Apex, NC · standard
ZIP Code 27523
Wake County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 9,552
- 89/sq mi
- $135,625
- Median income
- $659,300
- Median home value
- 70.4%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Apex pairs a top-decile household income with top-decile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 6%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 7%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 89
- people per sq mi
- 72%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 27523 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 27523 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 107.0 square miles in Apex, Wake County, North Carolina. The area is home to 9,552 residents, producing a population density of 89 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 27523 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 27523 sits at $135,625 (96% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $65,208. The poverty rate stands at 6.8% and the unemployment rate at 2.7%. On housing, the median home value is $659,300 (154% above the state average) with median rent at $1,939 per month, and 72.3% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 27523 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 70.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.1, and the average commute is 24 minutes. We also surface 9 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Wake County, so you can benchmark 27523 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 27523
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 27523.
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
80 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
33 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 31
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
31 establishments
- Health care and social assistance 31
Health care and social assistance
31 establishments
- Accommodation and food services 31
Accommodation and food services
31 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 27523, 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
9,552
Population
107.0
Area (sq mi)
89
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 27523?
39.1
Median Age
49.3%
Male
50.7%
Female
27.8%
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?
$135,625
Median Household Income
+96% vs state
$65,208
Per Capita Income
6.8%
Poverty Rate
2.7%
Unemployment Rate
23.5 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 27523 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$135,625 Top 6% higher than 94% 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?
8,450
Total Housing Units
7,905
Occupied Units
545
Vacant Units
2.56
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$659,300
Median Home Value
+154% vs state
$1,939
Median Rent
2008
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
+3.7%
YoY Change (2024)
280
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+180%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 27523 have increased 3.7% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +180% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +1.5% | 184 |
| 2021 | +9.5% | 201 |
| 2022 | +23.2% | 247 |
| 2023 | +9.2% | 270 |
| 2024 | +3.7% | 280 |
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 368 business establishments in ZIP 27523, employing approximately 3,140 people with a combined annual payroll of $152,795,000.
368
Businesses
3,140
Employees
$152.8M
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 80 | 21.7% |
| Retail trade | 33 | 9.0% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 31 | 8.4% |
| Health care and social assistance | 31 | 8.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 31 | 8.4% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 31 | 8.4% |
| Construction | 23 | 6.3% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 23 | 6.3% |
| Finance and insurance | 18 | 4.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 15 | 4.1% |
| Educational services | 13 | 3.5% |
| Manufacturing | 11 | 3.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 10 | 2.7% |
| Information | 6 | 1.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 6 | 1.6% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 3 | 0.8% |
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 27523 vs 27502 →
ZIP 27523 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 27713
Durham (27713)
46,660 residents
- 27519
Cary (27519)
39,178 residents
- 27502
Apex (27502)
30,831 residents
- 27517
Chapel Hill (27517)
23,346 residents
- 27560
Morrisville (27560)
22,623 residents
- 27539
Apex (27539)
18,692 residents
- 27510 14,644
Carrboro (27510)
14,644 residents
- 27523 9,552
Apex (27523)
9,552 residents
- 27559 2,288
Moncure (27559)
2,288 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 27523 ranks #8 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 27523 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
- 27517
Chapel Hill (27517)
$128,683 median income
- 27560
Morrisville (27560)
$118,417 median income
- 27713
Durham (27713)
$100,676 median income
- 27559
Moncure (27559)
$74,490 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 27523 ranks #5 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27502 | Apex, NC | 30,831 | 4.4 mi |
| 27519 | Cary, NC | 39,178 | 4.8 mi |
| 27517 | Chapel Hill, NC | 23,346 | 6.5 mi |
| 27562 | New Hill, NC | 1,938 | 9.2 mi |
| 27713 | Durham, NC | 46,660 | 8.7 mi |
| 27560 | Morrisville, NC | 22,623 | 9.6 mi |
| 27539 | Apex, NC | 18,692 | 10.5 mi |
| 27510 | Carrboro, NC | 14,644 | 12.0 mi |
| 27559 | Moncure, NC | 2,288 | 12.5 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Wake County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 27523 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 27523? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 27523? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 27523? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27523? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 27523? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 27523? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 27523? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 27523? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 27523? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 27523? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27523? ▼
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.