Valdese is a city of 4,704 people in North Carolina. At a median age of 52.6, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Households here earn about 30% less than in North Carolina as a whole. Median rent is $665 a month. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $209,800. Households take in $50,740 at the median, 38% less than the US figure.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $50,740, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 52.6
US median: 38.9
Average education
37% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 43%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Valdese
What changed most since 1990
Median age38.8 → 52.6(+13.8 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
Adults with a bachelor's degree12.6% → 37.2%(+24.7 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Homes owned by their occupants64.2% → 72.9%(+8.7 pts)US over the same years: +0.9 pts
Valdese's population equals 5.4% of Burke County's. Its number of people who work from home equals 11% of the county's. Its number of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher equals 9.9% 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)25.8%(79)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)23.9%(73)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era17.3%(53)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War0%(0)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 306 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
Valdese, decade by decade
Valdese 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
3,867
$56,046
$129,364
12.6%
3.6
2000
4,485
$55,774
$147,190
19.8%
25.7
2010
4,490
$53,506
$177,376
21.3%
20.0
2020
4,689
$70,886
$145,808
27.0%
29.2
2024
4,704
$50,740
$209,800
37.2%
31.4
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.
