The variety of Raleigh real estate encompasses Victorian bungalows in a rejuvenated downtown district, quiet neighborhoods and small outskirt communities. The city is the capital of the state and the seat of Wake County. It bustles with the activities of North Carolina State University, to which it is home.

It also offers much for the business oriented. The pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline is a major employer. Recipient of numerous "best of" awards in the past decade, Raleigh has been noted as a prime opportunity for entrepreneurs, a prime location for biotechnology and a five-star economic metro area. You are far more likely to be looking for residential Raleigh real estate than for business property, but the possibilities are almost unlimited.

Numbers behind Raleigh Real Estate

The population of the capital is about 270,000 as of the 2000 census. Some 77 percent are white and 11 are percent black. Median household income for the immediate Triangle area is approximately $79,800. Unemployment for Wake County is about 4.7 percent to the statewide 6.1 percent. The county's total labor force numbers about 378,500. The economic growth rate for 2000-2001 was 3.7 percent.

Wake County is comprised of approximately 338 square miles of the North Carolina Heartland's gently rolling hills. Of that, Raleigh real estate is comprised of some 117 square miles. The market is strong in the Triangle area and prospective buyers have a wide choice of styles, neighborhoods and home types. The average price of a home in Raleigh runs about $200,000 plus, making the area more affordable than many other cities of like size.