PlainZIP

Raleigh, NC · standard

ZIP Code 27609

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

32,964
1,139/sq mi
$83,065
Median income
$471,200
Median home value
63.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Raleigh pairs an above-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.

Top 34%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 15%
home value, US ZIPs
1,139
people per sq mi
50%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 27609 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 27609 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, with 32,964 residents across 28.9 square miles, a density of 1,139 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 27609 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $83,065 (20% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $67,068. Poverty here runs at 6.9%, with unemployment measured at 1.6%. On housing, the median home value is $471,200 (82% above the state average) with median rent at $1,474 per month, and 49.8% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 63.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 37.7, and the average commute is 21 minutes. To put 27609 in local context, 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Wake County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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 27609

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Raleigh, NC

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 27609.

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 27609, Raleigh, 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

32,964

Population

28.9

Area (sq mi)

1,139

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 27609?

37.7

Median Age

49.8%

Male

50.2%

Female

11.6%

Foreign-Born

White 67.3%
African American 15.0%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 9.2%
Hispanic or Latino 13.4%

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?

$83,065

Median Household Income

+20% vs state

$67,068

Per Capita Income

6.9%

Poverty Rate

1.6%

Unemployment Rate

21.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 27609 ranks nationally

Raleigh, NC household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$83,065 Top 34% higher than 66% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $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 74.2%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 63.4%

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

What does housing look like?

20,140

Total Housing Units

17,592

Occupied Units

2,548

Vacant Units

2.01

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 49.8%
Renter 50.2%

$471,200

Median Home Value

+82% vs state

$1,474

Median Rent

1982

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

+1.0%

YoY Change (2024)

325

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+225%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 27609 have increased 1.0% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +225% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +5.4% 215
2021 +13.9% 245
2022 +20.1% 294
2023 +9.7% 322
2024 +1.0% 325

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 2,191 business establishments in ZIP 27609, employing approximately 42,100 people with a combined annual payroll of $3,210,442,000.

2,191

Businesses

42,100

Employees

$3.2B

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Professional, scientific, and technical services 414 18.9%
Health care and social assistance 367 16.8%
Finance and insurance 201 9.2%
Real estate and rental and leasing 184 8.4%
Retail trade 182 8.3%
Other services (except public administration) 160 7.3%
Construction 157 7.2%
Accommodation and food services 148 6.8%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 123 5.6%
Wholesale trade 73 3.3%
Information 51 2.3%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 38 1.7%
Transportation and warehousing 28 1.3%
Management of companies and enterprises 25 1.1%
Educational services 20 0.9%
Manufacturing 17 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 27609 vs 27608 →

ZIP 27609 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 27609 ranks #6 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 27609 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 27609 ranks #8 of 9 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
27608 Raleigh, NC 10,429 2.5 mi
27615 Raleigh, NC 42,166 3.8 mi
27601 Raleigh, NC 9,450 4.8 mi
27605 Raleigh, NC 4,495 3.8 mi
27612 Raleigh, NC 35,028 4.4 mi
27604 Raleigh, NC 42,204 4.5 mi
27614 Raleigh, NC 31,516 7.2 mi
27607 Raleigh, NC 25,188 5.4 mi
27616 Raleigh, NC 42,294 5.6 mi
27613 Raleigh, NC 42,690 7.2 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 Raleigh, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 27609 in? ▼
ZIP code 27609 (Raleigh) 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 27609? ▼
ZIP code 27609 in Raleigh, NC has a population of 32,964 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 27609? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 27609 is $83,065, which is 9% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 27609? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 27609 is $471,200, which is 69% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27609? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 27609 is White at 67.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 13.4% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 27609? ▼
ZIP code 27609 has 2,191 business establishments employing approximately 42,100 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 27609? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 27609 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (414), Health care and social assistance (367), Finance and insurance (201). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 27609? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 27609 increased by 1.0% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 225%. 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 27609? ▼
In ZIP code 27609, 74.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 63.4% 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 27609? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 27609 is 21.1 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 27609? ▼
In ZIP code 27609, approximately 49.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 50.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27609? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 27609 is 6.9% 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.