Professionals say there is a direct correlation between low levels of education and poverty, and it's an ongoing struggle. While poverty can result in fewer advantages in the classroom and lead to a weakened education, those with less education are more likely to struggle financially over the course of their lifetime, as well.

"It's fairly significant often," said Dr. Lance Fusarelli, a professor of Education and Leadership and Policy at N.C. State University. "For the last fifty years or so you see the higher concentration of poverty, the lower the student achievement. With higher poverty you also have higher other issues, like poor health and less likelihood of graduating high school."

Dr. Michael Maher, the director of Professor of Education at N.C. State, agreed with Fusarelli. He said some of the explanation for the relationship between poverty and education involves the basic needs of each individual, like food, shelter and a caring household.

"If you're struggling to think about a meal, you might not think about learning so much. Those things take priority over learning," Maher said.

What's to blame?

Unstable households and a lack of resources are among the main causes for underachievement in the classroom identified by Maher and Fusarelli.

Both agreed these issues are the roots to a tree with many problematic branches.

"Basically, a bunch of poor kids have a lot of stresses in their lives and school is the least of their problems. They take those problems to school with them, and they return to those problems when school ends," Fusarelli noted.

On the other side of the spectrum, children coming home to a stable environment have more resources to work with and less to worry about with parents that are able to provide what is needed and more.

Fusarelli was quick to note, however, that he thinks it is a myth that poor parents don't value education on the same level as those not in poverty.

"It's more of a question of ability to help," Fusarelli said. "If you haven't graduated from high school, it's going to be harder to help your kid with high school than if you had."

Fusarelli said a national assessment of educational progress over the last few years has shown the percentage of poor students who achieve proficiency is 14 percent, whereas that figure is 44 percent among students who aren't poor.

"I've also seen data that suggests poor kids are on average two or three grade levels behind their non-poor counterparts," he said. "If you're looking at 12 grades, two or three grades is a significantly strong gap, and it is difficult for the schools to close that gap."

By the numbers

The comparison between eastern Wake County towns, Wake County as a whole and the Town of Cary reveals a significant educational gap.

And the average family income in those respective areas, as listed by the U.S. Census Bureau for the year 2009, follows suit with the levels of education achieved.

In Wake County the average family income was listed as $99,777 in 2009. The most recent Census listings showed 91.2 percent of the county as having high school diplomas or the equivalent, and 47.5 percent as having a four-year degree or higher.

Cary's figures helped raise the county figures. While the average family income was listed as $127,662, 90.6 percent were listed as having a diploma and 63.2 percent were listed as having a four-year degree or higher.

The further into eastern Wake County you go, the more these figures dropped.

Average family income in Knightdale was listed at $71,903, 90.6 percent of adults have a diploma and 39.9 percent a four-year degree or higher.

In Wendell, the average family made $49,764 in 2009. Nearly 82 percent had a high school diploma or its equivalent and about 22 percent have a bachelor's degree or higher.

The average family income in Zebulon, the town with the highest poverty level in Wake County, was $57,383. The Census listed 72.7 percent of those in the town as having a high school diploma or its equivalent, while just 10.8 percent have a four-year college degree or higher.

On the business front

William Parrish of Parish Realty said poverty has always had a hand in the local real estate market, and perhaps even more so with the current state of the economy and unemployment.

Home prices have dropped, and not only is unemployment making it hard for people to purchase a home, according to Parrish, but underemployment has become a serious issue that affects business as well.

Parrish said poverty in eastern Wake County scares off potential residents.

"With the homes that are here there's been a lot of decline in the way they look and the way they're kept," Parrish said. "A man with no money can't do much. They just maintain and try to keep a roof over their heads."

As for attracting commercial real estate and retail, Parrish said local poverty is a turn off.

"Poverty just attracts a bad situation," Parrish said. "I've had better luck renting than selling lately because they don't need much of a downpayment. As far as selling in eastern Wake County, particularly in Zebulon, it has been pretty much dead. Poverty here exceeds what the norm is in Wake County. I hate to say that, but it's the truth."