Total enrollment
184,790
+10,295 (+6%) vs SY 2017-18
Wake County
North Carolina · Public K-12
Public-school enrollment in Wake County clocks in around 184,790 students across 237 schools (147 elementary, 41 middle, and 41 high).
7-year change in Wake County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
226
+20 (+10%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
41%
was 47%
% Hispanic
20%
was 17%
% Black
21%
was 23%
% Asian
13%
was 9%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Residents
1,178,653
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
237
30 districts
Enrollment
184,790
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$105,768
Above North Carolina avg
Free/reduced lunch
41.9%
Below North Carolina avg
Elementary
147
84,422 students
Middle
41
35,886 students
High
41
57,066 students
Combined / other
8
7,416 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Wake County Schools
163,176 students · 30 districts in Wake County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Wake County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
57.2%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
5.1%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
4.1%
civilian labor
Median age
37
23.0% under 18
Test scores in Wake County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 188 schools ranked. North Carolina state average: 51.8%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy· 93.9%
- White Oak Elementary· 93.3%
- Green Level High· 93.2%
- Mills Park Middle· 91.0%
- North Wake College and Career Academy· 91.0%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Southeast Raleigh Elementary· 24.0%
- Walnut Creek Elementary· 28.5%
- Rogers Lane Elementary· 30.3%
- Wilburn Elementary· 33.3%
- Neuse River Middle· 34.4%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apex Friendship High | Apex | High | 09-12 | 2,748 | · |
| Enloe High | Raleigh | High | 09-12 | 2,643 | · |
| Panther Creek High | Cary | High | 09-12 | 2,609 | · |
| Pine Springs Preparatory Remote Academy | Holly Springs | Combined | KG-11 | 2,552 | · |
| Millbrook High | Raleigh | High | 09-12 | 2,498 | · |
| Apex High | Apex | High | 09-12 | 2,449 | · |
| Leesville Road High | Raleigh | High | 09-12 | 2,411 | · |
| Rolesville High | Rolesville | High | 09-12 | 2,321 | · |
| Green Hope High | Cary | High | 09-12 | 2,304 | · |
| Green Level High | Cary | High | 09-12 | 2,283 | · |
| Willow Spring High | Fuquay Varina | High | 09-12 | 2,223 | · |
| Athens Drive High | Raleigh | High | 09-12 | 2,156 | · |
| Needham Broughton High | Raleigh | High | 09-12 | 2,153 | · |
| Wakefield High | Raleigh | High | 09-12 | 2,065 | · |
| Cary High | Cary | High | 09-12 | 2,044 | · |
| Wake Forest High School | Wake Forest | High | 09-12 | 2,043 | · |
| Holly Springs High | Holly Springs | High | 09-12 | 2,018 | · |
| Triangle Math and Science Academy | Cary | Combined | KG-12 | 1,904 | · |
| Fuquay-Varina High | Fuquay-Varina | High | 09-12 | 1,858 | · |
| South Garner High | Garner | High | 09-12 | 1,835 | · |
| Heritage High | Wake Forest | High | 09-12 | 1,778 | · |
| East Wake High | Wendell | High | 09-12 | 1,777 | · |
| Knightdale High | Knightdale | High | 09-12 | 1,695 | · |
| Garner High | Garner | High | 09-12 | 1,670 | · |
| Franklin Academy | Wake Forest | Combined | KG-12 | 1,660 | · |
| Sanderson High | Raleigh | High | 09-12 | 1,648 | · |
| Mills Park Middle | Cary | Middle | 06-08 | 1,632 | · |
| Middle Creek High | Apex | High | 09-12 | 1,587 | · |
| Alston Ridge Middle | Cary | Middle | 06-08 | 1,494 | · |
| Southeast Raleigh High | Raleigh | High | 09-12 | 1,438 | · |
| Apex Friendship Middle | Apex | Middle | 06-08 | 1,412 | · |
| East Wake Academy | Zebulon | Combined | KG-12 | 1,265 | · |
| Pine Springs Preparatory Academy | Holly Springs | Elementary | KG-08 | 1,258 | · |
| Herbert Akins Road Middle | Fuquay-Varina | Middle | 06-08 | 1,253 | · |
| West Millbrook Middle | Raleigh | Middle | 06-08 | 1,164 | · |
| East Garner Middle | Garner | Middle | 06-08 | 1,109 | · |
| The Math and Science Academy of Apex | Apex | Elementary | KG-07 | 1,080 | · |
| Olive Chapel Elementary | Apex | Elementary | PK-05 | 1,066 | · |
| Salem Middle | Apex | Middle | 06-08 | 1,057 | · |
| Oberlin Middle | Raleigh | Middle | 06-08 | 1,049 | · |
| Lufkin Road Middle | Apex | Middle | 06-08 | 1,035 | · |
| Martin Middle | Raleigh | Middle | 06-08 | 1,011 | · |
| Fuquay-Varina Middle | Fuquay-Varina | Middle | 06-08 | 1,004 | · |
| River Bend Middle | Raleigh | Middle | 06-08 | 995 | · |
| Davis Drive Middle | Cary | Middle | 06-08 | 992 | · |
| Herbert Akins Rd Elementary | Fuquay-Varina | Elementary | PK-05 | 988 | · |
| Holly Grove Middle | Holly Springs | Middle | 06-08 | 979 | · |
