Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Zebulon grades C+ overall, ranked 122nd of 286 in North Carolina, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its schools rank ahead of 75% of North Carolina towns and natural-hazard risk is low. On the other side, its police reported 44 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 84% of U.S. towns. Zebulon’s average trip to work is 33 minutes, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 24 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Zebulon's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 92% of U.S. towns. Zebulon has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Wakelon School and Bennett Bunn Plantation.
Where Zebulon beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Zebulon Elementary | PK–5 | 693 |
| Wakelon Elementary | PK–5 | 679 |
| Zebulon Middle | 6–8 | 772 |
Wakelon School4,433 counted in 2010 and 6,903 in 2020; an estimated 11,933 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 72.6% since 2020, after 55.7% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Zebulon is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 482 in 1910, 6,903 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and 4 maps from 1968 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Zebulon, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Zebulon.
Zebulon has seen reported crime fall by a fifth or more, but it has commutes longer than most of North Carolina and has many renters stretched by housing costs.
Reported crimes fell from 327 to 297 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Within North Carolina, it does better than 45% of towns. Zebulon’s property crime rate comes in at 21.8 per 1,000 residents.
| Zebulon | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.8 per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 21.8 per 1,000 residents | 21.8 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Two of the 5 schools are below, and why each made the list. The largest public high school is East Wake Academy, with 1,265 students. Its public schools are run by the Wake County Schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zebulon MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 772 | C+ |
| East Wake AcademyLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 1,265 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
Since 1999, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Zebulon. On expected storm and flood damage, Zebulon sits below 73% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 68% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 7% to hurricanes. Federal aid has come to Zebulon households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2016.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its typical July afternoon high stands at 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 3,519 working residents takes 33.4 minutes, against 25.1 across North Carolina.
For half of commuters, work is under 20 miles away. Since 2013, Zebulon has added 681 jobs, to 4,636 in 2023. Just 6% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. The share of residents in Zebulon who live below the poverty line: 9%.
| Zebulon | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 9% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.9% | 6.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across North Carolina. People 65 and older are 13% of residents (17% statewide). Zebulon is growing: up 73% since 2020, to 11,933 residents (2025 estimate). Among residents here, 24% are under 18.
| Zebulon | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 13% | 18% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 24% | 22% | 22% |
| Median age | 38.3 years | 40.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 31% | 29% | 29% |
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.1 points. Across North Carolina, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Zebulon | NC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.2% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.7% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.2% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.5% | 13.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 19.2% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.5% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 8.7% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.1% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 2.8% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 19.3% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 21.9% | 24.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.4% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.5% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.9% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10% | 13.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
CDC measures, 32 in all: Zebulon beats North Carolina on 1 and trails on 8. 13% of adults binge drink in Zebulon. Among adults here, 21% worry about having enough food and 35% feel lonely.
| Zebulon | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 16% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 15% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 33% | 33% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 10% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | Zebulon | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.4% | 7.9% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19.3% | 13.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Trails run 0.7 miles in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Five County Stadium, at 48 acres. In Zebulon, the trail network density is 0.1 miles per square mile.
| Zebulon | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.4% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Zebulon Community Park | 0.4 mi | 46 |
| 2. Five County Stadium | — | 48 |
| 3. Whitley Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
82.4% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 48.9% across North Carolina.
Zebulon: 63% of households are owner-occupiers. In Zebulon, 31% of sales closed above the list price. Homes sold in Zebulon spent a median 32 days on the market.
| Zebulon | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,109 a month | $1,084 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Zebulon. Close and well known come first.
23 mi Stadium & arenaLenovo Center
23 mi Stadium & arenaCarter–Finley Stadium
25 mi Stadium & arenaWakeMed Soccer Park
19 mi MuseumNorth Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
22 mi MuseumNorth Carolina Museum of Art
40 mi LandmarkBennett Place State Historic SiteLenovo Center: Edward T. Funkhouser, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Carter–Finley Stadium: SMaloney, CC BY 3.0 · WakeMed Soccer Park: Hameltion, CC BY-SA 4.0 · North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences: Jmturner, Public domain · North Carolina Museum of Art: Justin Doub, CC BY 2.0 · Bennett Place State Historic Site: Ildar Sagdejev (Specious), CC BY-SA 4.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Zebulon
About 1 of every 100 Zebulon residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
4 places in Zebulon on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Zebulon.
Town in North Carolina, US
Zebulon ( ZEB-yoo-luhn) is the easternmost town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 6,903 at the 2020 census. Zebulon is part of the Research Triangle metropolitan region. In May 2022, Zebulon was ranked North Carolina's second fastest growing town, only behind neighboring Wendell.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Zebulon.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Zebulon grades C+ overall, better than 43% of U.S. towns and #122 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades B− for health, C− for safety and A− for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a C−.
Within North Carolina, it does better than 45% of towns.
That is 3.4 years of the area's median household income ($100,103 across the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
3 notable people were born here, including Jim Pearce and Nick Driver.
