Moving to Apex: Pros, Cons & What to Know
Moving to Apex means moving to one of the Triangle's fastest-growing towns, one built around a genuinely preserved historic railroad-town downtown rather than a generic subdivision core. The Town of Apex's own population estimate put the town at 85,844 as of June 30, 2026, up sharply from the 65,249 counted in the 2020 Census -- a real, well-documented growth story, not just marketing language.
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Learn moreA fast-growing town, with modest disagreement on the exact rate
The Town of Apex's own June 30, 2026 estimate puts the population at 85,844, while World Population Review separately estimates 83,047 for 2026 -- both up substantially from the 65,249 counted in the 2020 Census, a 27.28% increase. Annual growth is cited at roughly 3.27% by one source and 4%-5% by the town's own development report. Either figure describes real, sustained growth; treat the exact number as directional rather than settled to the person.
Apex sits on the Wake/Chatham county line -- confirm which side a specific address falls on
Most of the town of Apex sits in Wake County, but a portion extends into Chatham County -- property tax records for Apex addresses are tracked separately by county (Wake County's own tax administration site and Chatham County's each show different Apex-address results). Confirm which county a specific address falls in before assuming Wake County figures (including the taxes topic below) apply uniformly.
Standard North Carolina new-resident registration steps apply
As anywhere in North Carolina, new residents should get a North Carolina driver's license within 60 days of establishing residency and register a vehicle in the state within 30 days, per NCDMV guidance. Unlike deregulated-electricity states, North Carolina utilities are generally not customer-choice for residential service, so utility setup is typically a matter of contacting the assigned provider for a specific address (Duke Energy Progress serves much of the Apex area) rather than shopping a competitive retail market.
Downtown Apex's historic core is a real, active revitalization project, not a finished museum piece
Salem Street, the spine of the Apex Historic District (National Register-listed, more than 60 commercial and residential structures dating 1870-1940), is currently the subject of a "Salem Streetscape" revitalization project -- a Downtown Master Plan priority aiming for a curbless, brick-paved, pedestrian-first redesign of the central block. Anyone drawn to Apex specifically for its historic downtown character should expect ongoing construction/streetscape work in that core in the near term, not a static finished district.
Key takeaways
- The Town of Apex's own estimate puts 2026 population at 85,844 (June 30, 2026), up 27.28% from 65,249 in the 2020 Census; a separate estimate (World Population Review) cites 83,047 -- both describe real, sustained growth of roughly 3%-5% annually depending on source.
- Apex straddles the Wake/Chatham county line -- confirm which county a specific address sits in, since property tax administration (and other county-level services) differ between the two.
- Standard NC rules apply: a driver's license within 60 days, vehicle registration within 30 days, and no deregulated electricity market (Duke Energy Progress serves much of the area) -- a different setup than a state like Texas.
- Downtown Apex's historic Salem Street core (National Register-listed, 60+ structures from 1870-1940) is mid-revitalization via the "Salem Streetscape" project -- expect ongoing construction in the historic core in the near term, not a finished district.
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