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METRO AREA

Winston-Salem Metro

Winston-Salem, NC · 5 counties · 712,206 residents (2025 est.) · 2,009 sq mi
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The short version

Winston-Salem is a metro area of 689,766 people. The typical home is worth $235,492, having more than doubled since 2000. Growth has run 21% since 2000, or 120,559 more people. The foreign-born share is 8%. Median rent is $995 a month. About 31% of adults have finished a four-year degree.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.7
US median: 38.9
Average education
31% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 29%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
689,766
+21%since 2000
from 569,207 in 2000
712,206 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
343 / sq mi
+21%since 2000
from 283 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
40.7
+11%since 2000
from 36.6 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
2,009 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
468K528K589K649K710K19902000201020202024Winston-Salem
2024690K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.5%(37,646)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.7%(39,634)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.6%(45,661)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.7%(46,377)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.3%(43,285)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3412.4%(85,847)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.9%(82,145)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.7%(87,942)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.6%(94,104)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.9%(75,027)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.5%(38,250)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2%(13,848)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$66,414
−10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $40,479 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$37,543
+78%since 2000
from $21,135 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
44.2%
+18.0 ptssince 2009
from 26.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
13.5%
+3.1 ptssince 2000
from 10.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.461
+3%since 2010
from 0.448 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade15.1%
US avg: 9.9%
Information11%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade7.2%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance6.3%
US avg: 5.9%
Other services6.2%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical5.7%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration4.7%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing2.2%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.1%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.6%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$235,492
+29%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $100,377 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$995
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $495 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
69.2%
−1.9 ptssince 2000
from 71.1% in 2000
30.8% rent
Vacancy rate
9.2%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.40 people
−3%since 2009
from 2.48 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
17.8%
−5.1 ptssince 2009
from 22.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
42.6%
+2.5 ptssince 2009
from 40.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.5
+19%since 2009
from 3.0 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
47
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic76.1%(433,153)
Black16.9%(96,060)
Hispanic / Latino5%(28,744)
Asian0.8%(4,572)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic64.8%(447,194)
Black16.8%(115,890)
Hispanic / Latino12.2%(84,395)
Asian1.8%(12,133)
Other4.4%(30,154)
Diversity Score
63
+21%since 2009
from 52 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
44
−7%since 2020
from 47 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
Mexican7.2%(49,585)
Central American1.6%(11,070)
Puerto Rican1.2%(8,520)
Salvadoran1%(6,293)
South American0.9%(6,080)
Colombian0.4%(2,552)
Dominican0.4%(2,460)
Honduran0.4%(2,419)
Cuban0.3%(1,882)
Venezuelan0.2%(1,323)
Guatemalan0.2%(1,303)
Spaniard0.2%(1,126)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.1%(717)
Nicaraguan0.1%(591)
Chilean0.1%(501)
Ecuadorian0.1%(469)
Uruguayan0.1%(430)
Panamanian0.1%(311)
Argentine0%(71)
Bolivian0%(17)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.5%(2,894)
Chinese0.4%(2,392)
Filipino0.4%(2,177)
Vietnamese0.1%(890)
Pakistani0.1%(705)
Korean0.1%(631)
Cambodian0.1%(614)
Japanese0.1%(461)
Taiwanese0%(238)
Thai0%(223)
Nepalese0%(199)
Laotian0%(190)
+ 10 more asian origin groups with data
Bhutanese0%(140)
Burmese0%(139)
Kazakh0%(57)
Hmong0%(52)
Uzbek0%(4)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(152)
Chamorro0%(16)
Ancestry
English14%(96,509)
German11.2%(77,044)
Irish8.5%(58,835)
American7.3%(50,685)
Italian2.6%(17,793)
Scottish2.2%(14,905)
Scotch-Irish1.7%(11,850)
Polish1.1%(7,391)
French1%(6,840)
Dutch0.7%(5,013)
Welsh0.5%(3,205)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
British0.4%(2,870)
Swedish0.4%(2,857)
West Indian0.4%(2,855)
Norwegian0.4%(2,834)
Greek0.3%(2,239)
Arab0.3%(2,156)
Russian0.3%(1,817)
Canadian0.2%(1,529)
French Canadian0.2%(1,281)
Swiss0.2%(1,279)
Jamaican0.2%(1,181)
Portuguese0.2%(1,175)
Hungarian0.2%(1,153)
Danish0.2%(1,149)
Nigerian0.2%(995)
Egyptian0.1%(789)
Lebanese0.1%(739)
Ukrainian0.1%(717)
Slovak0.1%(659)
Croatian0.1%(612)
Finnish0.1%(598)
Haitian0.1%(585)
Czech0.1%(547)
Brazilian0.1%(542)
Ghanaian0.1%(519)
Lithuanian0.1%(419)
Austrian0.1%(380)
Belgian0%(310)
Romanian0%(292)
Ethiopian0.1%(268)
Iranian0%(249)
Guyanese0%(218)
Turkish0%(214)
Moroccan0%(200)
Israeli0%(147)
Serbian0%(118)
Syrian0%(91)
Armenian0%(83)
Bulgarian0%(80)
Barbadian0%(72)
Latvian0%(67)
Slovene0%(62)
Jordanian0%(19)
Kenyan0%(16)
Iraqi0%(6)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
31.1%
+9.9 ptssince 2000
from 21.2% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
89.8%
+12.0 ptssince 2000
from 77.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
11.5%
+4.9 ptssince 2000
from 6.6% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.3 min
+68%since 2000
from 14.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
76.7%
−7.3 ptssince 2009
from 84.0% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.6%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 9.6% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.4%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
12.0%
+9.1 ptssince 2009
from 2.9% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.1%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.5%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 6.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.7%
−4.4 ptssince 2011
from 9.1% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
60.8%
−2.9 ptssince 2011
from 63.6% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
72.6%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 71.2% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
12.5%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 11.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
39.5%
+7.4 ptssince 2009
from 32.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 48.4% in 2009
Female
51.7%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 51.6% in 2009
Foreign born
7.6%
+1.4 ptssince 2009
from 6.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.7%
−3.5 ptssince 2009
from 10.2% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
14.4%
+2.2 ptssince 2012
from 12.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
9.6%
−5.5 ptssince 2013
from 15.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
89.5%
+14.3 ptssince 2017
from 75.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
94.8%
+4.1 ptssince 2020
from 90.8% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
89.0%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 88.0% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
87.2%
−1.8 ptssince 2016
from 89.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
9.8%
+1.2 ptssince 2016
from 8.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married34%(91,937)
Married53.6%(144,979)
Widowed3%(8,100)
Divorced9.3%(25,254)
Women 15+
Never married29.8%(88,437)
Married48.4%(143,396)
Widowed9.5%(28,048)
Divorced12.4%(36,674)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
9.6%
−5.5 ptssince 2013
from 15.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
51.8%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 52.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.2%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 15.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
20.5%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 19.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
20.3%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 18.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.4%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 2.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
64.6%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 65.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
38.4%
+2.6 ptssince 2020
from 35.8% 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)21.6%(7,837)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)21.6%(7,824)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era36.2%(13,107)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.3%(1,208)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1%(370)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 36,223 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

