CensusEasy
METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS

Winston-Salem Metro

Winston-Salem, NC · 5 counties · 488,125 residents · 2,009 sq mi
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The short version

Winston-Salem is a metro area of 488,125 people. The typical home is worth $68,338. Owners hold 70% of the housing stock. The population has fallen 14% since 2000. About 18% of adults have finished a four-year degree. Households earn $29,218 at the median, near the US median.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 34.5
US median: 33.0
Average education
18% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 10%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
488,125
−14%vs 2000
vs 569,207 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
243 / sq mi
−14%vs 2000
vs 283 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
34.5
−6%vs 2000
vs 36.6 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
2,009 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
468K528K589K649K710K19902000201020202024Winston-Salem
2024690K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 56.5%(31,969)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 96.3%(30,883)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 146.3%(30,713)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 197.1%(34,618)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 247.3%(35,396)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3417.5%(85,363)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4415.9%(77,540)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 5411.4%(55,656)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 649.4%(45,686)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 747.3%(35,779)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 843.9%(19,093)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.1%(5,429)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$29,218
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $40,479 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$14,571
−31%vs 2000
vs $21,135 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
10.3%
−0.2 ptsvs 2000
vs 10.4% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$68,338
−10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $100,377 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$364
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $495 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
69.6%
−1.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 71.1% in 2000
30.4% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic76.1%(433,153)
Black16.9%(96,060)
Hispanic / Latino5%(28,744)
Asian0.8%(4,572)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic81.9%(399,774)
Black17.2%(83,920)
Hispanic / Latino0.6%(3,081)
Asian0.5%(2,430)
Other0.4%(2,001)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

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
17.6%
−3.6 ptsvs 2000
vs 21.2% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
71.4%
−6.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 77.9% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
5.3%
−1.3 ptsvs 2000
vs 6.6% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
18.5 min
+28%vs 2000
vs 14.5 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
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

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

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

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Pop 777,607
Greensboro
Pop 805,945
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Pop 746,933
Toledo
Pop 599,376
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Head to head

Compare Winston-Salem side by side

WINSTON-SALEM VS
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Income$67,436+131%
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WINSTON-SALEM VS
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Home value$237,517+248%
Population805,945+13%
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WINSTON-SALEM VS
Deltona
Income$71,355+144%
Home value$322,299+372%
Population746,933+5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WINSTON-SALEM VS
Toledo
Income$65,600+125%
Home value$179,767+163%
Population599,376−16%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Winston-Salem, NC?

Winston-Salem, NC has about 488,125 residents according to the 1990 Census.

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

The typical household in Winston-Salem, NC earns about $29,218 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 $68,338, and the typical rent is about $364 a month.

How educated are people in Winston-Salem, NC?

About 17.6% 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 10.3% of people in Winston-Salem, NC live below the federal poverty line.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →