Poverty and living standards in Wake Forest, North Carolina: official figures
4.5% of residents of Wake Forest (2,320 people) had incomes below the federal poverty line in the 2020-2024 American Community Survey, 31st lowest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 12.5%; North Carolina: 13.0%).
How many children live in poverty in Wake Forest?
4.0% of children under 18 in Wake Forest lived below the poverty line in 2020-2024 (551 children), 36th lowest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 16.1%; North Carolina: 17.7%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyWhat is the poverty rate for older people in Wake Forest?
By age, the poverty rate in Wake Forest was 3.5% for children under 6 and 5.1% for residents aged 60 and over in 2020-2024 (US: 17.2% and 11.0%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many people in Wake Forest live in deep poverty?
1,425 people in Wake Forest, 2.8% of residents, had incomes below half the poverty line in 2020-2024, 60th lowest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 6.0%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many renters in Wake Forest are cost-burdened?
46.3% of renting households in Wake Forest spent 30% or more of their income on rent and utilities in 2020-2024 (2,141 households), 154th lowest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 51.1%; North Carolina: 48.9%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many households in Wake Forest spend half their income on rent?
19.9% of renting households in Wake Forest spent half or more of their income on rent and utilities, 81st lowest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 25.9%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many people in Wake Forest are food insecure?
An estimated 9.3% of adults in Wake Forest experienced food insecurity in the past year, joint 54th lowest of 592 US cities of 50,000 or more with an estimate, and 8.5% housing insecurity (CDC PLACES model-based estimate for 2023, age-adjusted).
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · saved copyHow Wake Forest compares with other cities in the United States
Residents below the poverty line (2020-2024)
Wake Forest ranks 793 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Residents below the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 790 | Eden Prairie | 4.6% |
| 791 | Newton | 4.5% |
| 792 | Dublin | 4.5% |
| 793 | Wake Forest | 4.5% |
| 794 | Naperville | 4.4% |
| 795 | Parker | 4.4% |
| 796 | San Ramon | 4.4% |
Children under 18 below the poverty line (2020-2024)
Wake Forest ranks 788 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Children under 18 below the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 785 | Arlington Heights | 4.3% |
| 786 | Folsom | 4.2% |
| 787 | Carmel | 4.1% |
| 788 | Wake Forest | 4.0% |
| 789 | Rocklin | 3.9% |
| 790 | Alameda | 3.8% |
| 791 | Herriman | 3.8% |
Residents with incomes below half the poverty line (2020-2024)
Wake Forest ranks 764 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Residents with incomes below half the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 761 | Pflugerville | 2.8% |
| 762 | Sugar Land | 2.8% |
| 763 | Schaumburg | 2.8% |
| 764 | Wake Forest | 2.8% |
| 765 | Minnetonka | 2.8% |
| 766 | Gilbert | 2.7% |
| 767 | Edina | 2.7% |
Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent (2020-2024)
Wake Forest ranks 670 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent |
|---|---|---|
| 667 | Harrisonburg | 46.4% |
| 668 | Anchorage | 46.3% |
| 669 | Bloomington | 46.3% |
| 670 | Wake Forest | 46.3% |
| 671 | Toledo | 46.3% |
| 672 | Leander | 46.2% |
| 673 | Brookhaven | 46.2% |
Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate) (2023)
Wake Forest ranks 539 of 592, highest first.
| Rank | City | Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| 536 | Dunwoody | 9.5% |
| 537 | Sandy Springs | 9.3% |
| 538 | South Jordan | 9.3% |
| 539 | Wake Forest | 9.3% |
| 540 | O'Fallon | 9.2% |
| 541 | Troy | 9.2% |
| 542 | Rochester Hills | 9.2% |
More on Wake Forest: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · all cities in the United States
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: PLACES: Place Data (GIS Friendly Format), 2025 release: model-based age-adjusted prevalence among adults, for every place (data.cdc.gov API, columns used), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b2174bcc660f…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B17020: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months by Age (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 e79a292f34605560506b7f4b5c8ea242c9d6e203c8e95ba675565ddb7758571e), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 41bab025d213…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table C17002: Ratio of Income to Poverty Level in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 dc3dc675113683ec3ff2a0e29a840f43e03268151d7f14b922658d7306da5187), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 31aa364bfddf…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B25070: Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 862ccc17d913305d11e6f802ce4518d76b30585ea0b05b251cd8cf21f8661386), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4f8d499d9e95…)
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