Apex, NC · standard
ZIP Code 27502
Wake County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 30,831
- 420/sq mi
- $143,922
- Median income
- $550,900
- Median home value
- 68.4%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Apex pairs a top-decile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 5%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 11%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 420
- people per sq mi
- 82%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 27502 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 27502 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 73.4 square miles in Apex, Wake County, North Carolina. The area is home to 30,831 residents, producing a population density of 420 people per square mile, and falls within the New York time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 27502 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 27502 sits at $143,922 (108% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $60,734. The poverty rate stands at 2.3% and the unemployment rate at 2.4%. On housing, the median home value is $550,900 (112% above the state average) with median rent at $1,909 per month, and 81.6% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 27502 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 68.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 37.8, and the average commute is 26 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Wake County, so you can benchmark 27502 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →
Top industries in ZIP 27502
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 27502.
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
264 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
162 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
133 establishments
- Construction
Construction
114 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
113 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 27502, Apex, NC · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
30,831
Population
73.4
Area (sq mi)
420
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 27502?
37.8
Median Age
48.5%
Male
51.5%
Female
16.5%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$143,922
Median Household Income
+108% vs state
$60,734
Per Capita Income
2.3%
Poverty Rate
2.4%
Unemployment Rate
25.9 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 27502 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$143,922 Top 5% higher than 95% of 30,318 US ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
18,190
Total Housing Units
17,368
Occupied Units
822
Vacant Units
2.78
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$550,900
Median Home Value
+112% vs state
$1,909
Median Rent
2005
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+6.5%
YoY Change (2024)
304
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+204%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 27502 have increased 6.5% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +204% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +2.2% | 187 |
| 2021 | +12.8% | 211 |
| 2022 | +22.6% | 258 |
| 2023 | +10.6% | 286 |
| 2024 | +6.5% | 304 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 1,281 business establishments in ZIP 27502, employing approximately 12,627 people with a combined annual payroll of $593,829,000.
1,281
Businesses
12,627
Employees
$593.8M
Annual Payroll
17
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 264 | 20.6% |
| Health care and social assistance | 162 | 12.7% |
| Retail trade | 133 | 10.4% |
| Construction | 114 | 8.9% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 113 | 8.8% |
| Accommodation and food services | 98 | 7.7% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 90 | 7.0% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 69 | 5.4% |
| Finance and insurance | 60 | 4.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 37 | 2.9% |
| Information | 32 | 2.5% |
| Educational services | 32 | 2.5% |
| Manufacturing | 24 | 1.9% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 23 | 1.8% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 17 | 1.3% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 5 | 0.4% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 4 | 0.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 27502 vs 27523 →
ZIP 27502 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 27513
Cary (27513)
40,755 residents
- 27519
Cary (27519)
39,178 residents
- 27511
Cary (27511)
32,029 residents
- 27502
Apex (27502)
30,831 residents
- 27540
Holly Springs (27540)
29,363 residents
- 27517
Chapel Hill (27517)
23,346 residents
- 27560
Morrisville (27560)
22,623 residents
- 27518
Cary (27518)
19,630 residents
- 27539
Apex (27539)
18,692 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 27502 ranks #4 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 27502 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 27562
New Hill (27562)
$172,955 median income
- 27519
Cary (27519)
$165,586 median income
- 27539
Apex (27539)
$145,947 median income
- 27502
Apex (27502)
$143,922 median income
- 27523
Apex (27523)
$135,625 median income
- 27540
Holly Springs (27540)
$128,989 median income
- 27517
Chapel Hill (27517)
$128,683 median income
- 27518
Cary (27518)
$123,488 median income
- 27513
Cary (27513)
$121,989 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 27502 ranks #4 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27523 | Apex, NC | 9,552 | 4.4 mi |
| 27519 | Cary, NC | 39,178 | 6.2 mi |
| 27539 | Apex, NC | 18,692 | 6.4 mi |
| 27518 | Cary, NC | 19,630 | 8.0 mi |
| 27562 | New Hill, NC | 1,938 | 6.8 mi |
| 27540 | Holly Springs, NC | 29,363 | 7.9 mi |
| 27511 | Cary, NC | 32,029 | 7.9 mi |
| 27513 | Cary, NC | 40,755 | 8.5 mi |
| 27560 | Morrisville, NC | 22,623 | 10.8 mi |
| 27517 | Chapel Hill, NC | 23,346 | 10.9 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Wake County
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Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 27502 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 27502? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 27502? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 27502? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27502? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 27502? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 27502? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 27502? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 27502? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 27502? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 27502? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27502? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Apex, NC
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.