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CITY

Kernersville

North Carolina · 29,128 residents (2025 est.) · 18.8 sq mi
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The short version

With 27,830 people, Kernersville is a city in North Carolina. Since 2000 the city has risen by half, up 10,704 people. 7% of people here were born outside the United States. There are 1,482 people per square mile. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $290,700. Median household income is $71,918, under the $82,259 national median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.3
US median: 38.9
Average education
37% 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

Total population
27,830
+63%since 2000
from 17,126 in 2000
29,128 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,482 / sq mi
+25%since 2009
from 1,186 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
39.3
+15%since 2000
from 34.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
18.8 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
9K14K19K24K30K19902000201020202024Kernersville
202428K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.1%(1,421)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.3%(1,477)
US avg: 6%
10 to 148.3%(2,320)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 194.9%(1,354)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.7%(2,146)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.3%(3,710)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.2%(3,382)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.5%(3,468)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.1%(3,645)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.3%(2,868)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.7%(1,576)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.7%(463)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$71,918
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $41,520 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$41,725
+78%since 2000
from $23,506 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
47.4%
+16.7 ptssince 2009
from 30.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
12.6%
+4.1 ptssince 2000
from 8.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.425
+2%since 2010
from 0.417 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade17.8%
US avg: 9.9%
Information10.7%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services9%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration7.8%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance5.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical5.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Wholesale trade4.7%
US avg: 6.9%
Transportation & warehousing4.6%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food0.3%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.2%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.1%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$290,700
+32%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $121,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,082
+13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $527 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
60.5%
+6.9 ptssince 2000
from 53.6% in 2000
39.5% rent
Vacancy rate
3.8%
−4.6 ptssince 2009
from 8.4% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.19 people
−7%since 2009
from 2.36 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
19.0%
−7.7 ptssince 2009
from 26.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
43.9%
+8.6 ptssince 2009
from 35.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.0
+20%since 2009
from 3.4 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
59
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic81.4%(13,941)
Black8.6%(1,481)
Hispanic / Latino7.4%(1,261)
Asian1.2%(207)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic64%(17,825)
Black17.5%(4,866)
Hispanic / Latino13.7%(3,801)
Asian2%(561)
Other2.8%(777)
Diversity Score
67
+32%since 2009
from 51 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican9%(2,498)
Salvadoran1.8%(493)
Puerto Rican0.9%(243)
Spaniard0.5%(130)
Cuban0.4%(122)
Panamanian0.3%(74)
Colombian0.2%(42)
Dominican0.1%(33)
Honduran0.1%(17)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.5%(144)
Filipino0.3%(97)
Chinese0.3%(95)
Vietnamese0.1%(20)
Japanese0%(12)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
English15%(4,180)
German9.9%(2,756)
Irish7.8%(2,165)
American7.2%(1,999)
Scottish3.6%(1,000)
Italian2.8%(773)
Polish1.3%(374)
French1.2%(330)
Norwegian0.7%(206)
Welsh0.6%(168)
Swedish0.6%(165)
+ 28 more ancestry groups with data
British0.6%(159)
Russian0.3%(92)
Dutch0.3%(77)
Danish0.2%(66)
Greek0.2%(54)
Canadian0.2%(47)
West Indian0.1%(39)
Portuguese0.1%(33)
Ghanaian0.1%(32)
Hungarian0.1%(30)
Slovak0.1%(25)
Arab0.1%(23)
Lebanese0.1%(23)
Bulgarian0.1%(21)
Finnish0.1%(21)
Lithuanian0.1%(18)
Slovene0.1%(18)
Romanian0.1%(17)
Armenian0.1%(16)
Austrian0.1%(16)
Swiss0.1%(14)
Jamaican0%(11)
Belgian0%(10)
Iranian0%(10)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
37.0%
+11.1 ptssince 2000
from 25.9% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
92.8%
+10.9 ptssince 2000
from 81.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
13.8%
+6.5 ptssince 2000
from 7.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.6 min
+71%since 2000
from 13.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
79.7%
−7.2 ptssince 2009
from 86.9% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
5.8%
−2.2 ptssince 2009
from 7.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
12.6%
+9.4 ptssince 2009
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.7%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
3.9%
−2.0 ptssince 2009
from 5.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
2.7%
−4.7 ptssince 2011
from 7.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
65.4%
−5.6 ptssince 2011
from 71.0% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
77.7%
+3.2 ptssince 2020
from 74.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
10.5%
+1.5 ptssince 2009
from 9.0% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
43.9%
+9.3 ptssince 2009
from 34.6% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.2%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 48.1% in 2009
Female
51.8%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 51.9% in 2009
Foreign born
6.9%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 7.3% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
7.7%
−3.9 ptssince 2009
from 11.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.7%
+1.3 ptssince 2012
from 11.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
7.3%
−5.3 ptssince 2013
from 12.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
92.7%
+12.0 ptssince 2017
from 80.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
97.1%
+4.2 ptssince 2020
from 92.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
85.8%
+2.0 ptssince 2020
from 83.8% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
86.6%
−1.3 ptssince 2016
from 87.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
10.6%
+1.8 ptssince 2016
from 8.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married33%(3,545)
Married54.9%(5,898)
Widowed2.1%(223)
Divorced10%(1,075)
Women 15+
Never married28.1%(3,335)
Married46.3%(5,499)
Widowed11.7%(1,394)
Divorced13.8%(1,643)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
7.3%
−5.3 ptssince 2013
from 12.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
57.2%
+2.6 ptssince 2020
from 54.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.3%
−1.1 ptssince 2020
from 16.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
18.4%
−1.1 ptssince 2020
from 19.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
15.0%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 16.3% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
3.0%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 2.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
72.4%
+3.3 ptssince 2020
from 69.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
32.7%
−1.0 ptssince 2020
from 33.7% 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)38.7%(639)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22.1%(366)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era30.1%(498)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War1.1%(18)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.5%(9)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,653 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
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Compare Kernersville to nearby cities

KERNERSVILLE VS
High Point
Income$64,561−10%
Home value$235,800−19%
Population120,571+314%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KERNERSVILLE VS
Winston-Salem
Income$59,268−18%
Home value$233,800−20%
Population257,271+783%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KERNERSVILLE VS
Summerfield
Income$160,275+123%
Home value$521,900+80%
Population11,327−61%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KERNERSVILLE VS
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Income$61,515−14%
Home value$244,800−16%
Population308,667+960%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Kernersville, North Carolina?

Kernersville, North Carolina has about 27,830 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Kernersville, North Carolina?

The typical household in Kernersville, North Carolina earns about $71,918 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Kernersville, North Carolina expensive?

In Kernersville, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $290,700, and the typical rent is about $1,082 a month.

How educated are people in Kernersville, North Carolina?

About 37.0% of adults age 25 and over in Kernersville, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Kernersville, North Carolina?

About 12.6% of people in Kernersville, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Kernersville, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Kernersville, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 16,994 residents, a change of about 157 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →