Raleigh, NC · standard
ZIP Code 27603
Wake County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 47,033
- 352/sq mi
- $90,484
- Median income
- $383,200
- Median home value
- 50.7%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Raleigh pairs an above-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 26%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 22%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 352
- people per sq mi
- 61%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 27603 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 27603 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 133.7 square miles in Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina. The area is home to 47,033 residents, producing a population density of 352 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 27603 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 27603 sits at $90,484 (31% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $50,497. The poverty rate stands at 12.5% and the unemployment rate at 4.2%. On housing, the median home value is $383,200 (48% above the state average) with median rent at $1,547 per month, and 61.4% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 27603 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 50.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 35.6, and the average commute is 28 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Wake County, so you can benchmark 27603 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 27603
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 27603.
- Construction
Construction
280 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
280 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
219 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
186 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
173 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 27603, Raleigh, 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
47,033
Population
133.7
Area (sq mi)
352
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 27603?
35.6
Median Age
50.7%
Male
49.3%
Female
10.2%
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?
$90,484
Median Household Income
+31% vs state
$50,497
Per Capita Income
12.5%
Poverty Rate
4.2%
Unemployment Rate
27.8 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 27603 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$90,484 Top 26% higher than 74% 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?
24,238
Total Housing Units
21,942
Occupied Units
2,296
Vacant Units
2.39
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$383,200
Median Home Value
+48% vs state
$1,547
Median Rent
2000
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
+6.3%
YoY Change (2024)
266
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+166%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 27603 have increased 6.3% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +166% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +4.6% | 168 |
| 2021 | +14.6% | 193 |
| 2022 | +22.8% | 237 |
| 2023 | +5.6% | 250 |
| 2024 | +6.3% | 266 |
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 1,853 business establishments in ZIP 27603, employing approximately 26,039 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,655,506,000.
1,853
Businesses
26,039
Employees
$1.7B
Annual Payroll
17
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 280 | 15.1% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 280 | 15.1% |
| Retail trade | 219 | 11.8% |
| Accommodation and food services | 186 | 10.0% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 173 | 9.3% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 118 | 6.4% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 115 | 6.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 103 | 5.6% |
| Health care and social assistance | 81 | 4.4% |
| Finance and insurance | 65 | 3.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 57 | 3.1% |
| Manufacturing | 45 | 2.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 44 | 2.4% |
| Information | 41 | 2.2% |
| Educational services | 25 | 1.4% |
| Utilities | 10 | 0.5% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 9 | 0.5% |
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 27603 vs 27529 →
ZIP 27603 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 27610
Raleigh (27610)
65,648 residents
- 27603
Raleigh (27603)
47,033 residents
- 27606
Raleigh (27606)
43,210 residents
- 27529
Garner (27529)
42,128 residents
- 27511
Cary (27511)
32,029 residents
- 27607 25,188
Raleigh (27607)
25,188 residents
- 27518 19,630
Cary (27518)
19,630 residents
- 27592 15,244
Willow Spring (27592)
15,244 residents
- 27608 10,429
Raleigh (27608)
10,429 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 27603 ranks #2 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 27603 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 27608
Raleigh (27608)
$162,188 median income
- 27518
Cary (27518)
$123,488 median income
- 27511
Cary (27511)
$107,860 median income
- 27592
Willow Spring (27592)
$104,252 median income
- 27607
Raleigh (27607)
$96,775 median income
- 27603
Raleigh (27603)
$90,484 median income
- 27529
Garner (27529)
$85,716 median income
- 27606
Raleigh (27606)
$78,371 median income
- 27601
Raleigh (27601)
$71,350 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 27603 ranks #6 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27529 | Garner, NC | 42,128 | 4.6 mi |
| 27592 | Willow Spring, NC | 15,244 | 7.3 mi |
| 27606 | Raleigh, NC | 43,210 | 6.2 mi |
| 27605 | Raleigh, NC | 4,495 | 8.8 mi |
| 27601 | Raleigh, NC | 9,450 | 7.8 mi |
| 27608 | Raleigh, NC | 10,429 | 10.1 mi |
| 27518 | Cary, NC | 19,630 | 7.8 mi |
| 27610 | Raleigh, NC | 65,648 | 8.6 mi |
| 27607 | Raleigh, NC | 25,188 | 10.9 mi |
| 27511 | Cary, NC | 32,029 | 9.7 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Wake County
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Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 27603 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 27603? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 27603? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 27603? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27603? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 27603? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 27603? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 27603? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 27603? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 27603? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 27603? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27603? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Raleigh, 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.