Winston-SalemCENTRAL257,271Kernersville29,128Thomasville27,733Clemmons22,808Lexington20,238Lewisville14,421King7,977Mocksville6,282Walkertown6,120Midway5,104Tyro3,833Rural Hall3,607Welcome3,521Bermuda Run3,323Wallburg3,255Yadkinville3,055Tobaccoville2,770Jonesville2,356Denton1,610Walnut Cove1,609Southmont1,525Advance1,408Boonville1,203Germanton1,087Cooleemee1,002East Bend646Pinnacle540Farmington409Yadkin College400Bethania367

The 30 most populous of 32 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

5 component counties

Forsyth CountyCENTRAL401,718Davidson CountyCENTRAL180,182Stokes CountyCENTRAL46,126Davie CountyCENTRAL45,855Yadkin County38,325
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Winston-Salem

Little Rock
Pop 777,607
Greensboro
Pop 805,945
Deltona
Pop 746,933
Toledo
Pop 599,376
Places similar to Winston-Salem
Head to head

Compare Winston-Salem side by side

WINSTON-SALEM VS
Little Rock
Income$67,436+2%
Home value$214,329−9%
Population777,607+9%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WINSTON-SALEM VS
Greensboro
Income$65,866−1%
Home value$237,517+1%
Population805,945+13%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WINSTON-SALEM VS
Deltona
Income$71,355+7%
Home value$322,299+37%
Population746,933+5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WINSTON-SALEM VS
Toledo
Income$65,600−1%
Home value$179,767−24%
Population599,376−16%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Winston-Salem, NC?

Winston-Salem, NC has about 689,766 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Winston-Salem, NC?

The typical household in Winston-Salem, NC earns about $66,414 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Winston-Salem, NC expensive?

In Winston-Salem, NC, the median home is worth about $235,492, and the typical rent is about $995 a month.

How educated are people in Winston-Salem, NC?

About 31.1% of adults age 25 and over in Winston-Salem, NC hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Winston-Salem, NC?

About 13.5% of people in Winston-Salem, NC live below the federal poverty line.

Has Winston-Salem, NC grown since 1990?

Yes, Winston-Salem, NC has grown since 1990. The population has added about 201,641 residents, a change of about 41 percent over that period.

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Explore from here

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Winston-Salem, NC: population, income & housing data · CensusEasy