%). Why it matters: documentation. Salaried and public employers are simple to verify, while hourly, tipped, commission or contract earners should expect to show bank statements and returns.
Place by place in the Raleigh area
- Raleigh, Wake County: about 481,031 residents, median household income $85,395, median rent $1,572, with 52% of renters paying 30 percent or more of income on rent. Raleigh is North Carolina's capital and sits next to NC State University and the Research Triangle's technology and life-science employers. Public-sector and university paychecks are steady, while newer housing and rapid growth shape the cost of staying put.
- Cary, Wake County: about 179,306 residents, median household income $134,905, median rent $1,738, with 38% of renters paying 30 percent or more of income on rent. Cary is a large Wake County town that houses software and technology employers and has grown steadily as a Triangle suburb. High housing costs and tech paychecks make debt consolidation and home projects the common borrowing reasons.
- Apex, Wake County: about 70,630 residents, median household income $144,135, median rent $1,902, with 44% of renters paying 30 percent or more of income on rent. Apex is a fast-growing Wake County town southwest of Raleigh with a historic downtown and new subdivisions. Newer homes keep repair needs lower than in older cities, so consolidation and moving costs lead here.
- Wake Forest, Wake County: about 52,844 residents, median household income $123,802, median rent $1,596, with 46% of renters paying 30 percent or more of income on rent. Wake Forest is a historic town north of Raleigh that has grown quickly with new neighborhoods. Its name comes from the college that moved to Winston-Salem in 1956 and its seminary remains.
- Holly Springs, Wake County: about 45,248 residents, median household income $135,578, median rent $2,021, with 49% of renters paying 30 percent or more of income on rent. Holly Springs is a fast-growing Wake County town southwest of Raleigh where biomanufacturing has expanded. New construction dominates, so moving and household setup costs are common.
- Fuquay-Varina, Wake County: about 40,485 residents, median household income $115,497, median rent $1,720, with 41% of renters paying 30 percent or more of income on rent. Fuquay-Varina is a Wake County town south of Raleigh with a walkable historic downtown and new neighborhoods around it. Growth and traffic on US-401 shape commuting costs.
- Garner, Wake County: about 34,473 residents, median household income $78,756, median rent $1,549, with 53% of renters paying 30 percent or more of income on rent. Garner is Raleigh's southern neighbor in Wake County, with I-40 and US-70 access. Many households commute into Raleigh, so car repairs and insurance matter in the monthly budget.
- Morrisville, Wake County: about 31,422 residents, median household income $125,396, median rent $1,858, with 25% of renters paying 30 percent or more of income on rent. Morrisville lies next to Raleigh-Durham International Airport and Research Triangle Park, so tech and airport-related work is common. Housing and commuting costs are driven by that proximity.
- Clayton, Johnston County: about 29,320 residents, median household income $78,822, median rent $1,661, with 54% of renters paying 30 percent or more of income on rent. Clayton is a Johnston County town on I-40 southeast of Raleigh, with a mix of older and new housing. It is growing as a Triangle bedroom community.
- Knightdale, Wake County: about 20,214 residents, median household income $103,220, median rent $1,674, with 45% of renters paying 30 percent or more of income on rent. Knightdale is a Wake County town east of Raleigh on US-64 and I-540, growing with new neighborhoods and warehouse employers nearby.
- Wendell, Wake County: about 13,064 residents, median household income $95,787, median rent $1,457, with 54% of renters paying 30 percent or more of income on rent. Wendell is a Wake County town east of Raleigh with new subdivisions and commuters on US-64.
- Smithfield, Johnston County: about 12,116 residents, median household income $43,270, median rent $658, with 62% of renters paying 30 percent or more of income on rent. Smithfield is the Johnston County seat on I-95 with a large outlet center and distribution jobs. Commutes into Raleigh are common.
Where budgets feel tighter in the Raleigh area
Rent is the heaviest burden in Smithfield, where 62% of renter households spend 30 percent or more of income on it, and the lightest in Morrisville at 25%. Long commutes are most common in Fuquay-Varina, with 27% of workers traveling 45 minutes or more, against 5% in Morrisville. Homeownership is highest in Holly Springs at 81% and lowest in Morrisville at 45%, which changes who borrows for repairs and who borrows for moves. Home prices relative to income are steepest in Smithfield, where the median home costs 5.6 times the median household income, and gentlest in Wendell at 3.5 times. Working from home is most common in Morrisville (39% of workers) and least in Smithfield (6%), and remote or self-employed income usually needs more documents when you apply.
Situations that come up in the Raleigh area
Government and university paychecks in the Raleigh area are steady and verifiable, which lenders like. The risk is not income but timing: pay cycles and budget deadlines can leave a mid-month gap.
University employers and students create steady and seasonal income at once. If your pay in the Raleigh area follows a school calendar, a lender will verify it, so keep contracts or pay stubs ready.
Tech and professional incomes in the Raleigh area often include bonuses and equity. Lenders usually count only documented regular pay, so do not size a loan against bonuses that may not arrive.
County guides
Frequently asked questions
Do personal loan rules change across the Raleigh area?
Lending rules follow the state you live in, not the town. Your costs and budget may still differ from town to town, as the table above shows.
Which Raleigh place has the highest rent in our set?
Holly Springs has the highest median gross rent among the places listed, at $2,021 a month in the 2020 to 2024 ACS estimates.
Which county in the Raleigh area has the highest unemployment rate?
Wake County had the highest rate in our set at 2.8% for September 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. County rates are preliminary and not seasonally adjusted, and they change monthly.
Where are household incomes highest in the Raleigh area?
Among the counties we cover, Wake County has the highest median household income at $105,768 and Johnston County the lowest at $83,384, from Census Bureau 2020 to 2024 estimates. Your own income is what a lender will verify.