Signals
Smithfield
Wake Forest
Opportunity
69 · Top 24%
vs90 · Top 1%
Climate
74 · Top 35%
vs72 · Top 43%
Physical resilience
63 · Top 45%
vs70 · Top 36%
Housing affordability
74 · Bottom 39%
vs91 · Top 30%
Schools
28 · Bottom 20%
vs76 · Top 19%
Access
83 · Bottom 26%
vs93 · Top 47%
Economic stability
25 · Bottom 3%
vs78 · Top 11%
Measured values
| Metric | Smithfield | Wake Forest | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,116 | 52,844 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $43,270 | $123,802 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $30,986 | $51,709 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 954/sq mi | 2,659/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $242,500 | $474,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $658 | $1,596 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.7% | 74.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.7% | 59.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 27.3% | 4.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 91°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 35°F | 32°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 52.3" | 46.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 35 mi | 16 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.0 min | 33.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 44.9 | 38.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.36 | 16.97 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 27.4% | 58.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 40.3% | 67.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 99.0% | 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Smithfield
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Wake Forest
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Your best match
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Smithfield
59
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—
Area Score
Wake Forest
81
Your Score
81
Area Score
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Full profiles: Smithfield, NC · Wake Forest, NC · How this is calculated: methodology