Cary, NC · standard
ZIP Code 27518
Wake County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 19,630
- 788/sq mi
- $123,488
- Median income
- $632,200
- Median home value
- 71.8%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Cary pairs a top-decile household income with top-decile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 9%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 8%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 788
- people per sq mi
- 66%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 27518 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 27518 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 24.9 square miles in Cary, Wake County, North Carolina. The area is home to 19,630 residents, producing a population density of 788 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 27518 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 27518 sits at $123,488 (79% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $69,623. The poverty rate stands at 5.5% and the unemployment rate at 3.0%. On housing, the median home value is $632,200 (144% above the state average) with median rent at $1,681 per month, and 66.1% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 27518 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 71.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 46.9, 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 27518 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 27518
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 27518.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
221 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
206 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
111 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
97 establishments
- Other services (except public administration) 77
Other services (except public administration)
77 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 27518, 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
19,630
Population
24.9
Area (sq mi)
788
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 27518?
46.9
Median Age
47.1%
Male
52.9%
Female
17.1%
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?
$123,488
Median Household Income
+79% vs state
$69,623
Per Capita Income
5.5%
Poverty Rate
3.0%
Unemployment Rate
23.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 27518 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$123,488 Top 9% higher than 91% 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?
9,489
Total Housing Units
8,567
Occupied Units
922
Vacant Units
2.29
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$632,200
Median Home Value
+144% vs state
$1,681
Median Rent
1998
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
+15.3%
YoY Change (2023)
270
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+170%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 27518 have increased 15.3% over the past year (2023). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +170% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | +0.9% | 154 |
| 2020 | +2.9% | 159 |
| 2021 | +13.5% | 180 |
| 2022 | +29.7% | 234 |
| 2023 | +15.3% | 270 |
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 2023. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 1,068 business establishments in ZIP 27518, employing approximately 19,913 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,989,641,000.
1,068
Businesses
19,913
Employees
$2.0B
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 221 | 20.7% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 206 | 19.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 111 | 10.4% |
| Retail trade | 97 | 9.1% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 77 | 7.2% |
| Finance and insurance | 65 | 6.1% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 64 | 6.0% |
| Construction | 54 | 5.1% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 35 | 3.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 32 | 3.0% |
| Information | 29 | 2.7% |
| Educational services | 27 | 2.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 19 | 1.8% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 12 | 1.1% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 11 | 1.0% |
| Manufacturing | 6 | 0.6% |
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 27518 vs 27511 →
ZIP 27518 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 27603
Raleigh (27603)
47,033 residents
- 27606
Raleigh (27606)
43,210 residents
- 27513
Cary (27513)
40,755 residents
- 27511
Cary (27511)
32,029 residents
- 27502
Apex (27502)
30,831 residents
- 27607
Raleigh (27607)
25,188 residents
- 27560
Morrisville (27560)
22,623 residents
- 27518
Cary (27518)
19,630 residents
- 27539 18,692
Apex (27539)
18,692 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 27518 ranks #8 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 27518 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 27539
Apex (27539)
$145,947 median income
- 27502
Apex (27502)
$143,922 median income
- 27518
Cary (27518)
$123,488 median income
- 27513
Cary (27513)
$121,989 median income
- 27560
Morrisville (27560)
$118,417 median income
- 27511
Cary (27511)
$107,860 median income
- 27607
Raleigh (27607)
$96,775 median income
- 27603
Raleigh (27603)
$90,484 median income
- 27606
Raleigh (27606)
$78,371 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 27518 ranks #3 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27511 | Cary, NC | 32,029 | 2.4 mi |
| 27606 | Raleigh, NC | 43,210 | 3.2 mi |
| 27539 | Apex, NC | 18,692 | 4.3 mi |
| 27513 | Cary, NC | 40,755 | 5.3 mi |
| 27607 | Raleigh, NC | 25,188 | 6.4 mi |
| 27502 | Apex, NC | 30,831 | 8.0 mi |
| 27603 | Raleigh, NC | 47,033 | 7.8 mi |
| 27605 | Raleigh, NC | 4,495 | 7.9 mi |
| 27601 | Raleigh, NC | 9,450 | 8.4 mi |
| 27560 | Morrisville, NC | 22,623 | 9.4 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Wake County
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Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 27518 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 27518? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 27518? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 27518? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27518? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 27518? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 27518? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 27518? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 27518? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 27518? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 27518? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27518? ▼
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.