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CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Winston-Salem

North Carolina · 143,485 residents · 133.584 sq mi
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The short version

Winston-Salem has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $26,488. Population has fallen 23% since 2000, a loss of 42,291 residents. Median home value is $68,600. 27% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, well above the US average, yet household income trails the national figure — a profile common to graduate-student tracts and academic hubs.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 33.3
US median: 33.0
More educated
27% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 9%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
143,485
−23%vs 2000
vs 185,776 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
33.3
−4%vs 2000
vs 34.6 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Population, 1990 – 2024
133K165K198K230K263K1990201020202024Winston-Salem
2024252K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 56.7%(9,543)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 96%(8,553)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 145.6%(8,046)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 197.3%(10,528)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 249%(12,886)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3418.4%(26,352)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4414.3%(20,539)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 549.9%(14,147)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 648.9%(12,715)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 747.9%(11,287)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 844.6%(6,597)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.6%(2,292)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$26,488
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $37,006 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$15,696
−30%vs 2000
vs $22,468 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
15.2%
Unchangedvs 2000
vs 15.2% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$68,600
−9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $99,000 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$385
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $518 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
51.9%
−3.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 55.8% in 2000
48.1% rent
RELATED:See current rent listings in Winston-Salem on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic52.4%(97,420)
Black36.4%(67,648)
Hispanic / Latino8.6%(16,043)
Asian1.1%(2,082)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic59.4%(85,274)
Black39.3%(56,428)
Hispanic / Latino0.7%(1,026)
Asian0.8%(1,207)
Other0.4%(576)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican10.1%(25,400)
Puerto Rican1.8%(4,591)
Salvadoran1.6%(4,019)
South American1.4%(3,627)
Dominican0.7%(1,676)
Honduran0.7%(1,664)
Colombian0.4%(1,107)
Guatemalan0.4%(966)
Cuban0.4%(890)
Venezuelan0.3%(773)
Nicaraguan0.2%(500)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.2%(500)
Chilean0.2%(466)
Uruguayan0.2%(382)
Spaniard0.1%(338)
Ecuadorian0.1%(328)
Panamanian0.1%(230)
Argentine0%(71)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.6%(1,593)
Chinese0.6%(1,502)
Filipino0.4%(945)
Vietnamese0.2%(443)
Japanese0.1%(303)
Korean0.1%(294)
Nepalese0.1%(166)
Burmese0.1%(139)
Bhutanese0%(111)
Taiwanese0%(110)
Thai0%(70)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(111)
Chamorro0%(16)
Ancestry
English10.1%(25,531)
German8.1%(20,318)
Irish6.4%(16,239)
American5.1%(12,873)
Italian2.6%(6,664)
Scottish1.7%(4,309)
Scotch-Irish1.4%(3,604)
French1%(2,537)
Polish0.9%(2,162)
West Indian0.7%(1,674)
Arab0.6%(1,570)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Greek0.5%(1,269)
Norwegian0.4%(1,134)
Swedish0.4%(1,097)
Dutch0.4%(1,017)
British0.4%(944)
Russian0.4%(911)
Welsh0.3%(851)
Jamaican0.3%(826)
Danish0.3%(727)
Egyptian0.3%(698)
Nigerian0.3%(674)
Swiss0.2%(559)
Haitian0.2%(493)
Hungarian0.2%(450)
Croatian0.2%(435)
Lebanese0.2%(410)
Canadian0.2%(393)
Portuguese0.1%(373)
Slovak0.1%(363)
Ukrainian0.1%(330)
Czech0.1%(292)
Ethiopian0.1%(255)
Austrian0.1%(250)
Ghanaian0.1%(239)
Brazilian0.1%(216)
Lithuanian0.1%(208)
Iranian0.1%(205)
Moroccan0.1%(153)
Finnish0.1%(133)
Romanian0%(123)
Belgian0%(118)
Guyanese0%(116)
Serbian0%(87)
Turkish0%(82)
Israeli0%(77)
Armenian0%(48)
Bulgarian0%(41)
Syrian0%(38)
Slovene0%(17)
Kenyan0%(16)
Barbadian0%(15)
Latvian0%(10)
Iraqi0%(6)
RANKED:Largest English population · Largest Mexican population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest American population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
27.2%
−3.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 30.3% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
77.0%
−3.2 ptsvs 2000
vs 80.2% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
9.5%
−1.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 11.0% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
15.8 min
+28%vs 2000
vs 12.3 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married43.9%(41,554)
Married46%(43,555)
Widowed2.2%(2,065)
Divorced7.9%(7,485)
Women 15+
Never married41.4%(45,889)
Married39.1%(43,273)
Widowed7.7%(8,569)
Divorced11.8%(13,082)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Winston-Salem, North Carolina?

Winston-Salem, North Carolina has about 143,485 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Winston-Salem, North Carolina?

The typical household in Winston-Salem, North Carolina earns about $26,488 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Winston-Salem, North Carolina expensive?

In Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $68,600, and the typical rent is about $385 a month.

How educated are people in Winston-Salem, North Carolina?

About 27.2% of adults age 25 and over in Winston-Salem, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Winston-Salem, North Carolina?

About 15.2% of people in Winston-Salem, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →