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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Guilford County

North Carolina · 541,299 residents · 646 sq mi
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The short version

With 541,299 people, Guilford County is a county in North Carolina. Growth has run 29% since 2000, or 120,251 more people. The typical home is worth $172,900, having risen by half since 2000. About 37% of adults have finished a four-year degree. Households take in $54,794 at the median, 17% less than the US figure.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 37.6
US median: 38.8
More educated
37% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
541,299
+29%since 2000
from 421,048 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
37.6
+8%since 2000
from 34.9 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
646 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
327K388K448K508K568K19902000201020202024Guilford County
2024548K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.4%(29,159)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96%(32,473)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.4%(34,690)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 197.7%(41,645)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 248.4%(45,464)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412.9%(69,708)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4412%(64,917)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5412.6%(68,242)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6412.5%(67,760)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 749.5%(51,677)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844.7%(25,431)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.9%(10,133)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$54,794
−14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $42,618 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$31,798
+36%since 2000
from $23,340 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
36.8%
+8.4 ptssince 2009
from 28.4% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
15.3%
+4.7 ptssince 2000
from 10.6% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Retail trade12.9%
US avg: 10%
Information12%
US avg: 11.1%
Other services6.8%
US avg: 6.6%
Finance & insurance6%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical5.7%
US avg: 4.7%
Public administration5.1%
US avg: 4.7%
Wholesale trade4.9%
US avg: 6.7%
Transportation & warehousing3.4%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food1.5%
US avg: 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.4%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.3%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$172,900
+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $112,600 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$892
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $590 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
58.0%
−4.7 ptssince 2000
from 62.7% in 2000
42.0% rent
Persons per household
2.46 people
+3%since 2009
from 2.40 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
3.2
−3%since 2009
from 3.2 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.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic62.9%(264,847)
Black29%(122,279)
Hispanic / Latino3.8%(15,985)
Asian2.4%(10,211)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic47.2%(255,640)
Black33.1%(179,423)
Hispanic / Latino9.6%(52,152)
Asian5.3%(28,719)
Other3.2%(17,558)
Segregation Score
46
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
Mexican4.7%(24,996)
Puerto Rican1.1%(5,620)
Central American0.9%(4,719)
South American0.6%(3,039)
Salvadoran0.4%(2,076)
Dominican0.3%(1,603)
Colombian0.3%(1,432)
Cuban0.2%(1,133)
Honduran0.2%(963)
Guatemalan0.2%(846)
Spaniard0.1%(481)
Panamanian0.1%(470)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.1%(416)
Argentine0.1%(411)
Ecuadorian0.1%(285)
Nicaraguan0.1%(274)
Venezuelan0%(266)
Bolivian0%(83)
Uruguayan0%(58)
Chilean0%(40)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.2%(6,516)
Vietnamese1%(5,254)
Chinese0.5%(2,662)
Pakistani0.4%(2,168)
Korean0.3%(1,686)
Filipino0.3%(1,669)
Laotian0.3%(1,499)
Cambodian0.3%(1,344)
Nepalese0.1%(746)
Hmong0.1%(599)
Japanese0.1%(471)
Thai0.1%(403)
+ 8 more asian origin groups with data
Burmese0.1%(382)
Bhutanese0%(164)
Mongolian0%(132)
Taiwanese0%(103)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(264)
Samoan0%(34)
Tongan0%(15)
Fijian0%(13)
Ancestry
English8.5%(45,473)
German8%(42,809)
Irish6%(32,003)
American5.9%(31,396)
Italian2.6%(13,717)
Subsaharan African2.5%(13,327)
Scottish1.9%(10,371)
Scotch-Irish1.9%(10,345)
French1.2%(6,289)
Polish1.1%(5,985)
Dutch0.8%(4,053)
West Indian0.7%(3,505)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
British0.6%(3,150)
Welsh0.5%(2,595)
Norwegian0.4%(2,173)
Swedish0.4%(2,117)
Nigerian0.4%(2,077)
Russian0.3%(1,635)
French Canadian0.2%(1,321)
Jamaican0.2%(1,296)
Greek0.2%(1,207)
Danish0.2%(993)
Hungarian0.2%(992)
Arab0.2%(988)
Canadian0.2%(951)
Swiss0.1%(714)
Czech0.1%(688)
Ukrainian0.1%(583)
Iranian0.1%(518)
Belgian0.1%(515)
Lithuanian0.1%(504)
Austrian0.1%(444)
Portuguese0.1%(439)
Romanian0.1%(437)
Haitian0.1%(434)
Slovak0.1%(417)
Ghanaian0.1%(380)
Lebanese0.1%(379)
Iraqi0.1%(346)
Jordanian0.1%(346)
Syrian0.1%(299)
Egyptian0.1%(290)
Moroccan0.1%(289)
Brazilian0%(260)
Somali0%(257)
Croatian0%(248)
Finnish0%(236)
Serbian0%(232)
Ethiopian0%(207)
Guyanese0%(203)
Barbadian0%(188)
Turkish0%(179)
Bulgarian0%(152)
Armenian0%(116)
Israeli0%(86)
Slovene0%(59)
Latvian0%(56)
Kenyan0%(51)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
36.6%
+6.3 ptssince 2000
from 30.3% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
89.6%
+6.6 ptssince 2000
from 83.0% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
13.2%
+4.2 ptssince 2000
from 9.0% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.0 min
+66%since 2000
from 13.3 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
80.3%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 82.3% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
6.4%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 7.1% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.9%
−4.2 ptssince 2011
from 10.1% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
63.9%
−3.2 ptssince 2011
from 67.1% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
74.8%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
39.2%
+4.1 ptssince 2009
from 35.1% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
47.4%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 47.9% in 2009
Female
52.6%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 52.1% in 2009
Foreign born
10.7%
+2.3 ptssince 2009
from 8.5% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
9.2%
−7.1 ptssince 2013
from 16.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
90.1%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
84.3%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married39.9%(83,793)
Married49.2%(103,171)
Widowed3%(6,362)
Divorced7.9%(16,540)
Women 15+
Never married37.4%(89,507)
Married42.8%(102,504)
Widowed7.8%(18,731)
Divorced12%(28,644)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
9.2%
−7.1 ptssince 2013
from 16.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
54.8%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
15.1%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
17.2%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
18.5%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
2.1%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
68.0%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
33.7%
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)20.2%(5,546)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)21.6%(5,921)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era31.1%(8,546)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War7.3%(2,018)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II3.7%(1,025)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 27,474 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

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Head to head

Compare Guilford County to nearby counties

GUILFORD COUNTY VS
Rockingham County
Income$57,053+4%
Home value$168,600−2%
Population94,195−83%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
GUILFORD COUNTY VS
Alamance County
Income$65,651+20%
Home value$241,500+40%
Population186,177−67%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
GUILFORD COUNTY VS
Randolph County
Income$61,022+11%
Home value$197,100+14%
Population149,516−73%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
GUILFORD COUNTY VS
Forsyth County
Income$67,165+23%
Home value$250,400+45%
Population401,718−29%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Guilford County, North Carolina?

Guilford County, North Carolina has about 541,299 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Guilford County, North Carolina earns about $54,794 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Guilford County, North Carolina expensive?

In Guilford County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $172,900, and the typical rent is about $892 a month.

How educated are people in Guilford County, North Carolina?

About 36.6% of adults age 25 and over in Guilford County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 15.3% of people in Guilford County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Guilford County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Guilford County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 193,879 residents, a change of about 56 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 →