State
County
Land Area
145.9 sq mi
Density
3,282.2/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
1.00%
Growth Since 2010
18.55%
Rank in State
Rank in Country
Metro Population
1,419,980
Raleigh is a city located in North Carolina. With a 2020 population of 478,824, it is the 2nd largest city in North Carolina (after Charlotte) and the 41st largest city in the United States. Raleigh is currently growing at a rate of 1.00% annually and its population has increased by 18.55% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 403,892 in 2010. Spanning over 147 miles, Raleigh has a population density of 3,282 people per square mile.
The average household income in Raleigh is $94,359 with a poverty rate of 12.60%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $1,121 per month, and the median house value is $248,300. The median age in Raleigh is 33.6 years, 32.3 years for males, and 34.8 years for females. For every 100 females there are 93.1 males.
The Raleigh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) has a population estimated at 1.21 million, however. The larger Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Combined Statistical Area (CSA) is estimated at 2.03 million. Raleigh has a population density of 2,963 people per square mile (1,097/sq km).
Raleigh is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States with a growth rate of about 3.4% per year. A Forbes study last year found the Raleigh metropolitan area was the fastest growing in the United States, increasing 47% from 2000 to 2012.
Between 2000 and 2009, the Raleigh-Durham-Cary metropolitan area grew 40%, leading the nation. It is predicted that Raleigh will remain the fastest-growing metro area through 2025.
Raleigh was chosen as the new capital of North Carolina in 1788. It is one of the few planned cities in the United States, and its site was chosen in a central location to protect it from coastal attacks. From 1810 to 1820, the population grew from just 876 to more than 2,600. During the Civil War, the city was protected against Union troops and, despite a nearby battle, Raleigh experienced little serious damage, but it failed to grow for decades due to an economy based on agriculture.
After the Civil War, many free blacks (freedmen) migrated from rural areas to Raleigh, which had a large free black community. The city became the site of Shaw University, the first African American college in the South with classes that began in 1865. Despite progress made during the 19th century for black people in the state, voter registration rules passed in 1900 reduced black voting to zero by 1908. It was not until federal civil rights legislation in the 1960s that most black people in North Carolina could vote again, sit on juries and serve in local offices.
Raleigh has since grown and changed dramatically. For the past ten years, it has frequently made Top 10 Lists, including those by Forbes and Money Magazine. Except for 1830, Raleigh has posted positive population growth at every census since 1800.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Raleigh was:
2019 and 2020 population is estimated by projecting the raw 2018 numbers.
Year | Total Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | 1,419,980 | 29,200 | 2.06% |
2019 | 1,390,780 | 29,190 | 2.10% |
2018 | 1,361,590 | 27,350 | 2.01% |
2017 | 1,334,240 | 30,390 | 2.28% |
2016 | 1,303,850 | 32,760 | 2.51% |
2015 | 1,271,090 | 29,900 | 2.35% |
2014 | 1,241,190 | 27,690 | 2.23% |
2013 | 1,213,500 | 25,650 | 2.11% |
2012 | 1,187,850 | 25,670 | 2.16% |
2011 | 1,162,180 | 24,800 | 2.13% |
2010 | 1,137,380 | 0.00% |
Race | Population | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White | 270,818 | 58.31% |
Black or African American | 134,751 | 29.01% |
Some Other Race | 22,374 | 4.82% |
Asian | 21,332 | 4.59% |
Two or More Races | 13,367 | 2.88% |
American Indian and Alaska Native | 1,642 | 0.35% |
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 201 | 0.04% |
Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
---|---|---|---|
All | 183,335 | 2.42 | 51.5 |
Non Family | 80,404 | 1.42 | 37 |
Married | 71,961 | 3.14 | 74.2 |
Female | 24,158 | 3.35 | 35.2 |
Male | 6,812 | 3.39 | 40.5 |
3.12
Average Family Size
2.42
Average Household Size
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 11,262 | 3.66% |
9th to 12th Grade | 13,945 | 4.53% |
High School Graduate | 47,935 | 15.58% |
Some College | 54,779 | 17.80% |
Associates Degree | 23,169 | 7.53% |
Bachelors Degree | 99,632 | 32.38% |
Graduate Degree | 56,965 | 18.51% |
Name | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 175,828 | 172,120 | 113,007 |
Black | 84,958 | 76,234 | 26,363 |
Hispanic | 27,620 | 16,904 | 6,053 |
Asian | 14,290 | 12,403 | 8,574 |
Other Race | 12,276 | 6,399 | 1,539 |
Multiple Races | 6,075 | 5,394 | 3,039 |
Native American | 1,126 | 869 | 252 |
Islander | 106 | 91 | 54 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 97.89%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 64.27%.
