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 classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 28.9 square miles in Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina. The area is home to 32,964 residents, producing a population density of 1,139 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 27609 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 27609 sits at $83,065 (20% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $67,068. The poverty rate stands at 6.9% and the unemployment rate 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, a direct signal of whether 27609 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 63.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 37.7, and the average commute is 21 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Wake County, so you can benchmark 27609 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 27609
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 27609.
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
414 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
367 establishments
- Finance and insurance
Finance and insurance
201 establishments
- Real estate and rental and leasing
Real estate and rental and leasing
184 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
182 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 27609, 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
32,964
Population
28.9
Area (sq mi)
1,139
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 27609?
37.7
Median Age
49.8%
Male
50.2%
Female
11.6%
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?
$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
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
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?
20,140
Total Housing Units
17,592
Occupied Units
2,548
Vacant Units
2.01
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$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.
- 27613
Raleigh (27613)
42,690 residents
- 27616
Raleigh (27616)
42,294 residents
- 27604
Raleigh (27604)
42,204 residents
- 27615
Raleigh (27615)
42,166 residents
- 27612
Raleigh (27612)
35,028 residents
- 27609
Raleigh (27609)
32,964 residents
- 27614
Raleigh (27614)
31,516 residents
- 27607
Raleigh (27607)
25,188 residents
- 27608 10,429
Raleigh (27608)
10,429 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 27609 ranks #6 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 27609 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
- 27614
Raleigh (27614)
$128,834 median income
- 27613
Raleigh (27613)
$123,966 median income
- 27615
Raleigh (27615)
$112,754 median income
- 27607
Raleigh (27607)
$96,775 median income
- 27612
Raleigh (27612)
$95,988 median income
- 27616
Raleigh (27616)
$83,565 median income
- 27609
Raleigh (27609)
$83,065 median income
- 27601
Raleigh (27601)
$71,350 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.
| 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
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Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 27609 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 27609? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 27609? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 27609? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27609? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 27609? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 27609? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 27609? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 27609? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 27609? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 27609? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27609? ▼
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.