Best PlacesWake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Several measures below read low, and the ranked lists name which ones. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem ranks 2,946th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on cell coverage by a wide margin, and empty homes are the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem's strengths and weaknesses
Where Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem ranks high
- Cell coverageBetter than 99% of neighborhoods
- Educational attainmentBetter than 96% of neighborhoods
- Cheap car insuranceBetter than 95% of neighborhoods
- State fiscal healthBetter than 94% of neighborhoods
- QuietBetter than 93% of neighborhoods
Where Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem ranks low
- Low vacancyBetter than only 3% of neighborhoods
- BikingBetter than only 4% of neighborhoods
- Local economyBetter than only 5% of neighborhoods
- TransitBetter than only 5% of neighborhoods
- Big-city accessBetter than only 11% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem
A household needs to earn about $134,000 a year to comfortably buy the median Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $71,056, so buying stretches a typical household.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem's effective rate of 0.94%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices and rents, renting stays cheaper than buying across the first 10 years here, so the case for buying rests on staying much longer or on prices rising faster than assumed. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem
Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem runs younger than the country, and households here run smaller than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem.
Who works in Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, and how
Work in Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem centers on education and retail trade. Unemployment runs well above the national rate, and the job base is shrinking.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 41%
- Work from home 16%
- Transit, walk, or bike 43%
Life in Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem.
What the weather is like in Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, month by month
Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem sees roughly 68 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 91 degrees. January highs sit near 52, with lows near 29. The comfortable stretch runs April through June, September, and October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 40° | 29° |
| April | 74° | 61° | 48° |
| July | 91° | 79° | 70° |
| October | 75° | 62° | 50° |
Flying in and out of Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem
The nearest airport, Piedmont Triad International, is about 19 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Charlotte/Douglas International, about 74 miles away.
The best schools in and around Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem
Schools across Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem average a B, better than 86% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Whitaker ElementaryA+ · 72% proficient
- Speas ElementaryC · 30% proficient
Top middle schools
- Hanes Magnet SchoolA · 66% proficient
- Paisley Ib Magnet SchoolB− · 42% proficient
Top high schools
- Early College Of Forsyth CoA+ · 91% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem
Is Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem ranks 2,946th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on cell coverage, an educated workforce, and cheap car insurance, and lowest on empty homes and biking. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $504,314. The overall cost of living runs about 15% below the national average. Set against a $71,056 median income, cost of living beats 48% of neighborhoods.
Is Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem safe?
Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem is safer than 55% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $523 per resident a year.
Compare Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.