Morganton is a city of 17,646 people in North Carolina. 25.7% of people here live below the federal poverty line. Households here earn about 29% less than in North Carolina as a whole. About 26% of adults have finished a four-year degree. Owners hold 55% of the housing stock. The typical home is worth $221,700, having more than doubled since 2000.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $51,355, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 37.8
US median: 38.9
Less educated
26% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 37%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Morganton
What changed most since 1990
Poverty rate10.6% → 25.7%(+15.1 pts)US over the same years: −0.8 pts
Hispanic share0.6% → 22.6%(+22.0 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree18.8% → 26.1%(+7.3 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Morganton's population equals 20% of Burke County's. Its number of households without a car equals 42% of the county's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 40% of the county's.
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)23.7%(145)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)4.7%(29)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era47.5%(291)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War12.7%(78)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.5%(15)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 612 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
Over time
Morganton, decade by decade
Morganton population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
15,085
$60,019
$134,644
18.8%
36.7
2000
17,310
$63,171
$162,127
20.8%
55.4
2010
16,918
$42,451
$181,260
21.3%
64.6
2020
17,474
$48,974
$185,927
20.6%
71.5
2024
17,646
$51,355
$221,700
26.1%
73.3
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
