Discovering Wake Forest, NC

Wake Forest is a town located in Wake County that is considered to be a suburb of Raleigh. As of a 2020 census, the town was reported to have nearly 48,841 residents.

Wake Forest history

The town of Wake Forest started to be developed in 1820 when 615 acres of land were purchased in the area by Dr. Calvin Jones. The location was very sparsely populated at the time and was named as both Forest of the Wake and Wake Forest. The town started to become more populated when Jones sold his property for $2,000 to the North Carolina Baptist Convention.

After the North Carolina Baptist Convention became established in the town, it opened the Wake Forest Manual Labor Institute and then the Wake Forest College. This College was later renamed Wake Forest University, which is where the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is now located.

When the Raleigh & Gaston Railroad was completed in 1840, the schools in the area also received a boost. Besides, college leaders were able to get the railroad moved closer to the College in 1874, which further gave the economy in the area a boost and allowed the community to become incorporated. The incorporation took place in 1880, and the town became known as Town of Wake Forest College.

The word College was removed from the name in 1909, and the College actually left the town in 1956 when it moved to a larger city. By this time, the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary had already been conducting classes on the campus and simply took over the rest of the campus after the College moved.

Wake Forest today

Today, Wake Forest hosts a nice mixture of ethnicities and cultures and is considered one of the safest cities in North Carolina, featuring a median household income is $85,155, and a median family income is $101,836.

Nestled between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the beach, the town of Wake Forest offers residents the best of both worlds. 220 days of sunshine, with average temperatures in the mid to high 80s in summer, see residents reveling in the great outdoors.

There's lots to choose from- beaches, swimming, fishing, boating and plenty of other sporting activities. Short-lived winters, with average snowfalls of 7.5 inches, send residents heading off to ski resorts for a bit of winter fun. There are 14 ski resorts to choose from located in or near Wake Forest.

Students have access to the best education at the colleges and universities of the Triangle. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University, and North Carolina State University have been voted best in their category several times.

Almost 30% of Triangles population, aged 25 and over, hold bachelor's degrees and higher. Over 80,000 skilled workers are employed in the manufacturing sector, producing medical devices, computers, precision fabricated metal products, electrical and communication equipment, and industrial machinery.

The housing market offers a wide choice of housing options, from architectural classics in scenic, historic districts to elegant modern homes in well-planned blocks.

There is always a reason to celebrate at Wake Forest, from the Wake Forest Dance Festival and Wake Forest's Six Sundays in Spring Festival to the many concerts at Walnut Creek Amphitheater. The sporting scene is just as lively, with Wake Forest hosting numerous professional sporting events and world-renowned golfing tournaments every year.

Hill Ridge Farms is an ideal weekend destination with plenty of child-friendly activities, including a farm animal Corral, Giant 80-foot slide, Fish Feeding Dock, Maze, a large sandbox, and plenty of swings and slides.

Thousands of acres of natural parks and recreational lakes, fabulous weather, first-class universities, several churches, and a great sense of community make Wake Forest an excellent place for families.