Northeast Community, Wake Forest: homes, schools, parks and commute

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Sources: the Town of Wake Forest’s Northeast Community Plan, East End Historic District page and park pages, the Wake County Public School System’s current base attendance areas, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s 2025-26 accountability data, OpenStreetMap and Zillow Research.

The Northeast Community is the neighborhood east of North White Street and north of Roosevelt and Wait avenues, settled after the Civil War. The town has its own plan for it, and in 2026 the state put a proposed East End Historic District at its core on the list of places that may qualify for the National Register of Historic Places.

What this means for you

• Zoned high school: Wake Forest High, 66.5% of state tests at grade level in 2025-26. Lower grades split; check an address with the district’s base school lookup.
• Home value: $508,282 in ZIP code 27587 in August 2026, according to the Zillow Home Value Index.
• Nearest U.S. 1 exit: Exit 125, N.C. 98 Business (Durham Road), about 3.4 miles by road.

Part of our Wake Forest neighborhoods guide.

Where it is

The town’s Northeast Community Plan, dated December 2021, describes a study area of more than 315 acres and 700 parcels in the northeast quarter of the town. It is bordered by East Roosevelt Avenue and Wait Avenue to the south and North White Street to the west, and Ailey Young Park marks its eastern edge. Downtown is just across White Street; see our Downtown page. The area is in ZIP code 27587 and inside the town limits.

The plan says the neighborhood was settled after the Civil War. It is home to the site of the Wake Forest Normal and Industrial School, founded by local residents Allen Young and Nathaniel Mitchell as the first private school in the town for African American children, and the site of the former W.E.B. DuBois School, which gave public education to African American children in the area.

The plan sets goals to protect the neighborhood’s history and quality of life, look at local economic conditions and set out actions for a shared vision, and it works alongside the town’s wider Community Plan.

East End Historic District

Both the Northeast Community Plan and the town’s 2022 Historic Preservation Plan called for a historic district in the neighborhood. The town worked with the State Historic Preservation Office on boundaries around the historic core, and the East End Historic District was added to the North Carolina Study List on June 11, 2026, the town’s East End page says. The study list is the first step toward National Register listing. The town says it will ask property owners and residents whether they want to apply; if owners are in favor, the town will prepare the nomination.

Schools

We checked 36 points across the plan area against the Wake County Public School System’s current base attendance areas. All were zoned for Wake Forest High.

“At grade level” is the share of state tests at grade level or above in the state’s 2025-26 accountability data; “growth” is whether students gained as much as the state expects in a year. Because the zones split, check an address in the base school lookup. More in our schools guide.

Home values

The Zillow Home Value Index for ZIP code 27587, which covers all of Wake Forest, was $508,282 in August 2026, down 0.8% from $512,457 in August 2025. Zillow’s figure for the town was $507,240. The index is a modeled typical value for the middle third of homes, not a sale price, and it is not specific to this neighborhood. More in our home prices guide.

Parks and trails

• Ailey Young Park, 800 E. Juniper Ave., 15 acres with a baseball field, basketball courts, charcoal grills, picnic tables and a playground, according to its town page.
• Joey McCrea Wiggins Park, 416 N. Taylor St., formerly Taylor Street Park, with an accessible playground and a sprayground. The Alston-Massenburg Center, a town community building, shares the address. See our parks and trails guide.
• Flaherty Park, 1100 N. White St., to the north, with the town’s dog park and community center.

Getting around

• U.S. 1 (Capital Boulevard): Exit 125, N.C. 98 Business (Durham Road), about 3.4 miles by road, and Exit 124, N.C. 98 (Dr. Calvin Jones Highway), about 4.5 miles. Exit numbers and names are from NCDOT’s interchange inventory.
• Downtown and Town Hall: about 0.8 mile by road.
• Raleigh-Durham International Airport: about 22 miles by road.
• Bus: the WRX express to Raleigh stops downtown at Elm Avenue and White Street, according to GoTriangle’s schedule data. Go Wake Forest on-demand rides: 984-342-2319.

Distances are measured on the OpenStreetMap road network from the middle of the plan area; they are distances, not drive times. More in our getting around guide.

Groceries and everyday stores

From OpenStreetMap:

• Pharmacy: CVS Pharmacy, East Roosevelt Avenue, at the south edge.
• Supermarkets: Lowes Foods, Gateway Commons Circle, and Lidl, South Main Street, each a little over a mile away.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Northeast Community in Wake Forest?

The town’s Northeast Community Plan describes it as bordered by East Roosevelt Avenue and Wait Avenue to the south and North White Street to the west, with Ailey Young Park marking its eastern edge. It covers more than 315 acres and 700 parcels.

What is the East End Historic District?

It is a proposed historic district around the historic core of the Northeast Community. The state added it to the North Carolina Study List, the first step toward the National Register of Historic Places, on June 11, 2026, according to the town.

What schools is the Northeast Community zoned for?

Every point we checked was zoned for Wake Forest High. About two-thirds were zoned for Heritage Elementary and Heritage Middle, and most of the rest for Richland Creek Elementary and Wake Forest Middle.

What park is in the Northeast Community?

Ailey Young Park, 800 E. Juniper Ave., has 15 acres with a baseball field, basketball courts, grills, picnic tables and a playground, according to the town.