PlainZIP

Holly Springs, NC · standard

ZIP Code 27540

Wake County, North Carolina - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

29,363
244/sq mi
$128,989
Median income
$522,500
Median home value
64.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Holly Springs pairs a top-decile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 7%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 12%
home value, US ZIPs
244
people per sq mi
81%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 27540 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 27540 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Holly Springs, Wake County, North Carolina, with 29,363 residents across 120.4 square miles, a density of 244 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 27540 skews affluent, with a median household income of $128,989 (86% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $52,906. Local economic indicators show a 4.7% poverty rate alongside 3.1% unemployment. The typical home here is valued at $522,500 (101% above the state average); renters pay a median of $1,947 monthly, and 80.6% of units are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 64.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 36.8, and the average commute is 30 minutes. Beyond these figures, 5 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Wake County, letting you compare 27540 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 27540

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Holly Springs, NC

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 27540.

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 27540, Holly Springs, 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

29,363

Population

120.4

Area (sq mi)

244

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 27540?

36.8

Median Age

48.7%

Male

51.3%

Female

10.5%

Foreign-Born

White 73.7%
African American 8.2%
Asian 7.8%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.1%
Two or More Ethnicities 8.0%
Hispanic or Latino 6.1%

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?

$128,989

Median Household Income

+86% vs state

$52,906

Per Capita Income

4.7%

Poverty Rate

3.1%

Unemployment Rate

29.5 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 27540 ranks nationally

Holly Springs, NC household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$128,989 Top 7% higher than 93% 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%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). This entry sits in this band. $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 73.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 64.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

16,923

Total Housing Units

15,996

Occupied Units

927

Vacant Units

2.98

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 80.6%
Renter 19.4%

$522,500

Median Home Value

+101% vs state

$1,947

Median Rent

2007

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

-2.9%

YoY Change (2024)

257

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+157%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 27540 have decreased 2.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +157% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +3.1% 168
2021 +14.7% 192
2022 +26.2% 243
2023 +9.0% 264
2024 -2.9% 257

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 1,016 business establishments in ZIP 27540, employing approximately 11,754 people with a combined annual payroll of $564,696,000.

1,016

Businesses

11,754

Employees

$564.7M

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Professional, scientific, and technical services 167 16.4%
Health care and social assistance 136 13.4%
Construction 122 12.0%
Accommodation and food services 90 8.9%
Retail trade 87 8.6%
Other services (except public administration) 85 8.4%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 68 6.7%
Real estate and rental and leasing 64 6.3%
Finance and insurance 55 5.4%
Wholesale trade 33 3.3%
Educational services 28 2.8%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 21 2.1%
Manufacturing 20 2.0%
Information 20 2.0%
Transportation and warehousing 12 1.2%
Management of companies and enterprises 3 0.3%

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 27540 vs 27526 →

ZIP 27540 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 27540 ranks #3 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 27540 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 27540 ranks #4 of 6 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
27526 Fuquay Varina, NC 38,894 5.4 mi
27539 Apex, NC 18,692 5.4 mi
27562 New Hill, NC 1,938 7.0 mi
27502 Apex, NC 30,831 7.9 mi
27518 Cary, NC 19,630 9.8 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 Holly Springs, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 27540 in? ▼
ZIP code 27540 (Holly Springs) 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 27540? ▼
ZIP code 27540 in Holly Springs, NC has a population of 29,363 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 27540? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 27540 is $128,989, which is 69% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 27540? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 27540 is $522,500, which is 88% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27540? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 27540 is White at 73.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 6.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 27540? ▼
ZIP code 27540 has 1,016 business establishments employing approximately 11,754 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 27540? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 27540 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (167), Health care and social assistance (136), Construction (122). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 27540? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 27540 decreased by 2.9% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 157%. 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 27540? ▼
In ZIP code 27540, 73.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 64.4% 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 27540? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 27540 is 29.5 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 27540? ▼
In ZIP code 27540, approximately 80.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 19.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27540? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 27540 is 4.7% 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.