United States › North Carolina › Rocky Mount CITY · 2020 ACS
Rocky Mount North Carolina · 54,341 residents · 44.7 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 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS 2024 ACS
The short version
Rocky Mount is home to 54,341 people in North Carolina. 48% of homes are owner-occupied. About 21% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The typical home is worth $109,700. The foreign-born share is 4%. That trails the North Carolina median by roughly 25%.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 41.3
US median: 38.8
Less educated
21% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
More affordable
home values down 15%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01
Population & growth from 35.2 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
48K 51K 54K 57K 60K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Rocky Mount Age distribution, 2020
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $42,691
−13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $32,661 in 2000
US average: $66,278
from $17,804 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
from 19.8% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
from 20.1% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Professional, scientific, technical 6.7%
Public administration 3.4%
Transportation & warehousing 2.6%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 1%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.9%
Education & health services 0.6%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$109,700
−15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $85,400 in 2000
US average: $265,253
$782
+5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $496 in 2000
US average: $1,124
from 55.0% in 2000
51.5% rent
2.37 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.38 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
from 2.9 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.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 40.3%(22,548)
Hispanic / Latino 1.8%(1,033)
2020
White, non-Hispanic 26.6%(14,470)
Hispanic / Latino 4.9%(2,672)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Hispanic origin
+ 3 more hispanic origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 23 more ancestry groups with data from 20.1% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
from 74.1% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
from 6.1% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 12.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
from 81.9% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
from 13.2% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07
Work & employment from 14.1% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
from 60.8% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
US average: 73.3%
from 28.9% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08
People & community from 2.7% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
from 16.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
US average: 91.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married 44.7%(8,999)
Women 15+
Never married 40.1%(9,711)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 16.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Direct-purchase
US average: 13.7%
VA health care
US average: 2.3%
Any private
US average: 68.1%
Any public
US average: 35.2%
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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later) 19.5%(710)
Gulf War (1990s) 21.3%(775)
Share of the 3,636 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 Rocky Mount Head to head
Compare Rocky Mount to nearby cities ROCKY MOUNT VS
Tarboro
Income $49,796 +17%
Home value $185,500 +69%
Population 10,979 −80%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ROCKY MOUNT VS
Wilson
Income $52,485 +23%
Home value $210,700 +92%
Population 49,572 −10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ROCKY MOUNT VS
Zebulon
Income $79,112 +85%
Home value $320,700 +192%
Population 11,933 −78%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ROCKY MOUNT VS
Roanoke Rapids
Income $53,690 +26%
Home value $142,700 +30%
Population 14,386 −74%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Rocky Mount, North Carolina? Rocky Mount, North Carolina has about 54,341 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Rocky Mount, North Carolina? The typical household in Rocky Mount, North Carolina earns about $42,691 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Rocky Mount, North Carolina expensive? In Rocky Mount, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $109,700, and the typical rent is about $782 a month.
How educated are people in Rocky Mount, North Carolina? About 21.1% of adults age 25 and over in Rocky Mount, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Rocky Mount, North Carolina? About 19.7% of people in Rocky Mount, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.
Has Rocky Mount, North Carolina grown since 1990? Yes, Rocky Mount, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 5,176 residents, a change of about 11 percent over that period.
Keep going
Explore from here 