Section 01
Town vitals
Knightdale is a fast-growing town in eastern Wake County, incorporated in 1927 and bounded by a 16.65-square-mile corporate limit (with an additional 16.65-square-mile extraterritorial jurisdiction). The numbers below come straight from the Town's FY2025 financial report, which covers the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025.
Population
22,893
Up from 243 in 1930 and 1,884 in 1990. One of the fastest-growing towns in NC.
Median age
35.5
Younger than the NC and US medians. Family-heavy.
Median household income
$79,364
Above the NC median household income.
Households
8,016
Average household size driving continued residential demand.
Unemployment
3.4%
Below the NC statewide rate of 4.0%.
Median home sale price
$415k
Up 77% over the past five fiscal years.
Corporate limits
16.65sq mi
Plus a 16.65 sq mi ETJ (extraterritorial jurisdiction).
Incorporated
1927
Named for Henry Haywood Knight, who donated land for the railroad depot.
Section 02
Where your tax dollar goes
In FY2025 the Town's General Fund brought in $37.3 million in revenue and spent $35.4 million, leaving a $1.9 million addition to fund balance. Here's how the money moved.
The headline
For every $1 the Town spends, roughly 39¢ goes to public safety (police, fire), 13¢ to parks & culture, and 12¢ each to roads, general government, and public works. Property taxes provide half the revenue; sales tax + grants together cover another third.
Section 03
Property tax & the rate
Property taxes are the single largest revenue source for the Town, providing 51% of general fund revenue in FY2025. Knightdale's rate is consistently below the Wake County combined rate.
Town tax rate
$0.44
Per $100 of assessed value (FY2025). Town portion only.
Wake County rate
$0.5135
Per $100 of assessed value. Billed separately.
Assessed valuation
$4.30B
Town-wide ad valorem tax base, January 2025.
Collection rate
99.62%
Of FY2025 property tax billed.
Tax on $100k home
$440
Town portion only. Add roughly $514 for Wake County.
Property tax revenue
$18.9M
Up from $11.6M in FY2017 — an indication of new construction.
The tax base grew by about $4.4 million in assessed property value since FY2021, driven by 588 residential and 114 commercial permits issued in FY2025 alone.
Section 04
Public safety
The Public Safety budget represents 39% of Town expenditures in FY2025 — the largest single line. It funds the Police Department (50+ sworn, plus non-sworn and support staff) and the Fire Department (50 personnel staffing four stations).
Police
Avg. response time
4:38
Minutes:seconds, FY2025 average.
Part 1 crimes
567
FBI Part 1 (serious offense) total for FY2025.
Investigation compliance
97%
Case-management standard.
Fire
Calls under 5 min
88%
Share of calls with arrival under 5 minutes.
Inspection compliance
100%
Building values inspected on schedule.
Bldg. value saved
98%
Saved from fire loss as a share of value at risk.
County cost-share funding
$4.00M
From Wake County via the Fire Cost-Share program.
Section 05
Public works
Public Works maintains streets, sidewalks, greenways, and the Town's grounds and buildings, and runs trash + recycling collection. FY2025 expenditures were $4.18 million.
Households served
6,800
Town trash + recycling collection routes.
Solid waste collected
5,100tons
FY2025.
Recycled material
1,124tons
FY2025.
Street resurfacing reserve
$1.48M
Carried forward for future road resurfacing.
Spent on grounds & buildings
$1.16M
FY2025 upkeep.
Spent on streets & sidewalks
$1.18M
FY2025 maintenance.
Section 06
Parks & recreation
Knightdale's parks system is one of the strongest in eastern Wake County. The Parks, Recreation & Cultural Programs Department spent $2.34 million in FY2025 and offset another $222,760 through program fees.
Parks
6
Total municipal parks.
Total acreage
241
Across all parks — large for a town this size.
Greenway miles
3
Mingo Creek connects directly to Raleigh's Neuse River Trail.
Soccer / football fields
9
Across the park system.
Ball diamonds
7
Baseball / softball.
