Wake County is huge -- 857 square milesl The 2010 census puts the population right at 900,000, a 43.5% increase over the 2000 census. That makes Wake County the 9th-fastest-growing county in the US. 47.5% of the population hold a Bachelor's degree or higher. 67% of the population own their own homes. The median household income in 2009 was $63,770, and the median value of owner-occupied houses in 2009 was $213,200.
The climate is moderate. Summers are typically hot with high humidity. Winter highs generally range in the low 50s° with lows in the low-to-mid 30s°. Spring and fall days usually reach the low-to-mid 70s°, with lows at night in the lower 50s°. The rainiest months are July and August and, according to the Weather Service in Raleigh, the county receives on average 7 inches of snow during the winter.
Research Triangle Park (RTP), located between Durham and Raleigh, greatly influences the area economy. The Park's largest employers include IBM (11,000 employees), GlaxoSmithKline (6,400 employees), and Cisco Systems (3,400 employees). SAS Institute, one of the largest privately held software companies in the world, is located in Cary. Other major companies based in Wake County include Red Hat, Lenovo, Golden Corral, Martin Marietta Materials, and Epic Games.
Public education in Wake County is administered by the Wake County Public School System, the 18th largest in the country and the second largest in North Carolina after Charlotte-Mecklinberg. 134,000 students attend 20 high schools, 30 middle schools, 93 elementary schools and 8 specialized schools. In addition, nine charter schools and 31 private schools are located in the county. There are also eight institutions of higher learning: Meredith College, North Carolina State University, Campbell University School of Law, Peace College, Saint Augustine's College, Shaw University, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Wake Technical Community College.
With a population of just over 400,000, Raleigh is by far the largest municipality in Wake County; it is the county seat as well as the state capital. Cary's poplulation is approximately 135,000; Apex, 37,00; Wake Forst and Garner, both 27,000; Holly Springs, 25,000; and Morrisville 18,500.
The only national league sports team based in Wake County is the National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes. The franchise moved to Raleigh in 1999 from their temporary home of Greensboro, after having departed Hartford, Connecticut in 1997. Their home arena, the RBC Center, also plays host to concerts and other public events.
That's probably enough facts and figures for now. Unfortunately, none of them can tell you how beautiful it is here. That, you'll just have to come and see for yourself!
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