Wake County · North Carolina
ZIP code 27603
- Population
- 53,835
- Median income
- $87,939
- Median home
- $347,000
- Sales tax
- 7.25%
ZCTA residents
Household, past 12 months
Owner-occupied value
Combined state + local
Quick answer
ZIP 27603 sits in Wake County, North Carolina and is home to 53,835 people. Median household income is $87,939, the median home is worth $347,000 and median gross rent is $1,496. 60.9% of households own their home, and purchases are taxed at 7.25% combined.
- County
- Wake County
- State
- North Carolina (NC)
- Area codes
- 919, 984
FIPS 37183
853 ZIPs covered
NANPA codes serving this area
The numbers for 27603
American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates for this ZCTA.
- Population
- 53,835ZIP 27603 residents
- Median household income
- $87,939Past 12 months, inflation adjusted
- Median home value
- $347,000Owner-occupied units
- Median gross rent
- $1,496Rent plus utilities, monthly
- Median age
- 34.8 yrsAll residents
- Homeownership rate
- 60.9%Owner-occupied households
Sales tax in 27603
What a purchase inside this ZIP costs at checkout.
This ZIP falls inside the Raleigh rate area, so state, county, city and district levies are published here as a full stack.
Affordability in this ZIP
Derived from the Census medians above — indicative, not an offer.
A rent burden above 30% is the federal threshold for cost-burdened households, and a price-to-income multiple above 4× is generally considered a stretched housing market. The mortgage figure is principal and interest only — taxes, insurance and HOA dues are extra.
How 27603 compares
ZIP 27603 against the median ZIP in Wake County and across North Carolina.
| Measure | ZIP 27603 | County median | State median | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $87,939 | $99,819 | $62,646 | +40% |
| Median home value | $347,000 | $445,300 | $203,100 | +71% |
| Median gross rent | $1,496 | $1,498 | $941 | +59% |
| Population | 53,835 | 34,649 | 5,300 | +916% |
Medians are computed across the 32 ZIP areas in Wake County and the 853 ZIP areas in North Carolina.
Statewide rank
Where this ZIP places among all 853 North Carolina ZIP areas.
- Income
- #105
- Home value
- #125
- Population
- #26
richer than 86% of 766 state ZIPs
above 84% of 763 state ZIPs
larger than 97% of 853 state ZIPs
Comparable ZIP codes
North Carolina ZIP areas with almost the same household income.
Nearby ZIP codes
Other ZIP codes filed under Wake County.
ZIP 27603 questions
Common questions about this ZIP code.
- Where is ZIP code 27603?
- ZIP 27603 lies mostly in Wake County, North Carolina. County assignment follows the largest share of land area, so a ZIP straddling a county line is filed under its dominant county.
- What sales tax do I pay in 27603?
- Purchases are taxed at 7.25% combined, built from the Raleigh jurisdiction stack.
- Is 27603 expensive to live in?
- Median rent runs $1,496 a month, about 20% of median household income, and the median home is worth $347,000 — +71% against the typical North Carolina ZIP.
- Is a ZCTA the same as a postal ZIP code?
- Not exactly. The Census builds ZIP Code Tabulation Areas from the ZIP codes of addresses inside each census block, so a ZCTA can differ slightly from the USPS delivery route of the same number, and PO-box-only ZIPs have no ZCTA at all.
Keep going
Related pages for this area.
Sources & transparency
- US Census Bureau, ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates — 2019-2023 ACS 5-year — population, income, housing
- Census 2020 ZCTA-to-county relationship file — County assignment by largest land-area overlap
- North Carolina Department of Revenue — Sales tax rates and local add-ons
Last reviewed December 2024. Figures are published for reference and can change; verify with the source agency before filing or contracting. How we build and check this data.