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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Johnston County

North Carolina · 215,999 residents · 792 sq mi
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The short version

Johnston County is a county of 215,999 people in North Carolina. Since 2000 the county has risen by half, up 94,034 people. 74% of homes are owner-occupied. 24% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $180,200. The foreign-born share is 7%.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 38.0
US median: 38.8
Less educated
24% 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
215,999
+77%since 2000
from 121,965 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
38.0
+11%since 2000
from 34.2 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
792 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
66K112K158K204K250K19902000201020202024Johnston County
2024234K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 56.2%(13,349)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 97.1%(15,342)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 147.9%(17,036)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 197.3%(15,798)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.3%(11,482)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412.1%(26,122)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4413.6%(29,370)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5414.3%(30,917)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6412.3%(26,535)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 748.9%(19,143)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844%(8,599)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.1%(2,306)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$61,806
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $40,872 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$29,327
+56%since 2000
from $18,788 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
41.5%
+12.7 ptssince 2009
from 28.8% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
12.2%
−0.6 ptssince 2000
from 12.8% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information11.8%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade11.2%
US avg: 10%
Wholesale trade10.6%
US avg: 6.7%
Other services5.7%
US avg: 6.6%
Finance & insurance4.7%
US avg: 5.5%
Public administration4.3%
US avg: 4.7%
Professional, scientific, technical4%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing2.8%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food1.9%
US avg: 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction1%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$180,200
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $97,100 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$835
+12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $498 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
73.9%
+0.5 ptssince 2000
from 73.4% in 2000
26.1% rent
Persons per household
2.83 people
+3%since 2009
from 2.76 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
2.9
+11%since 2009
from 2.6 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-Hispanic75.3%(91,870)
Black15.6%(18,971)
Hispanic / Latino7.7%(9,440)
Asian0.3%(355)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic63.2%(136,464)
Black15.3%(33,041)
Hispanic / Latino15.9%(34,400)
Asian0.8%(1,831)
Other2.9%(6,227)
Segregation Score
28
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
Mexican8.6%(17,444)
Puerto Rican1.3%(2,724)
Honduran1%(1,952)
Cuban0.6%(1,279)
South American0.6%(1,185)
Salvadoran0.4%(766)
Nicaraguan0.4%(728)
Dominican0.3%(545)
Colombian0.2%(483)
Guatemalan0.2%(431)
Ecuadorian0.1%(297)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.1%(267)
Spaniard0.1%(200)
Costa Rican0.1%(137)
Uruguayan0%(60)
Argentine0%(26)
Chilean0%(11)
Asian origin
Chinese0.2%(470)
Filipino0.2%(418)
Asian Indian0.1%(181)
Korean0.1%(125)
Japanese0%(19)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(66)
Ancestry
American13.8%(28,003)
English11.2%(22,704)
Irish9.2%(18,631)
German7.5%(15,241)
Italian3.4%(6,843)
Scottish2.5%(5,033)
Scotch-Irish2.1%(4,245)
French2%(4,150)
Polish1.5%(2,989)
Welsh0.9%(1,841)
Swedish0.7%(1,418)
+ 46 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch0.7%(1,346)
British0.4%(895)
Russian0.4%(783)
West Indian0.3%(614)
Norwegian0.3%(585)
Nigerian0.3%(558)
Czech0.2%(377)
Hungarian0.2%(364)
Swiss0.2%(341)
Danish0.1%(303)
Canadian0.1%(298)
Jordanian0.1%(283)
Greek0.1%(273)
Austrian0.1%(220)
Brazilian0.1%(219)
Bulgarian0.1%(182)
Haitian0.1%(182)
Ukrainian0.1%(169)
Jamaican0.1%(162)
Egyptian0.1%(138)
Belgian0.1%(133)
Croatian0.1%(125)
Finnish0.1%(120)
Portuguese0.1%(119)
Barbadian0.1%(110)
Kenyan0.1%(109)
Lithuanian0.1%(106)
Romanian0%(83)
Lebanese0%(69)
Armenian0%(66)
Slovene0%(66)
Slovak0%(45)
Turkish0%(33)
Arab0%(28)
Latvian0%(24)
Ghanaian0%(22)
Serbian0%(21)
Guyanese0%(20)
Iraqi0%(16)
Ethiopian0%(13)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
24.0%
+8.1 ptssince 2000
from 15.9% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
88.2%
+12.3 ptssince 2000
from 75.9% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
6.9%
+3.3 ptssince 2000
from 3.6% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
31.4 min
+40%since 2000
from 22.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
82.5%
+2.3 ptssince 2009
from 80.2% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
4.6%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 4.4% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.3%
−4.8 ptssince 2011
from 9.0% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
65.0%
−3.7 ptssince 2011
from 68.7% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
72.4%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
35.2%
+3.8 ptssince 2009
from 31.4% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.1%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 49.8% in 2009
Female
50.9%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 50.2% in 2009
Foreign born
7.4%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 7.3% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
11.9%
−5.0 ptssince 2013
from 16.9% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
92.4%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
88.6%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married30.7%(28,025)
Married58.7%(53,528)
Widowed2.3%(2,063)
Divorced8.3%(7,546)
Women 15+
Never married27.3%(26,081)
Married54.2%(51,754)
Widowed7.9%(7,509)
Divorced10.7%(10,225)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
11.9%
−5.0 ptssince 2013
from 16.9% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
55.5%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
12.1%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
16.0%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
18.9%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
2.4%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
66.5%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
33.2%
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)24.7%(3,599)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)31.3%(4,561)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era27.9%(4,056)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War4.6%(667)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II2.2%(316)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 14,552 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 Johnston County

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Pop 264,922
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Pop 233,132
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Pop 277,140
St. Tammany Parish
Pop 279,108
Places similar to Johnston County
Head to head

Compare Johnston County to nearby counties

JOHNSTON COUNTY VS
Wayne County
Income$59,733−3%
Home value$178,700−1%
Population122,278−52%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
JOHNSTON COUNTY VS
Wake County
Income$105,768+71%
Home value$461,300+156%
Population1,257,235+390%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
JOHNSTON COUNTY VS
Wilson County
Income$56,423−9%
Home value$186,000+3%
Population81,150−68%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
JOHNSTON COUNTY VS
Harnett County
Income$71,287+15%
Home value$246,200+37%
Population150,137−41%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Johnston County, North Carolina?

Johnston County, North Carolina has about 215,999 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Johnston County, North Carolina earns about $61,806 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Johnston County, North Carolina expensive?

In Johnston County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $180,200, and the typical rent is about $835 a month.

How educated are people in Johnston County, North Carolina?

About 24.0% of adults age 25 and over in Johnston County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 12.2% of people in Johnston County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Johnston County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Johnston County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 134,693 residents, a change of about 166 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 →