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COUNTY

Forsyth County

North Carolina · 401,718 residents (2025 est.) · 408 sq mi
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The short version

With 389,977 people, Forsyth County is a county in North Carolina. Growth has run 27% since 2000, or 83,910 more people. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $250,400. Density works out to 956 people per square mile. The median household earns $67,165, about 18% below the national median. 38% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

At a glance
Lower income
median household income $67,165, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 38.4
US median: 38.9
Average education
38% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 26%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Forsyth County

What changed most since 1990

  • Median home value (2024 dollars)$180,245 → $250,400 (+39%)US over the same years: +67%

Among the 100 counties in North Carolina

  • 31st in household income$67,165
  • 14th in share with a bachelor's degree38.5%
  • 34th in home value$250,400
  • 13th in diversity score78.5
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
389,977
+27%since 2000
from 306,067 in 2000
401,718 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
956 / sq mi
+27%since 2000
from 750 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
38.4
+7%since 2000
from 36.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
408 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
253K291K328K365K402K19902000201020202024Forsyth County
2024390K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.7%(22,353)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.9%(22,919)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.9%(26,846)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 197.3%(28,513)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.8%(26,410)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.2%(51,453)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.3%(47,837)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.2%(47,656)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.8%(49,856)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.2%(39,593)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.9%(19,265)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.9%(7,276)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$67,165
−12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $42,097 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$39,203
+70%since 2000
from $23,023 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
45.2%
+16.5 ptssince 2009
from 28.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
14.5%
+3.5 ptssince 2000
from 11.0% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.478
+2%since 2010
from 0.470 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade12.6%
US avg: 9.9%
Information10.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services6.7%
US avg: 6.7%
Wholesale trade6.6%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance5.8%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical5.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration5.2%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing2.1%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.4%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.3%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$250,400
+26%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $108,900 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,098
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $523 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
63.6%
−2.0 ptssince 2000
from 65.6% in 2000
36.4% rent
Vacancy rate
8.9%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.37 people
−4%since 2009
from 2.47 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
19.1%
−4.2 ptssince 2009
from 23.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
45.6%
+1.8 ptssince 2009
from 43.7% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.7
+21%since 2009
from 3.1 in 2009
1990 – 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-Hispanic66.1%(202,338)
Black25.2%(77,041)
Hispanic / Latino6.4%(19,577)
Asian1%(3,133)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic53.5%(208,781)
Black24.6%(95,863)
Hispanic / Latino15.1%(58,888)
Asian2.3%(9,098)
Other4.4%(17,347)
Diversity Score
78
+16%since 2009
from 68 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
41
−6%since 2020
from 44 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican8.2%(31,879)
Central American2.2%(8,698)
Puerto Rican1.6%(6,121)
Salvadoran1.3%(4,992)
South American1.2%(4,787)
Dominican0.6%(2,209)
Colombian0.5%(1,823)
Cuban0.4%(1,727)
Honduran0.4%(1,709)
Guatemalan0.3%(1,032)
Venezuelan0.2%(907)
Spaniard0.2%(717)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.2%(633)
Nicaraguan0.1%(526)
Chilean0.1%(466)
Ecuadorian0.1%(441)
Uruguayan0.1%(430)
Panamanian0.1%(304)
Argentine0%(71)
Bolivian0%(16)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.6%(2,332)
Chinese0.6%(2,170)
Filipino0.4%(1,653)
Pakistani0.2%(642)
Vietnamese0.1%(569)
Korean0.1%(460)
Japanese0.1%(410)
Taiwanese0.1%(207)
Thai0%(177)
Nepalese0%(166)
Burmese0%(139)
Bhutanese0%(111)
+ 8 more asian origin groups with data
Hmong0%(36)
Cambodian0%(33)
Laotian0%(4)
Uzbek0%(4)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(111)
Chamorro0%(16)
Ancestry
English13.2%(51,518)
German9.9%(38,651)
Irish7.8%(30,363)
American6.1%(23,829)
Italian2.8%(11,064)
Scottish2.1%(8,000)
Scotch-Irish1.5%(5,978)
Polish1.1%(4,393)
French1.1%(4,209)
West Indian0.6%(2,282)
Dutch0.5%(2,124)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.5%(2,113)
Swedish0.5%(1,969)
Welsh0.5%(1,857)
British0.5%(1,835)
Greek0.5%(1,816)
Arab0.5%(1,775)
Russian0.3%(1,335)
Jamaican0.3%(1,048)
Danish0.2%(961)
Nigerian0.2%(929)
Swiss0.2%(836)
Hungarian0.2%(754)
Egyptian0.2%(714)
Canadian0.2%(696)
Portuguese0.2%(695)
Slovak0.1%(565)
Croatian0.1%(524)
Lebanese0.1%(497)
Haitian0.1%(493)
Ukrainian0.1%(490)
Finnish0.1%(439)
Czech0.1%(407)
Austrian0.1%(344)
Lithuanian0.1%(274)
Ghanaian0.1%(271)
Ethiopian0.1%(256)
Brazilian0.1%(235)
Romanian0.1%(225)
Belgian0.1%(217)
Iranian0.1%(215)
Guyanese0.1%(211)
Moroccan0%(192)
Turkish0%(152)
Israeli0%(99)
Serbian0%(94)
Barbadian0%(72)
Syrian0%(71)
Armenian0%(64)
Bulgarian0%(62)
Slovene0%(60)
Kenyan0%(16)
Latvian0%(10)
Iraqi0%(6)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
38.5%
+9.8 ptssince 2000
from 28.7% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
90.4%
+8.4 ptssince 2000
from 82.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
15.1%
+5.6 ptssince 2000
from 9.5% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.7 min
+74%since 2000
from 13.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
73.7%
−9.6 ptssince 2009
from 83.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.4%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 8.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.7%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
14.5%
+11.3 ptssince 2009
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.4%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 1.9% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.2%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 7.1% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.0%
−3.7 ptssince 2011
from 8.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
62.2%
−2.0 ptssince 2011
from 64.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
74.2%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 72.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
12.7%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 12.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
44.0%
+7.4 ptssince 2009
from 36.7% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
47.5%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 48.0% in 2009
Female
52.5%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 52.0% in 2009
Foreign born
9.7%
+1.6 ptssince 2009
from 8.1% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.3%
−3.9 ptssince 2009
from 10.2% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.7%
+2.4 ptssince 2012
from 10.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
9.8%
−5.9 ptssince 2013
from 15.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
90.2%
+12.3 ptssince 2017
from 77.9% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.6%
+3.2 ptssince 2020
from 92.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
87.0%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 86.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
83.8%
−2.1 ptssince 2016
from 85.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
12.2%
+1.2 ptssince 2016
from 11.0% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married38.1%(56,595)
Married51.5%(76,572)
Widowed2.2%(3,202)
Divorced8.3%(12,367)
Women 15+
Never married35%(59,115)
Married44.6%(75,422)
Widowed8.3%(14,106)
Divorced12.1%(20,480)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
9.8%
−5.9 ptssince 2013
from 15.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
52.7%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 52.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.6%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 15.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
18.6%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 18.1% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
20.5%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 18.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.2%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 2.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
65.5%
−1.4 ptssince 2020
from 66.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
36.8%
+2.0 ptssince 2020
from 34.8% 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)21.5%(4,092)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)21.8%(4,159)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era36.1%(6,873)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.1%(582)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.5%(285)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 19,059 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

