Wake County Schools operates 197 public schools serving 159,778 students, placing it among the larger districts in North Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 109 other, 40 middle, 33 high, 15 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 162,770 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Wake County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,074 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 28.9% local, 54.5% state, and 16.6% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $84,532 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 50/100, ranked #120 of 293 in North Carolina against a state average of 45 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 31 of 197 schools offering Advanced Placement (517 AP courses district-wide), a 351.2:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 26.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 38.9% White, 23.1% African American, 21.6% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
Wake County Schools school enrollment varies 393× across entities
Wake County Schools school enrollment ranges from 7 students (lowest) to 2,748 students (highest), a spread of 2,741 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity — the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Wake County Schools student-counselor ratio is 351:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Wake County Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 26.5% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Wake County Schools is typically wider than the Wake County Schools-aggregate figure suggests.
Wake County Schools has 197 schools, including 33 high, 40 middle, 109 other, 15 elementary. Total enrollment is 159,778 students.
How much does Wake County Schools spend per student?
Wake County Schools spends $14,074 per student. The district has an equity score of 50/100, ranking #120 in North Carolina.
What is the average teacher salary in Wake County Schools?
The average teacher salary in Wake County Schools is $84,532 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Wake County Schools?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Wake County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Wake County Schools?
Wake County Schools students are 38.9% White, 23.1% African American, 21.6% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, averaged across 197 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Wake County Schools?
Wake County Schools has an equity score of 50/100, ranking #120 out of 293 districts in North Carolina. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.