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 High-density area
- $123,488
- Median income Above-median income area
- $632,200
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 71.8%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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 a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Cary, Wake County, North Carolina, home to 19,630 residents across 24.9 square miles, a density of 788 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 27518 skews affluent, with a median household income of $123,488 (79% above the average North Carolina ZIP), while per-capita income is $69,623. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 5.5% and unemployment is 3.0%. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $632,200 (144% above the average North Carolina ZIP), while 66.1% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $1,681.
This is a highly-educated ZIP: 71.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 46.9, and the average commute is 23 minutes. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Wake County, so 27518 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
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 27518
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Cary, NC
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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, 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; 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 ZIP avg
$69,623
Per Capita Income
5.5%
Poverty Rate
3.0%
Unemployment Rate
23.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 27518 ranks among North Carolina ZIPs
Cary, NC household income vs. every North Carolina ZIP code
Median household income among 749 reporting North Carolina ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$123,488 Top 4% higher than 96% of 749 North Carolina ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more North Carolina 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?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
9,489housing units
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 ZIP avg
$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 |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 27518, both outside NC so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (19,630 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Wake County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 27518 in?
ZIP code 27518 (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 27518?
ZIP code 27518 in Cary, NC has a population of 19,630 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 27518?
The median household income in ZIP 27518 is $123,488, which is 62% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 27518?
The median home value in ZIP 27518 is $632,200, which is 127% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27518?
The largest racial group in ZIP 27518 is White at 76.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 4.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 27518?
ZIP code 27518 has 1,068 business establishments employing approximately 19,913 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 27518?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 27518 are: Health care and social assistance (221), Professional, scientific, and technical services (206), Accommodation and food services (111). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 27518?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 27518 increased by 15.3% in 2023. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 170%. 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 27518?
In ZIP code 27518, 79.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 71.8% 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 27518?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 27518 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 27518?
In ZIP code 27518, approximately 66.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 33.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27518?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 27518 is 5.5% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
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What to do with ZIP 27518's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 27518 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Cary, NC ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.