Fuquay-Varina receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Fuquay-Varina
Raleigh
Opportunity
90 · Top 1%
vs83 · Top 4%
Growth
68 · Top 20%
vs70 · Top 17%
Climate
72 · Top 43%
vs72 · Top 43%
Physical resilience
60 · Top 48%
vs73 · Top 33%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 32%
vs70 · Bottom 33%
Schools
64 · Top 34%
vs63 · Top 36%
Access
91 · Bottom 46%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
67 · Top 36%
vs61 · Top 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Fuquay-Varina | Raleigh | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 40,485 | 481,031 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $115,497 | $85,395 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $44,813 | $52,897 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,085/sq mi | 3,187/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $451,500 | $415,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,720 | $1,572 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 74.2% | 50.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.5% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 54.0% | 54.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.2% | 11.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 488 | 5,124 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 12.1 | 10.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -45.2% | -0.6% | 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 | 20 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 34.8 min | 24.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.0 | 34.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 14 | 100 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.82 | 14.46 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 47.7% | 40.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 54.1% | 52.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 34.0% | 51.5% | 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.
Your best match
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Fuquay-Varina
75
Your Score
75
Area Score
Raleigh
73
Your Score
74
Area Score
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Full profiles: Fuquay-Varina, NC · Raleigh, NC · How this is calculated: methodology