27587 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
27540
27587
Opportunity
92 · Top 1%
vs91 · Top 1%
Growth
66 · Top 21%
vs79 · Top 4%
Climate
72 · Top 43%
vs72 · Top 43%
Physical resilience
65 · Top 42%
vs70 · Top 35%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 36%
vs92 · Top 28%
Schools
79 · Top 15%
vs79 · Top 14%
Access
92 · Bottom 46%
vs94 · Top 47%
Economic stability
82 · Top 8%
vs81 · Top 9%
Measured values
| Metric | 27540 | 27587 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 47,771 | 82,886 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $128,989 | $133,743 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,906 | $59,229 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 995/sq mi | 788/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $522,500 | $497,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,947 | $1,544 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 80.6% | 81.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.5% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 64.4% | 57.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.7% | 5.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 375 | 911 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.3 | 17.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -38.2% | 11.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 32°F | 32°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 46.1" | 46.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 18 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.9 min | 33.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.8 | 40.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.20 | 16.97 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 57.2% | 58.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 65.9% | 67.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 18.5% | 32.2% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Full profiles: 27540 — Holly Springs, NC · 27587 — Wake Forest, NC · How this is calculated: methodology