METRO AREA
Rocky Mount Metro
Rocky Mount, NC · 2 counties · 148,486 residents (2025 est.) · 1,046 sq mi
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The short version
Rocky Mount is a metro area of 144,952 people. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 21% of adults. The typical home is worth $168,843, having more than doubled since 2000. The foreign-born share is 4%. Median rent is $921 a month. The median household earns $58,673, about 29% below the national median.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.6
US median: 38.9
Less educated
21% 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
144,952
+1%since 2000
from 143,026 in 2000
148,486 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
1,046 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024145K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.7%(8,327)
5 to 96.5%(9,487)
10 to 145.9%(8,567)
15 to 196.3%(9,182)
20 to 245.7%(8,203)
25 to 3412.4%(17,904)
35 to 4411.4%(16,488)
45 to 5412.1%(17,605)
55 to 6414.1%(20,375)
65 to 7412.2%(17,637)
75 to 845.4%(7,802)
85 and over2.3%(3,375)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$58,673
−7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $34,751 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
39.6%
+18.9 ptssince 2009
from 20.6% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade18.4%
Information12.1%
Wholesale trade7.1%
Other services6.1%
Finance & insurance6%
Professional, scientific, technical5.3%
Public administration4.1%
Transportation & warehousing2.3%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.7%
Construction1.6%
Arts, entertainment, food1%
Education & health services0.7%
Manufacturing0%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$168,843
+20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $76,969 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
2.9
+7%since 2009
from 2.7 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.
33
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic52.6%(75,164)
Black42.9%(61,295)
Hispanic / Latino3.1%(4,493)
Asian0.4%(539)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic42.5%(61,534)
Black45.3%(65,597)
Hispanic / Latino7.5%(10,930)
Asian0.8%(1,093)
Other4%(5,798)
75
+11%since 2009
from 67 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
34
−2%since 2020
from 34 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
Mexican5.4%(7,865)
Puerto Rican0.6%(923)
Central American0.6%(864)
Honduran0.4%(515)
South American0.3%(470)
Cuban0.3%(269)
Colombian0.2%(219)
Guatemalan0.1%(198)
Peruvian0.2%(177)
Nicaraguan0.1%(114)
Dominican0.1%(89)
Spaniard0.1%(67)
+ 4 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.2%(351)
Pakistani0.2%(209)
Filipino0.1%(187)
Chinese0.1%(182)
Korean0%(58)
Vietnamese0.1%(55)
Japanese0%(30)
Sri Lankan0%(26)
Thai0%(17)
Ancestry
English12.6%(18,286)
American7.5%(10,940)
German3.5%(5,072)
Irish3.5%(5,026)
Italian1%(1,390)
Scottish0.8%(1,138)
French0.8%(1,105)
Subsaharan African0.7%(1,006)
Arab0.6%(933)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(782)
Swedish0.4%(559)
West Indian0.4%(530)
+ 33 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch0.3%(443)
Palestinian0.5%(434)
Nigerian0.3%(433)
Polish0.3%(415)
Moroccan0.4%(338)
Norwegian0.2%(332)
British0.2%(306)
Haitian0.2%(220)
Welsh0.1%(195)
Jamaican0.1%(189)
Hungarian0.1%(172)
Swiss0%(67)
Lithuanian0%(56)
French Canadian0%(55)
Danish0%(48)
Lebanese0.1%(43)
Ukrainian0%(37)
Jordanian0%(30)
Croatian0%(30)
Ghanaian0.1%(30)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(30)
Slovak0%(28)
Russian0%(20)
Canadian0%(19)
Belgian0%(15)
Macedonian0%(14)
Portuguese0%(13)
Syrian0%(10)
Ethiopian0%(9)
Czech0%(8)
Austrian0%(4)
Greek0%(4)
Romanian0%(3)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
86.4%
+14.7 ptssince 2000
from 71.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
73.4%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 71.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
91.3%
+6.3 ptssince 2020
from 84.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married38.2%(21,340)
Married47.8%(26,679)
Widowed3.6%(1,995)
Divorced10.4%(5,829)
Women 15+
Never married32.9%(20,626)
Married43.5%(27,264)
Widowed10.5%(6,593)
Divorced13.1%(8,245)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
14.6%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 15.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
3.3%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 2.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
59.7%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 60.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
43.7%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 43.8% 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)18.8%(1,632)
Gulf War (1990s)22.9%(1,983)
Vietnam era38.1%(3,298)
Korean War4.4%(380)
World War II0.3%(29)
Share of the 8,662 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
2 component counties
Drill deeper
Metros similar to Rocky Mount
Albany
Pop 145,510
Dothan
Pop 156,266
Alexandria
Pop 147,952
Jonesboro
Pop 139,440
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Compare Rocky Mount side by side
ROCKY MOUNT VS
Albany
Income$59,461+1%
Home value$151,728−10%
Population145,510−2%
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ROCKY MOUNT VS
Dothan
Income$57,746−2%
Home value$171,459+2%
Population156,266+5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ROCKY MOUNT VS
Alexandria
Income$56,303−4%
Home value$175,518+4%
Population147,952same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ROCKY MOUNT VS
Jonesboro
Income$57,416−2%
Home value$192,570+14%
Population139,440−6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Rocky Mount, NC?
Rocky Mount, NC has about 144,952 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Rocky Mount, NC?
The typical household in Rocky Mount, NC earns about $58,673 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Rocky Mount, NC expensive?
In Rocky Mount, NC, the median home is worth about $168,843, and the typical rent is about $921 a month.
How educated are people in Rocky Mount, NC?
About 20.5% of adults age 25 and over in Rocky Mount, NC hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Rocky Mount, NC?
About 15.2% of people in Rocky Mount, NC live below the federal poverty line.
Has Rocky Mount, NC grown since 1990?
Yes, Rocky Mount, NC has grown since 1990. The population has added about 11,717 residents, a change of about 9 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024