United States › Kinston MICROPOLITAN AREA · 2020 ACS
Kinston Micro Kinston, NC · 1 counties · 55,122 residents · 399 sq mi
Time machine
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The short version
Kinston is a metro area of 55,122 people. 16% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 33% national rate. Median home value sits at $94,000. At a median age of 43.1, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 22.0% of people across the metro live below the federal poverty line. 4% of people across the metro were born outside the United States.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 43.1
US median: 38.8
Less educated
16% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
More affordable
home values down 9%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01
Population & growth from 38.1 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
54K 56K 57K 59K 60K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Kinston Age distribution, 2020
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Section 02
Income & economy $39,923
−15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $31,191 in 2000
US average: $66,278
from $16,744 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
from 15.3% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
from 16.6% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 3.8%
Professional, scientific, technical 3.3%
Transportation & warehousing 2.6%
Public administration 1.4%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.7%
Education & health services 0.1%
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$94,000
−9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $69,000 in 2000
US average: $265,253
$707
+16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $405 in 2000
US average: $1,124
from 67.0% in 2000
39.9% rent
from 2.21 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
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.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 55.5%(33,075)
Hispanic / Latino 3.2%(1,891)
2020
White, non-Hispanic 48.2%(26,582)
Hispanic / Latino 7.9%(4,365)
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 24 more ancestry groups with data from 13.3% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
from 71.9% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
from 3.7% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 15.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
from 76.7% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
from 11.2% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07
Work & employment from 11.0% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
from 58.8% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
US average: 73.3%
from 28.3% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08
People & community from 3.3% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
from 19.0% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
US average: 91.9%
Marital status (2024)
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: 8.8%
Direct-purchase
US average: 13.7%
VA health care
US average: 2.3%
Any private
US average: 68.1%
Any public
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) 16.9%(765)
Gulf War (1990s) 22.7%(1,027)
Share of the 4,529 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.
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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 +22%
Home value $137,300 +46%
Population 52,501 −6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KINSTON VS
Bogalusa
Income $45,380 +14%
Home value $155,700 +66%
Population 44,937 −20%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KINSTON VS
Douglas
Income $49,338 +24%
Home value $120,851 +29%
Population 52,861 −5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KINSTON VS
Eagle Pass
Income $49,568 +24%
Home value $158,700 +69%
Population 58,823 +5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Kinston, NC? Kinston, NC has about 55,122 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Kinston, NC? The typical household in Kinston, NC earns about $39,923 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 $94,000, and the typical rent is about $707 a month.
How educated are people in Kinston, NC? About 15.5% 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 2,152 residents, a change of about -4 percent over that period.
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