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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Rowan County

North Carolina · 146,875 residents · 512 sq mi
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The short version

Rowan County is home to 146,875 people in North Carolina. 20% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 33% national rate. Home values have risen by half since 2000, reaching $146,600. 5% of locals were born outside the United States. Renters pay $787 a month at the median. Owners hold 69% of the housing stock.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 41.4
US median: 38.8
Less educated
20% 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
146,875
+13%since 2000
from 130,340 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
41.4
+14%since 2000
from 36.4 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
512 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
107K118K130K142K154K19902000201020202024Rowan County
2024150K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.4%(7,975)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.8%(8,570)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.6%(9,627)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.7%(9,784)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246%(8,828)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3411.9%(17,427)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4411.8%(17,293)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5413.1%(19,277)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6414.4%(21,152)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7410.8%(15,919)
US avg: 10%
75 to 845.5%(8,083)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2%(2,940)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$51,054
−9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $37,494 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$26,789
+48%since 2000
from $18,071 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
31.9%
+7.8 ptssince 2009
from 24.1% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
16.2%
+5.6 ptssince 2000
from 10.6% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Retail trade16%
US avg: 10%
Information11.1%
US avg: 11.1%
Wholesale trade8.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance5.7%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical4.8%
US avg: 4.7%
Other services3.8%
US avg: 6.6%
Transportation & warehousing3.4%
US avg: 2.5%
Public administration2.6%
US avg: 4.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.5%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction1.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.8%
Arts, entertainment, food0.8%
US avg: 2%
Manufacturing0.5%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$146,600
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $88,000 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$787
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $496 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
68.6%
−4.9 ptssince 2000
from 73.6% in 2000
31.4% rent
Persons per household
2.52 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.51 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
2.9
+6%since 2009
from 2.7 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-Hispanic78.1%(101,859)
Black15.7%(20,440)
Hispanic / Latino4.1%(5,369)
Asian0.8%(1,086)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic68.2%(100,135)
Black15.5%(22,730)
Hispanic / Latino10.9%(15,940)
Asian1%(1,505)
Other2.4%(3,508)
Segregation Score
39
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
Mexican6%(8,389)
Central American1.5%(2,147)
Honduran0.7%(962)
Puerto Rican0.5%(735)
Salvadoran0.5%(713)
Dominican0.3%(484)
Cuban0.2%(299)
Nicaraguan0.2%(233)
Guatemalan0.1%(208)
Spaniard0.1%(197)
Uruguayan0.1%(107)
+ 4 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Chinese0.3%(390)
Vietnamese0.2%(341)
Thai0.2%(221)
Filipino0.1%(177)
Asian Indian0.1%(166)
Japanese0%(57)
Korean0%(54)
Hmong0%(23)
Laotian0%(2)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
German14.5%(20,486)
American12.2%(17,215)
English7.5%(10,614)
Irish7.2%(10,199)
Scotch-Irish3.4%(4,768)
Italian2.1%(2,981)
Scottish1.9%(2,742)
French1%(1,448)
Polish0.8%(1,106)
Dutch0.7%(1,040)
Welsh0.6%(911)
+ 37 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.5%(775)
British0.5%(650)
Norwegian0.2%(299)
Russian0.2%(214)
Hungarian0.1%(205)
Swiss0.1%(174)
Greek0.1%(128)
Ukrainian0.1%(125)
West Indian0.1%(118)
Czech0.1%(115)
Austrian0.1%(92)
Danish0.1%(91)
Slovak0%(70)
Croatian0%(60)
Lebanese0%(57)
Canadian0%(55)
Slovene0%(55)
Moroccan0%(51)
Haitian0%(48)
Finnish0%(43)
Syrian0%(35)
Armenian0%(35)
Belgian0%(31)
Romanian0%(30)
Nigerian0%(30)
Bulgarian0%(20)
Jamaican0%(19)
Ethiopian0%(16)
Serbian0%(8)
Latvian0%(6)
Israeli0%(5)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
19.8%
+5.7 ptssince 2000
from 14.2% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
85.9%
+11.8 ptssince 2000
from 74.2% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
5.5%
+1.6 ptssince 2000
from 3.9% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
25.8 min
+66%since 2000
from 15.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
83.0%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 84.6% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
6.3%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 6.6% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
7.0%
−3.1 ptssince 2011
from 10.1% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
59.9%
−0.8 ptssince 2011
from 60.7% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
69.7%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
30.5%
+3.8 ptssince 2009
from 26.7% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 49.2% in 2009
Female
50.6%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 50.8% in 2009
Foreign born
4.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.7% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
11.4%
−6.2 ptssince 2013
from 17.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
88.5%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
87.1%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married33%(19,921)
Married54.3%(32,840)
Widowed3.4%(2,026)
Divorced9.3%(5,640)
Women 15+
Never married26.9%(16,802)
Married50.7%(31,635)
Widowed9.5%(5,922)
Divorced12.9%(8,059)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
11.4%
−6.2 ptssince 2013
from 17.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
48.4%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
14.4%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
20.7%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
22.9%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
3.8%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
61.0%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
41.2%
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)17%(1,536)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)17.7%(1,603)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era37%(3,346)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War7.6%(684)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II3.5%(317)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 9,045 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 Rowan County to nearby counties

ROWAN COUNTY VS
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Home value$354,800+142%
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ROWAN COUNTY VS
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ROWAN COUNTY VS
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ROWAN COUNTY VS
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Home value$321,400+119%
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SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Rowan County, North Carolina?

Rowan County, North Carolina has about 146,875 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Rowan County, North Carolina earns about $51,054 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Rowan County, North Carolina expensive?

In Rowan County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $146,600, and the typical rent is about $787 a month.

How educated are people in Rowan County, North Carolina?

About 19.8% of adults age 25 and over in Rowan County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 16.2% of people in Rowan County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Rowan County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Rowan County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 36,270 residents, a change of about 33 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 →