Wake County is a county in the US state of North Carolina. As of July 1, 2015, the population was 1,024,198, making it North Carolina's second-most populated county. From July 2005 to July 2006, Wake County was the 9th fastest-growing county in the United States, with the town of Cary and the city of Raleigh being the 8th and 15th fastest-growing cities, respectively. Its county seat is Raleigh, which is also the state capital.