COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS

Vance County

North Carolina · 38,892 residents · 252 sq mi

Time machine

VIEWING

COMPARE TO

The short version

With 38,892 people, Vance County is a county in North Carolina. 9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Median home value sits at $53,000. The poverty rate is 19.6%, above the 13.2% national rate. That trails the North Carolina median by roughly 19%. Getting to work takes 15 minutes on average.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Mid-age

median age 33.1

US median: 33.0

Less educated

9% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

Stable housing

home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

38,892

−9%vs 2000

vs 42,954 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

33.1

−5%vs 2000

vs 35.0 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

252 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202442K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 57.3%(2,855)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 96.8%(2,664)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 147.7%(2,982)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 198.3%(3,228)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 247.2%(2,793)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3415.8%(6,155)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4415%(5,844)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 549.8%(3,811)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 649%(3,497)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 747.9%(3,082)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 843.8%(1,485)

US avg: 4%

85 and over1.3%(496)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$21,555

−9%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $31,301 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$10,457

−34%vs 2000

vs $15,897 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

19.6%

−0.9 ptsvs 2000

vs 20.5% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$53,000

−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $70,800 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$301

−10%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $441 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

65.3%

−1.0 ptsvs 2000

vs 66.3% in 2000

34.7% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic46.3%(19,894)

Black48%(20,604)

Hispanic / Latino4.6%(1,957)

Asian0.4%(163)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic54.3%(21,131)

Black45.2%(17,563)

Hispanic / Latino0.9%(331)

Asian0.1%(26)

Other0.4%(172)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

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

Hispanic origin

Mexican7.7%(3,267)

Puerto Rican1%(413)

Cuban0.3%(130)

Central American0.3%(121)

Salvadoran0.2%(69)

Guatemalan0.1%(52)

South American0.1%(46)

Colombian0.1%(46)

Dominican0%(18)

Asian origin

Bangladeshi0.2%(77)

Asian Indian0.2%(76)

Vietnamese0.2%(72)

Filipino0.1%(33)

Chinese0%(5)

Pacific Islander origin

Samoan0%(3)

Ancestry

American8.7%(3,703)

English8.7%(3,672)

Irish4.7%(2,007)

German3.1%(1,327)

West Indian0.9%(382)

Italian0.8%(351)

Subsaharan African0.8%(320)

Jamaican0.7%(305)

Scottish0.7%(293)

Scotch-Irish0.7%(289)

Arab0.5%(201)

Dutch0.4%(161)

+ 16 more ancestry groups with data

French Canadian0.3%(141)

Polish0.3%(110)

Norwegian0.2%(100)

Turkish0.2%(69)

French0.1%(55)

Egyptian0.1%(50)

Greek0.1%(49)

Haitian0.1%(49)

Swedish0.1%(34)

Austrian0.1%(30)

Canadian0.1%(30)

Russian0.1%(24)

British0%(19)

Finnish0%(17)

Welsh0%(12)

Ukrainian0%(6)

RANKED:Largest American population · Largest English population · Largest Mexican population · Largest Irish population · Largest German population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

9.5%

−1.2 ptsvs 2000

vs 10.7% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

57.1%

−11.0 ptsvs 2000

vs 68.1% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

2.3%

−0.9 ptsvs 2000

vs 3.3% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

15.1 min

−6%vs 2000

vs 16.2 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 married38.8%(6,038)

Married44.4%(6,909)

Widowed4.6%(710)

Divorced12.3%(1,917)

Women 15+

Never married35.9%(6,558)

Married39.2%(7,171)

Widowed11.2%(2,054)

Divorced13.7%(2,495)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

13.2%

−3.5 ptssince 2013

from 16.7% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

41.1%

−2.4 ptssince 2020

from 43.5% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

11.3%

−2.9 ptssince 2020

from 14.2% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

22.1%

+0.5 ptssince 2020

from 21.6% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

34.0%

+1.6 ptssince 2020

from 32.4% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

2.9%

−0.2 ptssince 2020

from 3.1% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

51.3%

−4.2 ptssince 2020

from 55.5% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

50.7%

+1.8 ptssince 2020

from 48.9% 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)21.7%(471)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)25.3%(549)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era37.7%(817)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War4%(87)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II2.4%(52)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,169 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