PlainZIP

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 a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Cary, Wake County, North Carolina, with 32,029 residents across 30.4 square miles, a density of 1,055 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 27511 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $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.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 58.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 42.1, and the average commute is 23 minutes. Beyond these figures, 10 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Wake County, letting you compare 27511 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 27511

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Cary, NC

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 27511.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, 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; 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

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 27511?

42.1

Median Age

49.1%

Male

50.9%

Female

15.4%

Foreign-Born

White 67.7%
African American 6.1%
Asian 5.6%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 11.9%
Hispanic or Latino 15.7%

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

Cary, NC 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

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). This entry sits in this band. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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?

High School Graduate or Higher 69.9%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 58.2%

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

Owner 66.9%
Renter 33.1%

$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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 27511 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 27511 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

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.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
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

27610 standard
Raleigh, NC
Pop: 65,648
27587 standard
Wake Forest, NC
Pop: 53,078
27603 standard
Raleigh, NC
Pop: 47,033
27606 standard
Raleigh, NC
Pop: 43,210
27613 standard
Raleigh, NC
Pop: 42,690
27616 standard
Raleigh, NC
Pop: 42,294

Related Areas

Wake County Cary, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 27511 in? ▼
ZIP code 27511 (Cary) is located in Wake County, North Carolina. Wake County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/wake-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 27511? ▼
ZIP code 27511 in Cary, NC has a population of 32,029 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 27511? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 27511 is $107,860, which is 41% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 27511? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 27511 is $456,000, which is 64% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27511? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 27511 is White at 67.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 15.7% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 27511? ▼
ZIP code 27511 has 1,469 business establishments employing approximately 26,347 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 27511? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 27511 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (235), Retail trade (210), Health care and social assistance (205). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 27511? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 27511 increased by 5.9% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 218%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 27511? ▼
In ZIP code 27511, 69.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 58.2% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 27511? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 27511 is 23.3 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 27511? ▼
In ZIP code 27511, approximately 66.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 33.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27511? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 27511 is 9.4% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.