Wake Forest, NC Demographics

A map of Wake Forest's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	34,160	32,087	64.6%	67.4%
Black	10,323	7,480	19.5%	15.7%
Hispanic	4,744	3,769	9.0%	7.9%
Multiracial	1,880	2,168	3.6%	4.6%
Asian	1,554	1,751	2.9%	3.7%
Native American/Other	183	346	0.3%	0.7%

Wake Forest, North Carolina has an estimated population of 52,844, a large increase from the 47,601 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 64.6% White, 19.5% Black, 9.0% Hispanic, 3.6% Multiracial, 2.9% Asian, and 0.3% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Wake Forest, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Wake Forest has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less 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 Forest, that probability was 51.1% in 2020 and 53.4% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Wake Forest is ranked the 21st most populous place in North Carolina, out of 776 places. This ranking is based on the Census definition of a place, which includes incorporated places like cities, towns, and villages, as well as unincorporated census-designated places (CDPs). Wake Forest was ranked the 23rd most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Wake Forest's White Population

34,160 residents of Wake Forest, or 64.6% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Wake Forest is slightly higher than in North Carolina overall, where 60% of the population is White. Wake Forest ranks 426th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 776 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Wake Forest's White population has grown by an estimated 6.5%. White residents' share of Wake Forest's population has decreased from 67.4% to 64.6%.

Wake Forest is more White than neighboring Rolesville (57.7% White), Franklinton (55.7% White), Knightdale (33.8% White), and Raleigh (51.1% White). Wake Forest is less White than neighboring Youngsville (67.9% White).

Wake Forest's Black Population

10,323 residents of Wake Forest, or 19.5% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Wake Forest is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 20% of the population is Black. Wake Forest ranks 317th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 776 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Wake Forest's Black population has grown by an estimated 38.0%. Black residents' share of Wake Forest's population has increased from 15.7% to 19.5%.

Wake Forest is less Black than neighboring Rolesville (29.5% Black), Youngsville (24.7% Black), Franklinton (35.8% Black), Knightdale (44.5% Black), and Raleigh (26% Black).

Wake Forest's Asian Population

1,554 residents of Wake Forest, or 2.9% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Wake Forest is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 3.3% of the population is Asian. Wake Forest ranks 51st statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 776 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Wake Forest's Asian population has declined by an estimated 11.3%. Asian residents' share of Wake Forest's population has decreased from 3.7% to 2.9%.

Wake Forest is more Asian than neighboring Rolesville (1.3% Asian), Youngsville (1% Asian), and Franklinton (0.8% Asian). Wake Forest is less Asian than neighboring Knightdale (5% Asian), and Raleigh (5.2% Asian).

Wake Forest's Hispanic Population

4,744 residents of Wake Forest, or 9.0% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Wake Forest is slightly lower than in North Carolina overall, where 11.3% of the population is Hispanic. Wake Forest ranks 284th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 776 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Wake Forest's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 25.9%. Hispanic residents' share of Wake Forest's population has increased from 7.9% to 9.0%.

Wake Forest is more Hispanic than neighboring Rolesville (6.8% Hispanic), Youngsville (4.5% Hispanic), and Franklinton (3% Hispanic). Wake Forest is less Hispanic than neighboring Knightdale (10.9% Hispanic), and Raleigh (12.6% Hispanic).

Wake Forest's Native American/Other Population

183 residents of Wake Forest, or 0.3% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Wake Forest is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 1.4% of the population is Native American/Other. Wake Forest ranks 408th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 776 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Wake Forest's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 47.1%. Native American/Other residents' share of Wake Forest's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

Wake Forest is more Native American/Other than neighboring Rolesville (0% Native American/Other), and Franklinton (0.1% Native American/Other). Wake Forest is less Native American/Other than neighboring Knightdale (1.2% Native American/Other), and Raleigh (0.7% Native American/Other).

Wake Forest's Multiracial Population

1,880 residents of Wake Forest, or 3.6% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Wake Forest is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 4.1% of the population is Multiracial. Wake Forest ranks 197th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 776 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Wake Forest's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 13.3%. Multiracial residents' share of Wake Forest's population has decreased from 4.6% to 3.6%.

Wake Forest is more Multiracial than neighboring Youngsville (1.7% Multiracial). Wake Forest is less Multiracial than neighboring Rolesville (4.7% Multiracial), Franklinton (4.5% Multiracial), Knightdale (4.6% Multiracial), and Raleigh (4.4% 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.