Forsyth County, decade by decade

Forsyth County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990265,878$73,080$180,24524.1%49.4
2000306,067$76,686$198,37828.7%61.9
2010350,670$67,252$214,34731.2%71.9
2020382,590$64,945$198,53233.9%77.8
2024389,977$67,165$250,40038.5%78.5

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.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Forsyth County

Allen County
Pop 402,329
Jefferson Parish
Pop 431,398
St. Lucie County
Pop 402,449
Pulaski County
Pop 404,611
Places similar to Forsyth County
Head to head

Compare Forsyth County to nearby counties

FORSYTH COUNTY VS
Stokes County
Income$62,969−6%
Home value$196,700−21%
Population46,126−89%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
FORSYTH COUNTY VS
Davie County
Income$75,057+12%
Home value$253,900+1%
Population45,855−89%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
FORSYTH COUNTY VS
Yadkin County
Income$62,932−6%
Home value$181,200−28%
Population38,325−90%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
FORSYTH COUNTY VS
Davidson County
Income$64,172−4%
Home value$219,100−12%
Population180,182−55%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Forsyth County, North Carolina?

Forsyth County, North Carolina has about 389,977 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Forsyth County, North Carolina?

The typical household in Forsyth County, North Carolina earns about $67,165 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Forsyth County, North Carolina expensive?

In Forsyth County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $250,400, and the typical rent is about $1,098 a month.

How educated are people in Forsyth County, North Carolina?

About 38.5% of adults age 25 and over in Forsyth County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Forsyth County, North Carolina?

About 14.5% of people in Forsyth County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Forsyth County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Forsyth County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 124,099 residents, a change of about 47 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 →