North Wilkesboro is a metro area of 65,935 people. 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. The foreign-born share is 4%. Renters pay $723 a month at the median.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $51,721, 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
Unique to this place
What stands out about North Wilkesboro
What changed most since 1990
White share94.2% → 85.7%(−8.5 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Median age35.2 → 45.7(+10.5 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
Adults with a bachelor's degree8.8% → 16.9%(+8.1 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Among the 38 metro and micro areas based in North Carolina
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
Over time
North Wilkesboro, decade by decade
North Wilkesboro population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
59,393
$53,428
$126,724
8.8%
13.7
2000
65,632
$62,406
$146,461
11.3%
20.2
2010
69,340
$48,103
$156,948
12.3%
25.8
2020
65,969
$54,518
$156,595
16.0%
33.0
2024
65,935
$51,721
$168,800
16.9%
32.2
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
