Wake County Demographics

A map of Wake County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	662,267	645,020	56.2%	57.1%
Black	217,692	204,535	18.5%	18.1%
Hispanic	136,184	128,241	11.6%	11.4%
Asian	100,413	96,665	8.5%	8.6%
Multiracial	52,203	45,526	4.4%	4.0%
Native American/Other	9,894	9,423	0.8%	0.8%

Wake County, North Carolina has an estimated population of 1,178,653, an increase from the 1,129,410 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 56.2% White, 18.5% Black, 11.6% Hispanic, 8.5% Asian, 4.4% Multiracial, and 0.8% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Wake County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Wake has become slightly more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is more diverse than North Carolina overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Wake County, that probability was 61.9% in 2020 and 62.7% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Wake County is ranked the most populous county in North Carolina, out of 100 counties. Wake County was ranked the 1st most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Wake County's White Population

662,267 residents of Wake County, or 56.2% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Wake County is slightly lower than in North Carolina overall, where 60% of the population is White. Wake County ranks 69th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Wake County's White population has grown by an estimated 2.7%. White residents' share of Wake County's population has decreased from 57.1% to 56.2%.

Wake County is more White than neighboring Durham County (41.7% White), and Granville County (55.4% White). Wake County is less White than neighboring Johnston County (61.4% White), Franklin County (60.7% White), and Harnett County (58.2% White).

Wake County's Black Population

217,692 residents of Wake County, or 18.5% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Wake County is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 20% of the population is Black. Wake County ranks 48th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Wake County's Black population has grown by an estimated 6.4%. Black residents' share of Wake County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 18.5%.

Wake County is more Black than neighboring Johnston County (16.7% Black). Wake County is less Black than neighboring Durham County (31.8% Black), Franklin County (22.5% Black), Harnett County (19.8% Black), and Granville County (28.8% Black).

Wake County's Asian Population

100,413 residents of Wake County, or 8.5% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Wake County is higher than in North Carolina overall, where 3.3% of the population is Asian. Wake County ranks 1st statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Wake County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 3.9%. Asian residents' share of Wake County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 8.5%.

Wake County is more Asian than neighboring Durham County (5.4% Asian), Johnston County (0.8% Asian), Franklin County (1.1% Asian), Harnett County (0.9% Asian), and Granville County (0.4% Asian).

Wake County's Hispanic Population

136,184 residents of Wake County, or 11.6% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Wake County is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 11.3% of the population is Hispanic. Wake County ranks 25th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Wake County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 6.2%. Hispanic residents' share of Wake County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 11.6%.

Wake County is more Hispanic than neighboring Franklin County (11.2% Hispanic), and Granville County (11.1% Hispanic). Wake County is less Hispanic than neighboring Durham County (15.8% Hispanic), Johnston County (16.8% Hispanic), and Harnett County (15.1% Hispanic).

Wake County's Native American/Other Population

9,894 residents of Wake County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Wake County is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 1.4% of the population is Native American/Other. Wake County ranks 36th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Wake County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 5.0%. Native American/Other residents' share of Wake County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Wake County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Johnston County (0.7% Native American/Other), and Franklin County (0.4% Native American/Other). Wake County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Harnett County (1.3% Native American/Other), and Granville County (1% Native American/Other).

Wake County's Multiracial Population

52,203 residents of Wake County, or 4.4% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Wake County is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 4.1% of the population is Multiracial. Wake County ranks 22nd statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Wake County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 14.7%. Multiracial residents' share of Wake County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.4%.

Wake County is more Multiracial than neighboring Johnston County (3.5% Multiracial), Franklin County (4.1% Multiracial), and Granville County (3.3% Multiracial). Wake County is less Multiracial than neighboring Durham County (4.5% Multiracial), and Harnett County (4.6% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.