Cary, NC · standard
ZIP Code 27511
Wake County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 32,029
- 1,055/sq mi
- $107,860
- Median income
- $456,000
- Median home value
- 58.2%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Cary pairs an upper-quartile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 14%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 16%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 1,055
- people per sq mi
- 67%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 27511 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 27511 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 30.4 square miles in Cary, Wake County, North Carolina. The area is home to 32,029 residents, producing a population density of 1,055 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 27511 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 27511 sits at $107,860 (56% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $57,681. The poverty rate stands at 9.4% and the unemployment rate at 2.7%. On housing, the median home value is $456,000 (76% above the state average) with median rent at $1,515 per month, and 66.9% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 27511 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 58.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 42.1, and the average commute is 23 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Wake County, so you can benchmark 27511 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 27511
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 27511.
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
235 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
210 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
205 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
139 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
139 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 27511, Cary, 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
32,029
Population
30.4
Area (sq mi)
1,055
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 27511?
42.1
Median Age
49.1%
Male
50.9%
Female
15.4%
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?
$107,860
Median Household Income
+56% vs state
$57,681
Per Capita Income
9.4%
Poverty Rate
2.7%
Unemployment Rate
23.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 27511 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$107,860 Top 14% higher than 86% 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?
14,557
Total Housing Units
13,557
Occupied Units
1,000
Vacant Units
2.43
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$456,000
Median Home Value
+76% vs state
$1,515
Median Rent
1982
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
+5.9%
YoY Change (2024)
318
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+218%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 27511 have increased 5.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +218% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +4.2% | 198 |
| 2021 | +12.2% | 223 |
| 2022 | +24.8% | 278 |
| 2023 | +8.0% | 300 |
| 2024 | +5.9% | 318 |
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 1,469 business establishments in ZIP 27511, employing approximately 26,347 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,893,534,000.
1,469
Businesses
26,347
Employees
$1.9B
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 235 | 16.0% |
| Retail trade | 210 | 14.3% |
| Health care and social assistance | 205 | 14.0% |
| Accommodation and food services | 139 | 9.5% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 139 | 9.5% |
| Construction | 104 | 7.1% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 102 | 6.9% |
| Finance and insurance | 77 | 5.2% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 76 | 5.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 40 | 2.7% |
| Information | 31 | 2.1% |
| Educational services | 31 | 2.1% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 30 | 2.0% |
| Manufacturing | 22 | 1.5% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 18 | 1.2% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 7 | 0.5% |
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 27511 vs 27518 →
ZIP 27511 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 27606
Raleigh (27606)
43,210 residents
- 27513
Cary (27513)
40,755 residents
- 27519
Cary (27519)
39,178 residents
- 27511
Cary (27511)
32,029 residents
- 27607
Raleigh (27607)
25,188 residents
- 27560
Morrisville (27560)
22,623 residents
- 27518
Cary (27518)
19,630 residents
- 27539
Apex (27539)
18,692 residents
- 27617 15,199
Raleigh (27617)
15,199 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 27511 ranks #4 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 27511 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 27519
Cary (27519)
$165,586 median income
- 27539
Apex (27539)
$145,947 median income
- 27518
Cary (27518)
$123,488 median income
- 27513
Cary (27513)
$121,989 median income
- 27560
Morrisville (27560)
$118,417 median income
- 27617
Raleigh (27617)
$110,034 median income
- 27511
Cary (27511)
$107,860 median income
- 27607
Raleigh (27607)
$96,775 median income
- 27606
Raleigh (27606)
$78,371 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 27511 ranks #7 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27518 | Cary, NC | 19,630 | 2.4 mi |
| 27513 | Cary, NC | 40,755 | 2.9 mi |
| 27606 | Raleigh, NC | 43,210 | 4.1 mi |
| 27607 | Raleigh, NC | 25,188 | 4.9 mi |
| 27539 | Apex, NC | 18,692 | 6.2 mi |
| 27560 | Morrisville, NC | 22,623 | 7.0 mi |
| 27519 | Cary, NC | 39,178 | 6.5 mi |
| 27617 | Raleigh, NC | 15,199 | 10.0 mi |
| 27605 | Raleigh, NC | 4,495 | 7.5 mi |
| 27601 | Raleigh, NC | 9,450 | 8.4 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Wake County
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Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 27511 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 27511? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 27511? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 27511? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27511? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 27511? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 27511? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 27511? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 27511? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 27511? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 27511? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27511? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Cary, 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.