United States › North Carolina › Goldsboro CITY
Goldsboro North Carolina · 35,012 residents (2025 est.) · 28.6 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
Goldsboro is a city of 34,383 people in North Carolina. Owners hold 36% of the housing stock. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 21% of adults. Households here earn about 33% less than in North Carolina as a whole. 22.8% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The typical home is worth $200,400, having more than doubled since 2000.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 36.8
US median: 38.9
Less educated
21% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 32%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 39,043 in 2000
35,012 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1,203 / sq mi
−10%since 2009
from 1,343 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 34.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
32K 35K 37K 39K 41K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Goldsboro Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $48,540
−10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $29,456 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $16,614 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 16.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 19.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.480 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 4.1%
Public administration 3.2%
Transportation & warehousing 1.8%
Education & health services 1.6%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 1.1%
Arts, entertainment, food 1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$200,400
+32%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $83,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$971
+18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $451 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 42.5% in 2000
63.7% rent
from 15.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.18 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 27.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 40.1% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 3.5 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 41.9%(16,346)
Hispanic / Latino 2.7%(1,052)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 34.2%(11,775)
Hispanic / Latino 6.1%(2,087)
from 69 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Hispanic origin
+ 2 more hispanic origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 24 more ancestry groups with data from 17.2% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 76.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 6.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 12.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 81.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 9.5% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 3.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 2.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 14.3% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 14.6% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 56.9% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 68.0% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 15.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 33.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 17.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 16.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 13.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 68.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 83.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 77.8% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 90.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 4.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 46.9%(6,427)
Women 15+
Never married 35.8%(5,095)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 13.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 32.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 9.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 24.1% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 31.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 5.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 54.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 50.5% 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) 32%(908)
Gulf War (1990s) 45.9%(1,304)
Share of the 2,841 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.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper
Places similar to Goldsboro Head to head
Compare Goldsboro to nearby cities GOLDSBORO VS
Kinston
Income $36,878 −24%
Home value $119,300 −40%
Population 19,705 −44%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
GOLDSBORO VS
Smithfield
Income $43,270 −11%
Home value $242,500 +21%
Population 13,114 −63%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
GOLDSBORO VS
Wilson
Income $52,485 +8%
Home value $210,700 +5%
Population 49,572 +42%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
GOLDSBORO VS
Clayton
Income $78,822 +62%
Home value $329,600 +64%
Population 32,633 −7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Goldsboro, North Carolina? Goldsboro, North Carolina has about 34,383 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Goldsboro, North Carolina? The typical household in Goldsboro, North Carolina earns about $48,540 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Goldsboro, North Carolina expensive? In Goldsboro, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $200,400, and the typical rent is about $971 a month.
How educated are people in Goldsboro, North Carolina? About 21.0% of adults age 25 and over in Goldsboro, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Goldsboro, North Carolina? About 22.8% of people in Goldsboro, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.
Has Goldsboro, North Carolina grown since 1990? Yes, Goldsboro, North Carolina has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 6,326 residents, a change of about -16 percent over that period.
Keep going
Explore from here 