| Dillard Drive Middle | Raleigh | Middle | 06-08 | 977 | · |
| Ligon Middle | Raleigh | Middle | 06-08 | 959 | · |
| Holly Ridge Middle | Holly Springs | Middle | 06-08 | 955 | · |
| Heritage Middle | Wake Forest | Middle | 06-08 | 947 | · |
| Carnage Middle | Raleigh | Middle | 06-08 | 924 | · |
| Alston Ridge Elementary | Cary | Elementary | PK-05 | 917 | · |
| Buckhorn Creek Elementary | Holly Springs | Elementary | PK-05 | 905 | · |
| Carroll Middle | Raleigh | Middle | 06-08 | 898 | · |
| Apex Friendship Elementary | Apex | Elementary | PK-05 | 896 | · |
| Holly Grove Elementary | Holly Springs | Elementary | PK-05 | 889 | · |
| Rolesville Middle | Rolesville | Middle | 06-08 | 889 | · |
| Wake Forest Middle School | Wake Forest | Middle | 06-08 | 878 | · |
| Neuse River Middle | Raleigh | Middle | 06-08 | 877 | · |
| Oakview Elementary | Apex | Elementary | PK-05 | 873 | · |
| Scotts Ridge Elementary | Apex | Elementary | PK-05 | 869 | · |
| Apex Middle | Apex | Middle | 06-08 | 867 | · |
| White Oak Elementary | Apex | Elementary | PK-05 | 843 | · |
| North Garner Middle | Garner | Middle | 06-08 | 831 | · |
| Harris Creek Elementary | Raleigh | Elementary | PK-05 | 827 | · |
| Willow Springs Elementary | Willow Spring | Elementary | KG-05 | 826 | · |
| West Cary Middle | Cary | Middle | 06-08 | 824 | · |
| Abbotts Creek Elementary | Raleigh | Elementary | PK-05 | 805 | · |
| Reedy Creek Middle | Cary | Middle | 06-08 | 805 | · |
| Wakefield Middle | Raleigh | Middle | 06-08 | 803 | · |
| Endeavor Charter School | Wake Forest | Elementary | KG-08 | 799 | · |
| Leesville Road Middle | Raleigh | Middle | 06-08 | 795 | · |
| Davis Drive Elementary | Cary | Elementary | KG-05 | 794 | · |
| Carolina Charter Academy | Angier | Elementary | KG-08 | 782 | · |
| Cedar Fork Elementary | Morrisville | Elementary | PK-05 | 778 | · |
| Sycamore Creek Elementary | Raleigh | Elementary | PK-05 | 778 | · |
| Pine Hollow Middle | Raleigh | Middle | 06-08 | 776 | · |
| Salem Elementary | Apex | Elementary | PK-05 | 776 | · |
| South Lakes Elementary | Fuquay-Varina | Elementary | PK-05 | 774 | · |
| Fuquay-Varina Elementary | Fuquay-Varina | Elementary | PK-05 | 772 | · |
| Zebulon Middle | Zebulon | Middle | 06-08 | 772 | · |
| Rogers Lane Elementary | Raleigh | Elementary | PK-05 | 763 | · |
| Wendell Middle | Wendell | Middle | 06-08 | 762 | · |
| Envision Science Academy | Wake Forest | Elementary | KG-08 | 759 | · |
| Casa Esperanza Montessori Charter School | Wake Forest | Elementary | PK-08 | 752 | · |
| Holly Springs Elementary | Holly Springs | Elementary | PK-05 | 751 | · |
| Ballentine Elementary | Fuquay Varina | Elementary | PK-05 | 742 | · |
| Hortons Creek Elementary | Cary | Elementary | PK-05 | 739 | · |
| Holly Ridge Elementary | Holly Springs | Elementary | PK-05 | 735 | · |
| East Millbrook Middle | Raleigh | Middle | 06-08 | 731 | · |
| North Ridge Elementary | Raleigh | Elementary | PK-05 | 730 | · |
| Parkside Elementary | Morrisville | Elementary | PK-05 | 730 | · |
| Weatherstone Elementary | Cary | Elementary | PK-05 | 730 | · |
| Lake Myra Elementary | Wendell | Elementary | PK-05 | 722 | · |
| Rolesville Charter Academy | Rolesville | Elementary | KG-08 | 716 | · |
| River Bend Elementary | Raleigh | Elementary | PK-05 | 709 | · |
| Sterling Montessori Academy | Morrisville | Elementary | PK-08 | 702 | · |
| Highcroft Elementary | Cary | Elementary | PK-05 | 698 | · |
| Combs Elementary | Raleigh | Elementary | PK-05 | 695 | · |
Cities in Wake County
About Wake County
In North Carolina, Wake County is a broad county of about 1,178,653 residents. 237 public schools across the county hosts about 184,790 students between them.
Stepping back, census numbers show typical household earnings sit around $105,768, about 57% of adults have a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. That income level is 67% meaningfully above the North Carolina median.
In terms of grade levels, Wake County consists of 147 elementary schools (84,422 students), 41 middle schools (35,886), 41 high schools (57,066), and 8 combined or other schools.
The largest single district in Wake County is Wake County Schools, which alone enrolls about 163,176 students.
Over the past 7-year window. Total public-school enrollment in Wake County has climbed 6% since SY 2017-18, moving from about 174,495 students to 184,790. Wake County now counts 226 public schools, up from 206 in SY 2017-18. The White share of public-school enrollment contracted from 47% to 41%.
On allk12, the community for Wake County discusses enrollment trends, district policy changes, and bus-route updates. Posts come from current and former families, staff, and alumni.
Frequently asked questions
Wake County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data