What is the Best Neighborhoods USA ranking for South Central?
South Central is ranked #17 of 18 eligible neighborhoods in Raleigh; #466 of 535 eligible neighborhoods in NC; and #12,892 of 14,967 eligible neighborhoods in the United States.
Neighborhood Profile
South Central
Raleigh, NC | Wake County
Scored premium profile
Best Neighborhoods USA Index
32.9
Stability and Strength
30.7
Value Opportunity
26.6
Momentum
45.0
Score note: Rankings show denominators so users always see the size of the eligible cohort.
| Context | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Raleigh, NC |
| County | Wake County |
| National rank | #12,892 of 14,967 |
| State rank | #466 of 535 |
| City rank | #17 of 18 |
| County rank | #22 of 23 |
| National percentile | 13.9 |
| National band | LOWER_25_PERCENT |
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Housing and local fundamentals
| Housing and market metrics | Value |
|---|---|
| Current Zillow home value | $454,524 |
| Year-over-year home value change | 0.1% |
| Month-over-month home value change | -0.02% |
| Home value to income ratio | 8.85 |
| Median household income | $51,333 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.9% |
| Civilian unemployment rate | 6.8% |
| Homeownership rate | 40.9% |
| Housing vacancy rate | 7.7% |
| Rent burden 30% or higher | 54.7% |
How to read this profile
- Ranks are always shown with denominators.
- Momentum reflects both year-over-year and month-over-month housing change.
- Stability and Strength and Value Opportunity are governed composite scores.
- Identity composition is descriptive intelligence and is not a scoring component.
Questions and Answers
Questions About Living in South Central
Is South Central one of the best neighborhoods in Raleigh?
South Central has a Best Neighborhoods USA Index of 32.9 and a city ranking of #17 of 18 eligible neighborhoods in Raleigh.
How much are homes worth in South Central?
The current Zillow Home Value Index for South Central is approximately $454,524.
Are home values rising or falling in South Central?
Zillow neighborhood values changed 0.1% year over year and -0.02% month over month.
What is the Neighborhood Momentum Score for South Central?
South Central has a Neighborhood Momentum Score of 45.0. Momentum is 70% year-over-year and 30% month-over-month Zillow housing change.
What is the median household income in South Central?
The NDS-derived neighborhood median household income is approximately $51,333.
How affordable is South Central relative to household income?
The current Zillow home-value-to-household-income ratio is 8.85. Price-to-income affordability is a major Value Opportunity input.
Is South Central primarily homeowners or renters?
The NDS-derived homeownership rate is approximately 40.9%.
What is the unemployment rate in South Central?
The NDS-derived civilian unemployment rate is approximately 6.8%.
How educated are residents of South Central?
Approximately 25.9% of residents age 25 and older are estimated to have a bachelor's degree or higher.
What share of renters in South Central face high rent burden?
Approximately 54.7% of the applicable renter-household universe is estimated to spend 30% or more of household income on gross rent.
How does Best Neighborhoods USA score South Central?
The overall index combines 40% Stability and Strength, 35% Value Opportunity, and 25% Momentum. Race, ethnicity, and identity composition are not scoring components.
Governed ranking context
How this neighborhood ranks
HMDA Mortgage Intelligence
Neighborhood Mortgage Market
Modeled neighborhood-level mortgage activity allocated from governed HMDA tract data using Zillow neighborhood geometry. These neighborhood values are nonadditive and do not enter the Best Neighborhoods USA Index.
Activity year2024
Estimated applications172
Estimated originations86
Home-purchase applications65
Origination rate50.2%
Home-purchase share38.0%
Average application loan$327,094
Total application loan amount$56,254,764
National application rank#2,522 of 14,874 rankable neighborhoods
Geometry coverage100.0%
Recent trend: Applications -7.2% YoY; originations -16.2% YoY
Mortgage methodology
HMDA is natively reported at tract and other lender-reporting geographies, not Zillow neighborhood or ZIP geography. This module uses the certified NDS HMDA-to-Zillow tract-vintage crosswalk and area-weighted allocation. Rankings require governed geometry coverage. Applicant demographics are excluded. Neighborhood values may overlap and must not be summed to reconstruct ZIP or national totals.