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COUNTY

Wilkes County

North Carolina · 66,233 residents (2025 est.) · 754 sq mi
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The short version

Wilkes County is a county of 65,935 people in North Carolina. 17% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. At a median age of 45.7, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $168,800. That trails the North Carolina median by roughly 29%. The foreign-born share is 4%.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 45.7
US median: 38.9
Less educated
17% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
65,935
Unchangedsince 2000
from 65,632 in 2000
66,233 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
87 / sq mi
−1%since 2009
from 88 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
45.7
+19%since 2000
from 38.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
754 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
58K61K64K67K70K19902000201020202024Wilkes County
202466K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55%(3,276)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.3%(3,487)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.8%(3,826)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.8%(3,823)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.7%(3,739)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3411.2%(7,353)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4410.6%(6,958)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413.3%(8,737)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6414.6%(9,626)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7413.1%(8,615)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846.5%(4,309)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over3.3%(2,186)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$51,721
−17%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $34,258 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$27,947
+60%since 2000
from $17,516 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
33.4%
+17.1 ptssince 2009
from 16.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
16.7%
+4.9 ptssince 2000
from 11.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.418
−10%since 2010
from 0.465 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade16.6%
US avg: 9.9%
Information14.8%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade8%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance5.4%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical5.2%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services2.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction2.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.2%
Public administration1.8%
US avg: 4.8%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.2%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$168,800
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $80,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$723
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $416 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
73.5%
−4.4 ptssince 2000
from 77.9% in 2000
26.5% rent
Vacancy rate
14.9%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 14.0% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.40 people
−2%since 2009
from 2.46 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
14.7%
−7.2 ptssince 2009
from 21.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
33.5%
−4.0 ptssince 2009
from 37.6% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.3
+6%since 2009
from 3.1 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.
Gentrification Score
40
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic91.4%(59,977)
Black4.1%(2,719)
Hispanic / Latino3.4%(2,262)
Asian0.3%(213)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic85.7%(56,518)
Black3.6%(2,403)
Hispanic / Latino7.5%(4,915)
Asian0.6%(396)
Other2.6%(1,703)
Diversity Score
32
+27%since 2009
from 25 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
32
+19%since 2020
from 27 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
Mexican4.1%(2,697)
Central American2.1%(1,391)
Puerto Rican0.6%(409)
Salvadoran0.6%(384)
Guatemalan0.6%(379)
Honduran0.5%(346)
Nicaraguan0.3%(177)
Costa Rican0.1%(92)
Cuban0.1%(68)
Dominican0.1%(62)
+ 2 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Korean0.3%(197)
Chinese0.2%(120)
Filipino0.1%(50)
Japanese0%(29)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(48)
Ancestry
American32.8%(21,616)
English13.1%(8,607)
German7.3%(4,798)
Irish7%(4,625)
Scotch-Irish2.4%(1,561)
Scottish1.9%(1,247)
Italian1.3%(834)
French1%(651)
Dutch0.5%(330)
Welsh0.4%(294)
Polish0.3%(219)
Swedish0.3%(189)
+ 23 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.3%(172)
British0.1%(89)
Czech0.1%(79)
West Indian0.1%(72)
Hungarian0.1%(53)
Austrian0.1%(45)
Haitian0.1%(39)
Russian0.1%(37)
Swiss0.1%(34)
Jamaican0%(22)
Greek0%(18)
Romanian0%(17)
Danish0%(12)
Finnish0%(8)
Arab0%(2)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
16.9%
+5.6 ptssince 2000
from 11.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
81.7%
+15.7 ptssince 2000
from 66.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
6.1%
+2.5 ptssince 2000
from 3.6% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
25.9 min
+60%since 2000
from 16.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
79.2%
−4.0 ptssince 2009
from 83.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
10.2%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 11.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.2%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
9.1%
+6.5 ptssince 2009
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.0%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.8%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 6.3% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.0%
−7.0 ptssince 2011
from 12.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
55.7%
−1.9 ptssince 2011
from 57.6% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
68.2%
−1.2 ptssince 2020
from 69.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
13.6%
+2.2 ptssince 2009
from 11.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
29.5%
+4.7 ptssince 2009
from 24.8% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.5%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.4% in 2009
Female
50.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.6% in 2009
Foreign born
3.7%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 3.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.1%
−2.8 ptssince 2009
from 8.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
19.1%
+0.9 ptssince 2012
from 18.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
10.5%
−6.0 ptssince 2013
from 16.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
88.1%
+21.6 ptssince 2017
from 66.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
90.8%
+4.5 ptssince 2020
from 86.3% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
95.4%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 94.3% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
92.5%
−1.3 ptssince 2016
from 93.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
5.7%
+0.8 ptssince 2016
from 4.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married29%(7,918)
Married56.4%(15,410)
Widowed4.5%(1,220)
Divorced10.2%(2,774)
Women 15+
Never married21.2%(5,945)
Married54.1%(15,147)
Widowed13.3%(3,731)
Divorced11.4%(3,201)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
10.5%
−6.0 ptssince 2013
from 16.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
40.5%
−4.4 ptssince 2020
from 44.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
16.7%
−2.0 ptssince 2020
from 18.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
26.7%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 25.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
26.0%
+6.1 ptssince 2020
from 19.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.5%
−1.0 ptssince 2020
from 3.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
56.7%
−5.6 ptssince 2020
from 62.3% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
46.4%
+4.9 ptssince 2020
from 41.5% 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)11.1%(356)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22.8%(733)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era43.9%(1,410)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War9.3%(300)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.3%(11)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 3,211 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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Pop 66,524
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Pop 62,987
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Places similar to Wilkes County
Head to head

Compare Wilkes County to nearby counties

WILKES COUNTY VS
Alleghany County
Income$47,172−9%
Home value$214,800+27%
Population11,479−83%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WILKES COUNTY VS
Alexander County
Income$65,354+26%
Home value$211,800+25%
Population36,958−44%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WILKES COUNTY VS
Ashe County
Income$56,866+10%
Home value$243,100+44%
Population27,514−58%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WILKES COUNTY VS
Caldwell County
Income$56,425+9%
Home value$192,200+14%
Population81,105+22%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Wilkes County, North Carolina?

Wilkes County, North Carolina has about 65,935 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Wilkes County, North Carolina earns about $51,721 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Wilkes County, North Carolina expensive?

In Wilkes County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $168,800, and the typical rent is about $723 a month.

How educated are people in Wilkes County, North Carolina?

About 16.9% of adults age 25 and over in Wilkes County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 16.7% of people in Wilkes County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Wilkes County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Wilkes County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 6,542 residents, a change of about 11 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 →

Wilkes County, North Carolina: demographics, income & housing data · CensusEasy