Wake Forest, NC · standard
ZIP Code 27587
Wake County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 53,078
- 196/sq mi
- $133,743
- Median income
- $497,800
- Median home value
- 57.7%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Wake Forest pairs a top-decile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated and unusually populous area.
- Top 6%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 13%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 196
- people per sq mi
- 81%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 27587 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 27587 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 271.1 square miles in Wake Forest, Wake County, North Carolina. The area is home to 53,078 residents, producing a population density of 196 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 27587 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 27587 sits at $133,743 (93% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $59,229. The poverty rate stands at 5.0% and the unemployment rate at 3.5%. On housing, the median home value is $497,800 (92% above the state average) with median rent at $1,544 per month, and 81.0% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 27587 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 57.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.8, and the average commute is 30 minutes. We also surface 8 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Wake County, so you can benchmark 27587 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 27587
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 27587.
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
318 establishments
- Construction
Construction
224 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
223 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
197 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
175 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 27587, Wake Forest, 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
53,078
Population
271.1
Area (sq mi)
196
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 27587?
40.8
Median Age
48.1%
Male
51.9%
Female
7.9%
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?
$133,743
Median Household Income
+93% vs state
$59,229
Per Capita Income
5.0%
Poverty Rate
3.5%
Unemployment Rate
30.4 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 27587 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$133,743 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?
31,117
Total Housing Units
29,545
Occupied Units
1,572
Vacant Units
2.77
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$497,800
Median Home Value
+92% vs state
$1,544
Median Rent
2006
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
+4.3%
YoY Change (2024)
243
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+143%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 27587 have increased 4.3% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +143% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +2.4% | 154 |
| 2021 | +14.6% | 177 |
| 2022 | +25.0% | 221 |
| 2023 | +5.4% | 233 |
| 2024 | +4.3% | 243 |
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 1,943 business establishments in ZIP 27587, employing approximately 20,587 people with a combined annual payroll of $865,106,000.
1,943
Businesses
20,587
Employees
$865.1M
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 318 | 16.4% |
| Construction | 224 | 11.5% |
| Retail trade | 223 | 11.5% |
| Health care and social assistance | 197 | 10.1% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 175 | 9.0% |
| Accommodation and food services | 171 | 8.8% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 133 | 6.8% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 129 | 6.6% |
| Finance and insurance | 89 | 4.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 63 | 3.2% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 44 | 2.3% |
| Educational services | 42 | 2.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 42 | 2.2% |
| Information | 41 | 2.1% |
| Manufacturing | 35 | 1.8% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 11 | 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 27587 vs 27614 →
ZIP 27587 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 27587
Wake Forest (27587)
53,078 residents
- 27616
Raleigh (27616)
42,294 residents
- 27615
Raleigh (27615)
42,166 residents
- 27609
Raleigh (27609)
32,964 residents
- 27614
Raleigh (27614)
31,516 residents
- 27596 15,619
Youngsville (27596)
15,619 residents
- 27525 13,338
Franklinton (27525)
13,338 residents
- 27522 12,335
Creedmoor (27522)
12,335 residents
- 27571 3,893
Rolesville (27571)
3,893 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 27587 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 27587 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 27587
Wake Forest (27587)
$133,743 median income
- 27571
Rolesville (27571)
$131,139 median income
- 27614
Raleigh (27614)
$128,834 median income
- 27615
Raleigh (27615)
$112,754 median income
- 27596
Youngsville (27596)
$95,940 median income
- 27616
Raleigh (27616)
$83,565 median income
- 27609
Raleigh (27609)
$83,065 median income
- 27522
Creedmoor (27522)
$77,094 median income
- 27525
Franklinton (27525)
$73,036 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 27587 ranks the highest of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27614 | Raleigh, NC | 31,516 | 4.4 mi |
| 27616 | Raleigh, NC | 42,294 | 7.9 mi |
| 27596 | Youngsville, NC | 15,619 | 6.3 mi |
| 27571 | Rolesville, NC | 3,893 | 6.8 mi |
| 27615 | Raleigh, NC | 42,166 | 7.4 mi |
| 27609 | Raleigh, NC | 32,964 | 10.5 mi |
| 27525 | Franklinton, NC | 13,338 | 10.6 mi |
| 27522 | Creedmoor, NC | 12,335 | 11.0 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Wake County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 27587 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 27587? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 27587? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 27587? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27587? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 27587? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 27587? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 27587? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 27587? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 27587? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 27587? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27587? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Wake Forest, 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.