Tennis courts
4
Plus 4 pickleball and 2 basketball.
Playgrounds
3
Including the farm-and-train themed Knightdale Station playground.
Splash pad / pool
1 / 1
Splash pad at Knightdale Station Park; YMCA pool.
Coming soon
The Croom Property Donation. In FY2025 the Town received 32.67 acres of land and $400,000 from the Anne Elizabeth Croom estate to develop and maintain as a park. Proceeds from related real-property sales added another $816,051. The Town is discussing a future community center on the site.
Section 07
Development & growth
The Economic & Physical Development function spent $2.14 million in FY2025 across Development Services and Community Relations. It's the entry point for every permit application and certificate of occupancy in town.
Residential permits
588
Issued in FY2025.
Commercial permits
114
Issued in FY2025.
New construction value
$163M+
Estimated value of construction activity during the year.
KCA registrants
250+
Knightdale Commerce Alliance business members.
The Knightdale Commerce Alliance (KCA) launched in FY2025 as the Town's business support network, publishing the monthly K-Commerce Chronicle and maintaining a public local-business directory. If you run a Knightdale business, register at the Town's economic-development page.
Section 08
Major projects underway
Three big capital projects shape the Town's near-term investment profile.
OPENED OCT 2024
Fire Station 4
A 13,500-square-foot station on Forestville Road — the Town's newest. Houses state-of-the-art firefighting equipment and cutting-edge response-capability technology.
PHASE 2 BY FALL 2026
Law Enforcement Center
Two-phase project. Phase 1 (renovations + newly renovated complex) wrapped Spring 2026. Phase 2 expands the Fire Administrative offices into a roughly 31,000 sq ft state-of-the-art Law Enforcement Center on the existing campus.
EXPLORING
Croom Property & Community Center
32.67 donated acres + $400,000 from the Anne Elizabeth Croom estate. The Town is exploring a future community center on the site — potential amenities include recreational courts, space for group fitness classes, and arts space.
RELOCATED OCT 2025
HR & Finance at The Lofts
Human Resources and Finance moved from Town Hall to 305 Sugar Magnolia Lane (Suites 105 / 305) at The Lofts at Knightdale Station. A drop box for payments is available outside the Finance suite.
Section 09
Awards & rankings
National and statewide rankings cited by the Town in the FY2025 report:
# Top 100 Places to Live in America
Money
# Safest Cities in North Carolina
LendEDU 2023
10 Fastest Growing Towns in North Carolina
U.S. Census Bureau
6th Happiest City in North Carolina
HomeSnacks
★ GFOA Award — Popular Annual Financial Reporting
Government Finance Officers Association (5th consecutive year)
Section 10
Top employers
Knightdale's economic base mixes major employers physically located in town with major regional employers whose workforce includes substantial numbers of Knightdale residents. The Town's FY2025 report lists nine of the largest employers tied to the local economy:
| # | Employer |
|---|
| 01 | Wake County Public Schools |
| 02 | Eby-Brown |
| 03 | PCX Corp |
| 04 | Eaton Corp |
| 05 | UNC Rex Healthcare |
| 06 | Wake Stone |
| 07 | Duke Health |
| 08 | Professional Healthcare, Inc. |
| 09 | Ernest Packaging |
Section 11
Outstanding debt
As of June 30, 2025, the Town had $29.89 million in outstanding general-government debt — an increase of $11.4 million over the prior year. The driver: new Fire Station 4 plus the Law Enforcement Center construction.
Total debt
$29.89M
June 30, 2025.
General obligation bonds
$14.65M
49% of total — backed by full faith & credit.
Installment purchase
$13.32M
45% of total — secured by the assets purchased.
Limited obligation
$800K
2% of total.
Lease / subscription IT
$1.11M
4% of total — GASB 87 / 96.
Debt service in FY25
$3.56M
8% of General Fund expenditures.
Limited obligation bonds and installment purchase contracts together cover the upfront capital costs for the new facilities; future debt service is funded through the General Fund.
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Sources & further reading