Population 23,170 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Southwest Raleigh
Household size in Southwest Raleigh
| Period | Southwest Raleigh | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.30 | 2.63 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.53 | 2.70 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.81 | 2.70 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.34 | 2.64 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Southwest Raleigh is a place of small households, averaging 2.34 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.30, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the west.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Southwest Raleigh
| Period | Southwest Raleigh | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.7 | 35.7 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 27.8 | 36.7 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 29.1 | 38.1 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 30.8 | 38.4 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.1 | +2.7 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 30.8, Southwest Raleigh is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 27.7, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the northwest and oldest in the southeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Southwest Raleigh
| Period | Southwest Raleigh | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.3% | 10.9% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 11.5% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.2% | 10.7% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.6% | 9.4% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Southwest Raleigh (9.6%), below the national share of 11.6%. The picture is much the same across the Raleigh area. The single-parent share is down 0.7 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Southwest Raleigh
Renters in Southwest Raleigh
| Period | Southwest Raleigh | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 61.7% | 32.1% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 61.1% | 33.7% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 61.0% | 34.3% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 64.4% | 33.4% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | +1.3 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Southwest Raleigh rent: 64.4% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. Just over a third of owners (35.0%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 2.8 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Southwest Raleigh
| Period | Southwest Raleigh | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.2% | 9.4% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 8.6% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.4% | 7.8% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.7% | 7.6% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −1.7 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in Southwest Raleigh than nationally: 12.7%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy is down 0.5 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Southwest Raleigh
| Period | Southwest Raleigh | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1985 | 1990 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1986 | 1992 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1990 | 1994 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1994 | 1999 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +9 | +7 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Southwest Raleigh is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1994, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. Locally, though, homes here are older than in the Raleigh area as a whole, where the median home dates to 1999. The median year built has moved up from 1985 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Southwest Raleigh
| Period | Southwest Raleigh | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $817 | $923 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $889 | $1,018 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,162 | $1,207 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,416 | $1,666 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$599 | +$743 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Southwest Raleigh runs $1,416 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $599 a month since 2006–10, up 73%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 34.0% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Rents run highest in the center and lowest in the southeast.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Southwest Raleigh
Bachelor's degrees in Southwest Raleigh
| Period | Southwest Raleigh | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.9% | 41.7% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 40.9% | 43.0% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 46.5% | 47.3% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 52.2% | 51.6% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +13.3 pts | +9.8 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Southwest Raleigh: 52.2% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. The share with a degree is up 13.3 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Southwest Raleigh
| Period | Southwest Raleigh | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 81.5% | 89.9% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 85.6% | 90.6% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.8% | 92.0% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.9% | 93.3% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.5 pts | +3.4 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Southwest Raleigh have finished high school as nationally: 89.9%, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in the Raleigh area overall (93.3%). Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 8.5 points, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Southwest Raleigh
| Period | Southwest Raleigh | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.9% | 6.7% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.6% | 7.9% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.5% | 4.2% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.1% | 4.1% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | −2.6 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in Southwest Raleigh: 6.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 2.8 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Southwest Raleigh compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Raleigh | 2.34 | 30.8 | 9.6% | 64.4% | 12.7% | 1994 | $1,416 | 52.2% | 89.9% | 6.1% |
| Central | 1.61 | 33.3 | 6.6% | 80.3% | 12.9% | 1996 | $1,604 | 56.5% | 90.8% | 7.1% |
| Hillsborough | 1.83 | 28.2 | 5.1% | 79.3% | 11.7% | 1984 | $1,365 | 72.1% | 95.7% | 4.2% |
| South Central | 2.23 | 37.8 | 15.6% | 58.8% | 8.2% | 1983 | $1,101 | 25.7% | 83.5% | 11.6% |
| West | 2.09 | 29.6 | 8.5% | 73.1% | 13.9% | 1994 | $1,519 | 58.8% | 92.7% | 5.5% |
| Wade | 2.17 | 32.5 | 4.4% | 40.0% | 12.3% | 1975 | $1,393 | 74.0% | 93.8% | 4.2% |
| North Central | 1.80 | 30.4 | 8.8% | 63.8% | 22.9% | 1993 | $1,554 | 63.2% | 89.5% | 6.1% |
| Mordecai | 1.88 | 36.0 | 5.5% | 28.7% | 9.8% | 1977 | $1,791 | 78.6% | 97.8% | 2.6% |
| Five Points | 2.39 | 38.9 | 8.2% | 30.6% | 8.1% | 1963 | $1,773 | 85.2% | 98.7% | 3.4% |
| South | 2.90 | 36.6 | 22.4% | 39.0% | 6.4% | 1994 | $1,555 | 25.1% | 82.2% | 9.6% |
| East Raleigh | 2.55 | 36.0 | 23.7% | 51.7% | 8.7% | 1973 | $1,260 | 37.6% | 90.4% | 8.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Theater District, Manhattan, NY · Lake Murray, San Diego, CA · Lents, Portland, OR · Liliha-Kapalama, Honolulu, HI · Linda Vista, San Diego, CA · Northampton, Hampton, VA · Northeast Dallas, Carrollton, TX · Northshore, Houston, TX · South Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ · Southeast Boulder, Boulder, CO
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Southwest Raleigh. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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