Demographics · NC
Raleigh, NC demographics: 481,031 residents, with a median age of 34.7 years, from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2020–2024 (5-year estimates).
481,031 people live in Raleigh, at a median age of 34.7 years (American Community Survey 2020–2024, a 5-year average)
Median age 34.7 years — younger than the U.S. median of 38.9.
ACS 2020–2024 5-year · ACS 5-Year Estimates 2020-2024 (released 2026-01-29)
In Raleigh, the largest race group is White (52.8%); 12.6% of residents are Hispanic or Latino (of any race); 13.8% were born outside the United States.
ACS 2020–2024 · B01001 / B01002
The median age in Raleigh is 34.7 years (±0.4), younger than the U.S. median of 38.9 years. The population is 48.5% male and 51.5% female. The largest age band is 25 to 34 at 18.7%.
| Age band | People | Share | ± margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 27,524 | 5.7% | ±1,287 |
| 5 to 17 | 67,933 | 14.1% | ±2,414 |
| 18 to 24 | 57,982 | 12.1% | ±2,242 |
| 25 to 34 | 89,940 | 18.7% | ±2,171 |
| 35 to 44 | 69,503 | 14.4% | ±2,290 |
| 45 to 54 | 60,327 | 12.5% | ±1,791 |
| 55 to 64 | 50,741 | 10.5% | ±2,012 |
| 65 to 74 | 33,665 | 7.0% | ±1,522 |
| 75 and over | 23,416 | 4.9% | ±1,111 |
Median age by sex: 33.7 (male) · 35.7 (female).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B01001 sex by age, B01002 median age) · place-grain · margins of error at the 90% confidence level · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B02001 / B03003
The largest race group in Raleigh is White at 52.8% of the population. Separately, 12.6% of residents are Hispanic or Latino of any race. Race and Hispanic origin are two different questions on the census form, so their shares are reported separately and are not additive.
| Race (alone, or two or more) | People | Share | ± margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| White alone | 253,839 | 52.8% | ±3,661 |
| Black or African American alone | 127,808 | 26.6% | ±3,439 |
| American Indian & Alaska Native alone | 1,462 | 0.3% | ±456 |
| Asian alone | 24,900 | 5.2% | ±2,055 |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander alone | 82 | 0.0% | ±55 · low precision |
| Some other race alone | 27,715 | 5.8% | ±2,707 |
| Two or more races | 45,225 | 9.4% | ±3,125 |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 60,502 | 12.6% | ±3,267 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B02001 race, B03003 Hispanic or Latino origin) · place-grain · margins of error at the 90% confidence level · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B11001 / B25010
Raleigh has 203,443 households. 53.2% are family households and 35.5% are people living alone. The average household holds 2.27 people.
Total households
203,443
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr · B11001
Avg household size
2.27
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr · B25010 · ±0.02
Family households
53.2%
Share of all households · B11001
Living alone
35.5%
Share of all households · B11001
| Household type | Households | ± margin |
|---|---|---|
| Total households | 203,443 | ±1,758 |
| Family households | 108,253 | ±1,825 |
| Nonfamily households | 95,190 | ±2,280 |
| Householder living alone | 72,166 | ±2,049 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B11001 household type, B25010 average household size) · place-grain · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B05002 / C16001
13.8% of Raleigh residents were born outside the United States. 81.1% of residents age 5 and over speak only English at home. The most-spoken non-English language at home is Spanish (9.9%).
| Measure | Value | Source / grain |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign-born share | 13.8% | 66,535 people · B05002 |
| Speak only English at home (age 5+) | 81.1% | C16001 |
| Top non-English language at home | 9.9% | Spanish · 44,846 speakers · C16001 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B05002 place of birth, C16001 language spoken at home) · place-grain · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B15003
54.0% of adults age 25 and over in Raleigh hold a bachelor's degree or higher (the U.S. share is about 35%).
| Measure | Value | Source / grain |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 54.0% | B15003 lines 22–25 over line 1 · place-grain |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B15003 educational attainment, population 25+) · place-grain · methodology →
Sources · provenance
The GEOID for Raleigh is 3755000. Every figure on this page is a place-grain American Community Survey 5-Year 2020–2024 estimate (ACS 5-Year Estimates 2020-2024 (released 2026-01-29)) shown with its margin of error. Full per-dataset detail: /sources/.