Population 25,267 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Willow Spring
Household size in Willow Spring
| Period | Willow Spring | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.68 | 2.63 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.83 | 2.70 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.91 | 2.70 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.92 | 2.64 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.24 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Willow Spring is a place of big households: 2.92 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has climbed from 2.68 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Only 23 of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people have larger households.
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 Willow Spring
| Period | Willow Spring | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.5 | 35.7 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 35.8 | 36.7 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.4 | 38.1 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.4 | 38.4 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.9 | +2.7 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Willow Spring are younger than 39.4 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 35.5 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Willow Spring
| Period | Willow Spring | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 10.9% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.2% | 11.5% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 10.7% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.5% | 9.4% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Willow Spring as they are nationally: 11.5%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in the wider Raleigh area (9.4%). Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 2.3 points, even as the national share fell.
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 Willow Spring
Renters in Willow Spring
| Period | Willow Spring | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.8% | 32.1% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.4% | 33.7% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.1% | 34.3% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 13.9% | 33.4% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | +1.3 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Willow Spring is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 13.9% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Just over a quarter of owners (26.6%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has fallen 1.9 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 Willow Spring
| Period | Willow Spring | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 9.4% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.3% | 8.6% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.7% | 7.8% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.0% | 7.6% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | −1.7 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Willow Spring: 6.0% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Vacancy has edged down 1.1 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only 32 of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people have a lower vacancy rate.
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 Willow Spring
| Period | Willow Spring | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1996 | 1990 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1997 | 1992 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1998 | 1994 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2000 | 1999 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +9 | +7 | +6 |
Willow Spring has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 2000, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1996 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the west, while the center has the oldest housing.
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 Willow Spring
| Period | Willow Spring | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $803 | $923 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $811 | $1,018 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $994 | $1,207 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,345 | $1,666 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$543 | +$743 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Willow Spring runs $1,345 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $543 a month since 2006–10, up 68%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 28.0% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the northwest; the most affordable are in the south.
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 Willow Spring
Bachelor's degrees in Willow Spring
| Period | Willow Spring | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.0% | 41.7% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 30.8% | 43.0% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.5% | 47.3% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 39.2% | 51.6% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +12.2 pts | +9.8 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
About four in ten adults 25 and older in Willow Spring (39.2%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a bit above the national share of 35.6%. Still, the share is lower than in the Raleigh area overall (51.6%). The share with a degree is up 12.2 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Willow Spring
| Period | Willow Spring | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.1% | 89.9% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.8% | 90.6% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.4% | 92.0% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.2% | 93.3% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | +3.4 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Willow Spring have finished high school as nationally: 90.2%, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in the Raleigh area overall (93.3%). The share with a diploma is up 1.0 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally.
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 Willow Spring
| Period | Willow Spring | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.7% | 6.7% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.1% | 7.9% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.4% | 4.2% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 4.1% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | −2.6 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Willow Spring runs below the national rate: 4.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 2.4 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Willow Spring compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willow Spring | 2.92 | 39.4 | 11.5% | 13.9% | 6.0% | 2000 | $1,345 | 39.2% | 90.2% | 4.3% |
| Angier | 2.65 | 38.9 | 9.8% | 22.5% | 5.8% | 1997 | $1,050 | 24.8% | 84.4% | 3.7% |
| Hardee Cross Roads | 2.92 | 36.3 | 9.4% | 20.1% | 6.3% | 1998 | $1,158 | 17.9% | 83.3% | 3.8% |
| Fuquay-Varina | 2.75 | 39.4 | 7.8% | 20.0% | 6.0% | 2004 | $1,594 | 46.1% | 94.6% | 3.1% |
| Pine Hurst Park | 2.64 | 48.3 | 4.7% | 4.8% | 2.8% | 1988 | $1,567 | 56.5% | 98.7% | 0.5% |
| Garner | 2.65 | 39.3 | 9.8% | 28.3% | 6.8% | 2000 | $1,593 | 41.9% | 93.3% | 5.3% |
| Coats Crossroads | 2.71 | 39.3 | 5.3% | 12.1% | 11.0% | 2004 | $1,409 | 27.7% | 91.7% | 2.2% |
| Coats | 2.54 | 39.2 | 10.0% | 32.2% | 9.0% | 1990 | $923 | 20.4% | 78.9% | 3.5% |
| Holly Springs | 3.00 | 37.8 | 7.1% | 18.6% | 4.8% | 2008 | $2,273 | 65.7% | 95.9% | 3.5% |
| Flowers | 3.46 | 34.6 | 2.1% | 8.5% | 4.3% | 2007 | $856 | 29.6% | 95.5% | 1.0% |
| Benson | 2.51 | 37.2 | 12.0% | 27.1% | 12.2% | 1994 | $1,187 | 21.6% | 88.0% | 3.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Alpine, CA · Altamont, OR · Norwalk, OH · Parma Heights, OH · Park Forest, IL · Palm Valley, FL · Owens Cross Roads, AL · Ottawa, IL · Oroville, CA · Orange City, FL
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 Willow Spring. 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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