This Raleigh suburb is one of North Carolina’s fastest-growing communities
Known as Wake County’s second-oldest town, Rolesville sits about 15 miles northeast of North Carolina’s capital city of Raleigh. This once sleepy enclave, established in the 1830s, is a rapidly growing suburb as more people settle down in the booming Research Triangle region, an East Coast hub for top tech and financial companies. Home to less than 4,000 people in 2010, Rolesville has more than doubled in size, with over 11,000 residents today. To accommodate this growth, the town is in a period of building, adding more amenities and housing and developing its town center. “It’s probably going to follow the trajectory of Wake Forest and hopefully still keep a lot of its charm,” says Lori Valenti Webb, a Rolesville resident and the owner of Property Specific Realty, who adds that daily life is intertwined with the larger neighboring town. “Rolesville rolls along Wake Forest. I don’t have to go into Raleigh a lot. I’ll go in if I have a doctor’s appointment, but I have everything I need here.”
Rolesville has more than doubled in size, with over 11,000 residents today.
Rolesville is a rapidly growing suburb as more people settle down in the booming Research Triangle region.
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Traditional and Modern Transitional homes, a boom in home construction
The median price for single-family homes in Rolesville is about $480,000, above the national median and on par with Raleigh’s median. Townhouse communities sit close to South Main Street. The surrounding subdivisions feature traditional, Modern Transitional and Craftsman-inspired homes. Hundreds of new homes are being built around town, with most construction happening south of South Main Street and north of Chalk Road. Several creeks flow through Rolesville, putting some properties along flood zones.
Some Rolesville families choose townhomes in Outer Northern Outlying for living space.
The larger cape cod-styled homes are popular in Outer Northern Outlying.
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A top school district, Duke University and other colleges nearby
The Wake County Public School System, one of the top districts in North Carolina, earns an overall A rating from Niche. It has over 160,000 students, making it the largest school district in the state. WCPSS’s nearly 200 schools include magnet, early college and career academy programs. Alternatively, the town is home to the private Thales Academy, which gets an A-minus rating, and Rolesville Charter Academy, a B-rated public charter. According to the Town of Rolesville, nearly 70% of residents have at least a bachelor’s degree. Top universities such as Duke and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are within 40 miles. Wake Technical Community College’s Scott Northern campus is close by.
Thales Academy is well supported by parents in Rolesville.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are within 40 miles of Rolesville.
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Reshaping Rolesville’s Main Street
Local businesses and national brands line South Main Street, Rolesville’s growing downtown, stretching for about 4 miles. Once a popular pass-through for drivers heading into Raleigh, South Main Street is being reimagined now that commuter traffic is diverted to the nearby U.S. Route 401 Bypass. Town leaders envision a vibrant town center with the new Cobblestone Village as the anchor. The under-construction high-end retail development will include apartments and restaurants. An even larger development, Wallbrook, will host a Publix, townhomes and more retail space along Main Street’s southern end.
Cobblestone Village will be a vibrant town center in downtown Rolesville.
Townhomes and more retail space are going up along Main Street’s southern end.
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A small-town art scene, Little House Museum and Gallery
A country store in the heart of town highlights Rolesville’s homegrown art scene. Called the Creative Exchange, it stocks locally made artisan gifts from fabric crafts and furniture to painted pottery and jewelry. Antique art and contemporary works are on display at the Little House Museum and Gallery nearby, where visitors can explore the town’s Indigenous roots and agricultural past. Rolesville blends art and nature during its annual Trail Art initiative, where pieces dot the town’s greenways throughout June.
Rolesville residents gather for art classes at at the Little House Museum and Gallery
A country store in the heart of town highlights Rolesville’s homegrown art scene.
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A trio of town parks, a short drive to Fantasy Lake Adventure Park
Rolesville has three parks. Main Street Park is the town’s central green space, popular for its two large playgrounds and wooded walking trails. Residents fill Mill Bridge Nature Park’s outdoor amphitheater for Music at Mill Bridge, a late summer concert series. People visit the park year-round to access the Sanford Creek Greenway, known for its wildlife and a small waterfall. Redford Place Park hosts baseball games and the town’s annual Fourth of July fireworks celebration. Granite Falls Swim & Athletic Club in town and Fantasy Lake Adventure Park nearby offer summertime fun, from relaxing trips down a lazy river to a thrilling floating obstacle course and scuba diving. As Rolesville adapts to its growing population, a project is underway to transform the former Pine Glo Products plant along South Main Street into an ice skating and basketball facility.
Mill Bridge Nature Park is the newest park in the Town of Rolesville, NC.
Redford Place Park hosts baseball games and Rolesville's annual Fourth of July fireworks celebration
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Getting around the Research Triangle, a future greenway network
U.S. Route 401 provides quick access to Interstates 540 and 440 for regional commutes. Downtown Raleigh is roughly 15 miles away, and Research Triangle Park, hosting hundreds of companies such as IBM and Cisco Systems, is about a 27-mile drive. Raleigh-Durham International Airport, a little over 25 miles west of town, offers nonstop flights to cities such as New York, Dallas and Los Angeles. GoRaleigh provides bus service to and from the capital city via the Rolesville Express route. Rolesville has 3 miles of greenway with plans to expand into a comprehensive pedestrian and bike-friendly network over the next decade.
Downtown Raleigh is roughly 15 miles away from Rolesville.
Research Triangle Park, hosting hundreds of companies such as IBM and Cisco Systems, is about a 27-mile drive from Rolesville.
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Drop in violent and property crimes
FBI data shows the already small number of violent crimes in Rolesville dropped from 9 incidents to 2 between 2022 and 2023. Property crimes also fell during that period, from 69 incidents to 43.
Written By
DeeVa Payne
Photography Contributed By
Bryan Regan
Video By
Anthony Pesa
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
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