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CITY

North Wilkesboro

North Carolina · 4,369 residents (2025 est.) · 6.63 sq mi
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The short version

North Wilkesboro is home to 4,421 people in North Carolina. That trails the North Carolina median by roughly 47%. Owners hold 51% of the housing stock. 23.8% of residents live below the federal poverty line. 25% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median household earns $38,474, about 53% below the national median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 43.1
US median: 38.9
Less educated
25% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 39%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
4,421
+7%since 2000
from 4,116 in 2000
4,369 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
667 / sq mi
+7%since 2009
from 626 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
43.1
+19%since 2000
from 36.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
6.63 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
3K4K4K4K5K19902000201020202024North Wilkesboro
20244K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.2%(186)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.3%(233)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.7%(296)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 192.9%(130)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 248.4%(372)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3410.1%(448)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4415.6%(689)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5414.9%(658)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411.4%(505)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.6%(468)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846.4%(283)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over3.5%(153)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$38,474
−7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $22,813 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$28,364
+94%since 2000
from $14,594 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
29.7%
+14.0 ptssince 2009
from 15.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
23.8%
+2.5 ptssince 2000
from 21.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.492
+1%since 2010
from 0.488 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade14%
US avg: 9.9%
Information11.9%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade6.1%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance5%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical5%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing4.3%
US avg: 2.2%
Other services1.7%
US avg: 6.7%
Arts, entertainment, food1.6%
US avg: 1.9%
Public administration0.8%
US avg: 4.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
Education & health services0%
US avg: 0.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$212,700
+39%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $84,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$599
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $335 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
51.3%
+5.3 ptssince 2000
from 46.0% in 2000
48.7% rent
Vacancy rate
8.2%
−11.9 ptssince 2009
from 20.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.10 people
−7%since 2009
from 2.25 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
20.2%
−6.8 ptssince 2009
from 27.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
38.1%
+5.4 ptssince 2009
from 32.7% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
5.5
+9%since 2009
from 5.1 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
47
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic72.3%(2,977)
Black13.7%(564)
Hispanic / Latino11.3%(464)
Asian0.7%(30)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic74.6%(3,297)
Black6.7%(295)
Hispanic / Latino4.4%(194)
Asian2.7%(120)
Other11.6%(515)
Diversity Score
53
−4%since 2009
from 55 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
Puerto Rican1.3%(59)
Mexican0.7%(32)
Cuban0.7%(29)
Guatemalan0.7%(29)
Spaniard0.2%(8)
Honduran0.2%(7)
Asian origin
Chinese2.7%(120)
Ancestry
American27%(1,195)
English11.9%(525)
German4.5%(201)
Italian2.8%(123)
Irish2.3%(100)
Czech1.4%(62)
Scotch-Irish1.2%(52)
Scottish1%(46)
French1%(45)
Swedish0.8%(37)
Austrian0.8%(34)
+ 6 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.7%(30)
Polish0.4%(16)
Swiss0.1%(4)
Armenian0.1%(3)
Dutch0.1%(3)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
24.7%
+6.2 ptssince 2000
from 18.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
77.6%
+14.3 ptssince 2000
from 63.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
8.5%
+1.0 ptssince 2000
from 7.5% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
14.7 min
+20%since 2000
from 12.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
70.8%
−10.3 ptssince 2009
from 81.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.5%
−5.4 ptssince 2009
from 12.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.4%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
16.3%
+13.3 ptssince 2009
from 3.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
4.2%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 3.0% 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
12.7%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 12.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.8%
−11.6 ptssince 2011
from 16.5% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
50.7%
+4.8 ptssince 2011
from 45.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
64.8%
+9.8 ptssince 2020
from 55.0% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
18.1%
−2.1 ptssince 2009
from 20.1% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
48.0%
+22.5 ptssince 2009
from 25.4% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.9%
+3.7 ptssince 2009
from 47.2% in 2009
Female
49.1%
−3.7 ptssince 2009
from 52.8% in 2009
Foreign born
4.4%
−7.9 ptssince 2009
from 12.3% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.2%
−4.8 ptssince 2009
from 9.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
20.8%
+0.3 ptssince 2012
from 20.5% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
13.0%
−7.3 ptssince 2013
from 20.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
93.1%
+38.8 ptssince 2017
from 54.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
91.3%
+8.4 ptssince 2020
from 82.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
90.9%
+5.7 ptssince 2020
from 85.2% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
93.3%
+3.7 ptssince 2016
from 89.6% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
3.3%
−6.7 ptssince 2016
from 10.0% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married40.9%(742)
Married30.5%(553)
Widowed12.7%(231)
Divorced16%(290)
Women 15+
Never married26.3%(497)
Married31.3%(591)
Widowed17.9%(338)
Divorced24.6%(464)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
13.0%
−7.3 ptssince 2013
from 20.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
44.9%
+2.5 ptssince 2020
from 42.4% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
12.9%
−5.7 ptssince 2020
from 18.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
25.2%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 23.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
26.5%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 27.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.1%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 1.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
57.8%
−2.7 ptssince 2020
from 60.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
40.6%
−2.2 ptssince 2020
from 42.8% 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)6.5%(10)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)31.4%(48)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era38.6%(59)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2%(3)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 153 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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NORTH WILKESBORO VS
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NORTH WILKESBORO VS
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Frequently asked

How many people live in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina?

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina has about 4,421 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina earns about $38,474 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is North Wilkesboro, North Carolina expensive?

In North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $212,700, and the typical rent is about $599 a month.

How educated are people in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina?

About 24.7% of adults age 25 and over in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina?

About 23.8% of people in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has North Wilkesboro, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 1,014 residents, a change of about 30 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 →