$43,939
Average Earnings
$48,608
Average Male
$40,136
Average Female
82.45% of Raleigh residents speak only English, while 17.55% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 9.70% of the population.
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Black | 129,501 | 22,208 | 17.15% |
White | 234,384 | 18,217 | 7.77% |
Hispanic | 50,839 | 11,426 | 22.47% |
Other | 21,893 | 4,584 | 20.94% |
Asian | 20,498 | 3,536 | 17.25% |
Multiple | 12,904 | 1,885 | 14.61% |
Native | 1,494 | 153 | 10.24% |
Islander | 201 | 84 | 41.79% |
12.60%
Overall Poverty Rate
12.17%
Male Poverty Rate
13.01%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Raleigh is Islander, with 41.79% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Raleigh is White, with 7.77% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.86%. Among those working part-time, it was 20.33%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 20.21%.
40.3%
Overall Marriage Rate
42.9%
Male Marriage Rate
38.0%
Female Marriage Rate
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 12,089 | 5.42% |
Black | 6,534 | 6.40% |
Hispanic | 736 | 2.18% |
Asian | 378 | 2.15% |
2 or More | 366 | 4.60% |
Other | 268 | 1.78% |
Indian | 149 | 11.52% |
5.40%
Veteran Poverty Rate
24.48%
Veteran Disability Rate
70.4%
Labor Force Participation
67.4%
Employment Rate
4.1%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
86.56%
Native Born
13.44%
Foreign Born
8.25%
Non Citizen
5.20%
Naturalized
86.56% of Raleigh residents were born in the United States, with 47.24% having been born in North Carolina. 8.25% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | 478,824 | 4,755 | 1.00% |
2019 | 474,069 | 4,755 | 1.01% |
2018 | 469,314 | 3,538 | 0.76% |
2017 | 465,776 | 6,307 | 1.37% |
2016 | 459,469 | 9,923 | 2.21% |
2015 | 449,546 | 10,043 | 2.29% |
2014 | 439,503 | 8,112 | 1.88% |
2013 | 431,391 | 8,087 | 1.91% |
2012 | 423,304 | 9,346 | 2.26% |
2011 | 413,958 | 7,605 | 1.87% |
2010 | 406,353 | 130,260 | 3.94% |
2000 | 276,093 | 68,142 | 2.87% |
1990 | 207,951 | 57,696 | 3.30% |
1980 | 150,255 | 27,425 | 2.04% |
1970 | 122,830 | 28,899 | 2.72% |
1960 | 93,931 | 28,252 | 3.64% |
1950 | 65,679 | 18,782 | 3.43% |
1940 | 46,897 | 9,518 | 2.29% |
1930 | 37,379 | 12,961 | 4.35% |
1920 | 24,418 | 5,200 | 2.42% |
1910 | 19,218 | 5,575 | 3.49% |
1900 | 13,643 | 965 | 0.74% |
1890 | 12,678 | 3,413 | 3.19% |
1880 | 9,265 | 1,475 | 1.75% |
1870 | 7,790 | 3,010 | 5.01% |
1860 | 4,780 | 262 | 0.57% |
1850 | 4,518 | 2,318 | 7.46% |
1840 | 2,200 | 500 | 2.61% |
1830 | 1,700 | -974 | -4.43% |
1820 | 2,674 | 1,974 | 6.93% |
1800 | 700 | 0.00% |