Raleigh, North Carolina
"The City of Oaks"
About Raleigh
Raleigh, N.C. is the capital of North Carolina and the state’s second-largest city. Known as the “City of Oaks” for its numerous oak-lined streets, Raleigh is one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation due to its close proximity to Research Triangle Park and its several colleges and universities. Today, it has a population of 470,000+ with a 1.19% growth rate. It was ranked second best place to live in the nation by Livability.com in 2019.
Raleigh was named after Sir Walter Raleigh, who established the lost Roanoke Colony. In 1792, the North Carolina General Assembly purchased land from Joel Lane, who had petitioned the General Assembly to create Wake County, in order to establish the capital.
Raleigh Demographics
Raleigh
Median Age
The median age in Raleigh is 34.1
Raleigh
Median Household Income
The median household income is $65,695, with 1.6% growth
Raleigh
Median Property Value
The median property value is $268,900, with 12.2% growth
Local Attractions
Favorite Local Restaurants
Raleigh was named among the top 50 “foodie” cities in America by WalletHub in 2019. The city is home to several local favorites, including Garland, Bella Monica, Stanbury, Neomonde Mediterranean, Angus Barn and Sitti. It’s also home to James Beard Award winner Ashley Christensen’s family of restaurants, including fan favorites Beasley’s Chicken + Honey and Poole’s Diner.
Local Parks and Trails
Raleigh boasts more than 200 fantastic parks featuring lakes, playgrounds and athletic facilities – including Dorothea Dix Park, Pullen Park and Lake Johnson Park.
The Raleigh area also has more than 180 miles of greenways and trails for walkers, hikers and explorers to enjoy, such as the Neuse River Trail, Lake Lynn Trail, Yates Mill Pond Trail and trails at William B. Umstead State Park.
Museums & Art Galleries
Raleigh has earned the nickname “Smithsonian of the South” for its free admission to the NC Museum of History and North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. However, Raleigh is home to a multitude of other museums – such as the Marbles Kids Museum, City of Raleigh Museum (COR Museum), NC Museum of Art and Contemporary Art Museum (CAM Raleigh). Raleigh also features several art galleries, including ArtSource, Gallery C, ArtSpace, Local Color Gallery and Visual Art Exchange
Major Employers in Area
Raleigh was ranked second easiest city to find a job by Forbes in 2016. Top employers include RedHat, North Carolina State University, UNC Rex Healthcare System, Qualcomm, Inc. and Martin Marietta.
Raleigh is also in close proximity to Research Triangle Park, one of the nation’s most prominent high-tech research centers that is home to more than 200 high-profile companies, including IBM, GlaxoSmithKline, Credit Suisse, Cisco and Fidelity Investments.
Annual Community Events
Raleigh hosts several annual events that attract people from all over the state – including the famous Krispy Kreme Challenge, the N.C. State Fair, the International Food Festival and Hopscotch Music Festival. It also holds various cultural and holiday events, including the African American Cultural Celebration, Fourth of July Fireworks Display, Raleigh Christmas Parade and Oakwood Candlelight Tour.
Our Favorite Spots in Raleigh
Here are a few of our top picks for places to visit in Raleigh - just a handful our our favorites.
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