United States › Kinston MICROPOLITAN AREA
Kinston Micro Kinston, NC · 1 counties · 55,837 residents (2025 est.) · 399 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Kinston is a metro area of 54,919 people. 16% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. Home values have risen by half since 2000, reaching $120,500. The poverty rate is 22.0%, above the 12.5% national rate. The median household earns $45,143, about 45% below the national median. 4% of people across the metro were born outside the United States.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.9
US median: 38.9
Less educated
16% 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 from 59,648 in 2000
55,837 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 149 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
from 38.1 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
54K 56K 57K 59K 60K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Kinston Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $45,143
−21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $31,191 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $16,744 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 15.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 16.6% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.458 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 3.8%
Public administration 2.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 2.8%
Transportation & warehousing 1.7%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.7%
Education & health services 0.6%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$120,500
−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $69,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$861
+17%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $405 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 67.0% in 2000
40.8% rent
from 12.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.21 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 29.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 49.1% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.8 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 55.5%(33,075)
Hispanic / Latino 3.2%(1,891)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 47.3%(25,969)
Hispanic / Latino 8.8%(4,843)
from 69 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 39 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 Ancestry
+ 27 more ancestry groups with data from 13.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 71.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 3.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 15.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 76.7% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 16.5% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.6% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 3.3% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 11.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 11.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 58.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 70.7% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 16.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 28.3% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 3.3% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 12.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 19.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 19.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 71.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 85.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 87.2% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 92.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 6.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 37.6%(7,920)
Women 15+
Never married 34.5%(8,214)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 19.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 44.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 15.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 24.1% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 30.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 4.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 57.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 48.6% 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) 18.3%(648)
Gulf War (1990s) 23.5%(832)
Share of the 3,539 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
In this metro
Largest cities What's inside
1 component county Drill deeper
Metros similar to Kinston Head to head
Compare Kinston side by side KINSTON VS
Carbondale
Income $48,763 +8%
Home value $137,300 +14%
Population 52,501 −6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KINSTON VS
Bogalusa
Income $45,380 +1%
Home value $155,700 +29%
Population 44,937 −20%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KINSTON VS
Douglas
Income $49,338 +9%
Home value $120,851 same
Population 52,861 −5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KINSTON VS
Eagle Pass
Income $49,568 +10%
Home value $158,700 +32%
Population 58,823 +5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Kinston, NC? Kinston, NC has about 54,919 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Kinston, NC? The typical household in Kinston, NC earns about $45,143 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Kinston, NC expensive? In Kinston, NC, the median home is worth about $120,500, and the typical rent is about $861 a month.
How educated are people in Kinston, NC? About 16.3% of adults age 25 and over in Kinston, NC hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Kinston, NC? About 22.0% of people in Kinston, NC live below the federal poverty line.
Has Kinston, NC grown since 1990? Yes, Kinston, NC has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 2,355 residents, a change of about -4 percent over that period.
Keep going
Explore from here 