The typical Wake Forest home was worth $504,021 in September 2026, down 1% in a year and lower every month since June 2024, Zillow's index shows.
Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. Updated monthly. Values come from the Zillow Home Value Index through September 2026, the FHFA House Price Index through the second quarter of 2026 and the U.S. Census Bureau.
Updated Oct. 19: September figures. Zillow revised its earlier months down, so the August value is now $504,515, not the $507,240 first published. Our story on the 27th straight monthly dip has the detail.
The typical home in Wake Forest was worth $504,021 in September 2026, according to the Zillow Home Value Index, down 1% from $509,051 a year earlier. The index peaked at $526,575 in August 2022 and has drifted down since, falling every month since June 2024. Wake Forest values are still about 18% higher than in September 2021, when the index stood at $427,059.
Who to call
- Assessed values and sale records: Wake County Tax Administration, 919-856-5400, Wake County real estate search
- Property records in the Franklin County part of town: Franklin County tax office, 919-496-2172
- Zoning and what can be built next door: Wake Forest Planning Department, 919-435-9510
What the typical home is worth
The Zillow index is a smoothed, seasonally adjusted estimate for homes in the middle third of the market, both houses and condos. It is not a median sale price.
| Place | Typical value, September 2026 | Change from September 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Wake Forest | $504,021 | -1% |
| Rolesville | $491,450 | -1.2% |
| Youngsville | $402,880 | -0.9% |
| Knightdale | $361,028 | -2% |
| Raleigh | $424,663 | -1.7% |
| Wake County | $471,020 | -1.7% |
| Franklin County | $355,924 | -0.3% |
Source: Zillow Research, ZHVI all homes, middle tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted, city and county files released Oct. 16, 2026.
Wake Forest is the priciest of its nearby towns in this table and sits about $33,000 above the Wake County figure. Franklin County, which takes in the northern edge of town, runs well below both.
How values have moved
Month by month the index has slipped a few hundred dollars at a time, from $509,051 in September 2025 to $504,021 in September 2026. It has not risen in any month since June 2024, when it stood at $520,037.
The wider Raleigh-Cary market
The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s all-transactions House Price Index for the Raleigh-Cary metro area, which takes in Wake and Franklin counties and tracks repeat sales and refinance appraisals of the same homes, stood at 367.16 in the second quarter of 2026, up 1.1% from 363.18 a year earlier. The two measures differ: FHFA follows homes with mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac across the whole metro, while Zillow estimates every home in the town.
What the census says
The Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey five-year estimates put the median value of owner-occupied homes in Wake Forest at $474,500 and median household income at $123,802. Those figures are averaged over 2020 to 2024, so they trail today’s market. More on Wake Forest’s people and housing is on our population page.
Taxes and the 2027 revaluation
Wake County will mail new assessed values in late January 2027, after its first countywide revaluation since 2024. A rise in market value since then will show up in the new assessment, not in this year’s bill. Read our property tax guide for rates, the Jan. 5 due date and how to appeal.
What this means for you
- Buyers: prices in Wake Forest have flattened, not fallen sharply. Compare a listing with the county’s assessed value and recent sales on the same street.
- Sellers: values are still far above 2021, but the index has edged down for more than two years.
- Owners: watch for your revaluation notice in January 2027 and check it against these figures.
Recent sales are in our weekly real estate transfers column.
Zoned schools, parks and commute for each part of town are in our Wake Forest neighborhoods guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average home price in Wake Forest, North Carolina?
Zillow’s Home Value Index put the typical Wake Forest home at $504,021 in September 2026. That is a middle-of-the-market value for all homes, not a sale price.
Are home prices going down in Wake Forest?
Slowly. The typical value has slipped every month since June 2024 and is 1% below September 2025. It is 4.3% below its August 2022 peak of $526,575, but still about 18% higher than in September 2021.
Is Wake Forest more expensive than Raleigh?
Yes. In September 2026 the typical home was $504,021 in Wake Forest, $424,663 in Raleigh and $471,020 across Wake County, according to Zillow.
How do I look up what a Wake Forest house sold for?
Wake County’s real estate search lists the deed, sale price and assessed value for every parcel in the Wake County part of town. Our weekly real estate transfers column lists recent sales.
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