United States › North Carolina › Bessemer City CITY
Bessemer City North Carolina · 5,834 residents (2025 est.) · 5.64 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Bessemer City is home to 5,580 people in North Carolina. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 16% of adults. This skews young, with a median age of 34.3. The typical home is worth $206,100, having roughly tripled since 2000. The foreign-born share is 5%. Households here earn about 17% less than in North Carolina as a whole.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 34.3
US median: 38.9
Less educated
16% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 56%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 5,119 in 2000
5,834 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 965 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 33.6 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
5K 5K 5K 5K 6K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Bessemer City Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $60,300
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $33,826 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $15,971 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 15.1% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 11.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.402 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 5.6%
Transportation & warehousing 3%
Education & health services 1.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 1.1%
Arts, entertainment, food 0%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$206,100
+56%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $72,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$1,053
+26%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $459 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 66.2% in 2000
34.0% rent
from 12.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.70 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 23.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 56.6% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.7 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 81.5%(4,173)
Hispanic / Latino 3.5%(179)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 74.9%(4,179)
Hispanic / Latino 8.6%(479)
from 46 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 5 more ancestry groups with data from 7.7% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 68.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 2.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 15.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 89.0% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 7.0% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 0.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 1.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 22.7% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 62.1% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 70.3% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 11.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 14.5% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 4.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 16.3% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 13.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 24.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 61.9% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 88.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 91.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 98.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 1.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 24.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 46.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 9.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 17.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 24.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 1.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 53.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 38.2% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 12.9%(44)
Gulf War (1990s) 11.7%(40)
Share of the 341 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
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BESSEMER CITY VS
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Bessemer City, North Carolina? Bessemer City, North Carolina has about 5,580 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Bessemer City, North Carolina? The typical household in Bessemer City, North Carolina earns about $60,300 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Bessemer City, North Carolina expensive? In Bessemer City, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $206,100, and the typical rent is about $1,053 a month.
How educated are people in Bessemer City, North Carolina? About 16.1% of adults age 25 and over in Bessemer City, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Bessemer City, North Carolina? About 16.4% of people in Bessemer City, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.
Has Bessemer City, North Carolina grown since 1990? Yes, Bessemer City, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 882 residents, a change of about 19 percent over that period.
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