Residential delivery area · North Carolina
ZIP Code 27603: Raleigh, NC
ZIP code 27603 uses the postal name Raleigh, North Carolina and lies mostly in Wake County (95% of its land) with the rest in Johnston County (Census 2020 ZIP-county file). About 54,000 people live there (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024), the 3rd most populous of Raleigh's 17 residential ZIP codes. Median household income is $90,484 (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). By Census place, its land lies in Raleigh (14%) and Garner (6%), and 1% in smaller places; 78% is outside any Census place.
- ACS2020-24
- Census2020
- FHFA2025
- ZBP2023
- IRS2022
- Town
- Raleigh · 17 residential ZIPs
- County
- Wake County (95%); Johnston County (5%)
- Census places
- Raleigh (14%); Garner (6%)
- Neighborhoods
- All Star Mobile Home Park, Boylan Heights, Green Springs Mobile Park, Rolling Hills, Stagecrest, Walnut Terrace GeoNames
- Metro area
- Raleigh-Cary, NC
- House districts
- NC-13 (67%), NC-2 (33%) 119th Congress, by share of land
- State
- North Carolina
- Time zone
- Eastern
- Land area
- 51.4 sq mi · 1,050 people per sq mi
- PO Box ZIPs
- 27 more ZIP codes use the name Raleigh for PO boxes or single organizations
Where is ZIP code 27603?
27603 centers on 35.665°, -78.654° and covers 51.4 square miles of land plus 0.1 of water. It borders 10 ZIP codes: 27529, 27606, 27592, 27601, 27610, 27605, 27539, 27608, 27604, 27526.
The map draws ZIP code areas only. For the streets inside 27603, open its center on OpenStreetMap.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA cartographic boundaries and the 2023 Gazetteer (2020 ZCTAs); ZIP-to-county shares, Census places and House districts (119th Congress) from the Census 2020 relationship files (shares of land); metro area from the OMB delineation (July 2023); town name and time zone from simplemaps US ZIP Codes (CC BY 4.0); neighborhoods from the GeoNames gazetteer (CC BY 4.0), placed in this ZIP code by PlainZIP.
How does 27603 compare with the rest of Raleigh?
| Measure | 27603 | In Raleigh | In Wake County | In NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| People (ACS 2020-2024) | 53,972 | 3rd of 17 | 7th of 38 | 27th of 853 |
| Median household income | $91k | 7th of 13 | 23rd of 34 | 83rd of 528 |
| Median home value | $383k | 11th of 14 | 24th of 35 | 107th of 572 |
Its median household income is higher than in 74% of U.S. residential ZIP codes, and it is denser than 79% of all U.S. residential ZIP codes. ZIP codes at the ACS caps ($250,000 or more for household income, $2,000,000 or more for home value) share the top rank.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01003, B19013, B25077); ranks by PlainZIP over residential ZIP codes (ZCTAs).
How many people live in 27603?
The 2020 Census counted 54,616 people in 27603; the ACS, which samples households over 2020-2024, estimates 53,972. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew 16.1% (its boundary stayed at least 90% the same).
- People, ACS 2020-2024
- 53,972
- 2020 Census count
- 54,616+16.1% since 2010 (47,033)
- Households
- 21,942
- Median age
- 35.6
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01003, B01002, B11001); 2020 Census (DHC P1); 2010 Census (SF1 P1).
Who lives in 27603?
Of the 53,972 people the ACS estimates in 27603, 19.2% are under 18 and 13.1% are 65 or older. The largest group by race and Hispanic origin is White (not Hispanic) (59.9%), then Black (not Hispanic) (17.8%).
- Under 1819.2%
- 18 to 6467.8%
- 65 and older13.1%
- White, not Hispanic59.9%
- Black, not Hispanic17.8%
- Hispanic or Latino14.8%
- Other or two or more5.3%
- Asian, not Hispanic2.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01001 age by sex, B03002 Hispanic or Latino origin by race); shares of the estimated population, small ZIP codes carry wide margins.
What do households in 27603 earn?
Median household income is $90,484 (ACS 2020-2024), the 23rd highest of the 34 ranked ZIP codes in Wake County. It is not measurably different from 2015-2019 ($84,479 in 2024 dollars): the change is within the surveys' margins of error.
- Median household income
- $90,484
- Income per person
- $50,497
- Below the poverty line
- 12.5%
- Unemployed (of the labor force)
- 4.3%
- Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree
- 50.7%
- Adjusted gross income per tax return, 2022
- $87,81925,800 returns; wages 75% of AGI (IRS)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 and 2015-2019 5-year estimates (B19013, B19301, B17001, B23025, B15003; 2015-2019 dollars converted with the BLS CPI-U, 1.22699); IRS Statistics of Income, ZIP code data, tax year 2022 (adjusted gross income per return, filed under the address on the return).
What are homes worth in 27603?
FHFA's house price index for 27603, built from repeat sales and appraisals of the same homes, rose 110% from 2015 to 2025 and rose 55% from 2020 to 2025, and moved −1.6% in 2025.
- Median home value (owners' estimate)
- $383,200
- Median gross rent
- $1,547
- Homes owned by their occupants
- 61.4%
- Housing units
- 24,238
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B25077, B25064, B25003, B25001); FHFA House Price Index, annual five-digit ZIP, updated 2026-03-31.
What businesses are in 27603?
1,853 business establishments had a location in this ZIP code in 2023, 265 more than in 2018; the most are in construction (ZIP Code Business Patterns).
- Construction280
- Professional, scientific, and technical services280
- Retail trade219
- Accommodation and food services186
- Other services (except public administration)173
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services118
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023 and 2018 (establishments with paid employees, by the business's ZIP code).
Which ZIP codes are next to 27603?
| ZIP | Town | People | Household income | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27529 | Garner | 55,242 | $86k | 4.4 mi |
| 27606 | Raleigh | 45,444 | $78k | 6.4 mi |
| 27592 | Willow Spring | 21,114 | $104k | 7.5 mi |
| 27601 | Raleigh | 9,905 | $71k | 7.6 mi |
| 27610 | Raleigh | 81,419 | $68k | 8.2 mi |
| 27605 | Raleigh | 6,286 | $71k | 8.7 mi |
| 27539 | Apex | 25,878 | $146k | 9.0 mi |
| 27608 | Raleigh | 12,604 | $162k | 10.1 mi |
| 27604 | Raleigh | 44,514 | $70k | 12.1 mi |
| 27526 | Fuquay Varina | 61,588 | $110k | 12.9 mi |
| 27697 | Raleigh | 0 | – | 8.1 mi (near) |
| 27518 | Cary | 19,735 | $124k | 8.1 mi (near) |
Source: PlainZIP from the Census 2020 ZCTA boundaries (shared edges) and internal points; figures ACS 2020-2024.