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METRO AREA · 2010 ACS

Winston-Salem Metro

Winston-Salem, NC · 5 counties · 640,595 residents · 2,009 sq mi
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The short version

Winston-Salem is a metro area of 640,595 people. The typical home is worth $139,771. The foreign-born share is 7%. Median rent is $638 a month. Growth has run 13% since 2000, or 71,388 more people. About 24% of adults have finished a four-year degree.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $52,703
Mid-age
median age 39.0
US median: 37.2
Average education
24% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
640,595
+13%since 2000
from 569,207 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
319 / sq mi
+13%since 2000
from 283 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
39.0
+6%since 2000
from 36.6 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
2,009 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
468K528K589K649K710K19902000201020202024Winston-Salem
2024690K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 56.4%(40,967)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 96.7%(42,712)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 146.8%(43,277)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 196.9%(44,171)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 246%(38,690)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3411.8%(75,910)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4413.9%(88,812)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5415.1%(96,715)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6412.5%(79,797)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 747.8%(49,680)
US avg: 7%
75 to 844.5%(29,059)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over1.7%(10,805)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$45,588
−11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $40,479 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$24,459
+16%since 2000
from $21,135 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
26.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 26.2% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
14.6%
+4.2 ptssince 2000
from 10.4% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.448
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Retail trade17.6%
US avg: 10.9%
Information11.2%
US avg: 11.5%
Wholesale trade7.5%
US avg: 7.2%
Other services6.5%
US avg: 7%
Public administration5.2%
US avg: 4.9%
Finance & insurance4.7%
US avg: 5.1%
Professional, scientific, technical4.1%
US avg: 4.2%
Transportation & warehousing3.2%
US avg: 3.1%
Arts, entertainment, food1.8%
US avg: 2.4%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.8%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction0.7%
US avg: 1.4%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$139,771
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $100,377 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$638
+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $495 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
69.0%
−2.1 ptssince 2000
from 71.1% in 2000
31.0% rent
Vacancy rate
11.2%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.46 people
−1%since 2009
from 2.48 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
23.6%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 22.9% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
41.4%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 40.2% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
3.1
+3%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.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic76.1%(433,153)
Black16.9%(96,060)
Hispanic / Latino5%(28,744)
Asian0.8%(4,572)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic70.4%(451,146)
Black17.1%(109,416)
Hispanic / Latino9.3%(59,682)
Asian1.4%(8,808)
Other1.4%(9,245)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican6%(37,972)
Central American1.2%(7,615)
Salvadoran0.6%(3,387)
Puerto Rican0.5%(3,086)
South American0.5%(2,742)
Guatemalan0.4%(2,157)
Honduran0.2%(1,139)
Cuban0.1%(780)
Colombian0.1%(773)
Dominican0.1%(647)
Peruvian0.1%(565)
Nicaraguan0.1%(510)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0.1%(487)
Venezuelan0.1%(467)
Argentine0.1%(214)
Panamanian0%(206)
Spaniard0%(150)
Uruguayan0%(131)
Bolivian0%(28)
Chilean0%(16)
Ancestry
German13.9%(87,582)
American12%(75,966)
English10.6%(67,029)
Irish8.9%(56,003)
Scotch-Irish3%(19,186)
Scottish2.4%(15,157)
Italian2.2%(13,684)
French1.7%(10,701)
Dutch1.4%(8,981)
Polish1%(6,202)
Welsh0.6%(3,519)
Swedish0.5%(3,051)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.5%(2,985)
Greek0.4%(2,625)
British0.4%(2,538)
Russian0.4%(2,116)
French Canadian0.3%(1,619)
Arab0.2%(1,382)
West Indian0.2%(1,381)
Hungarian0.2%(1,282)
Swiss0.2%(1,109)
Czech0.1%(885)
Danish0.1%(748)
Austrian0.1%(693)
Lebanese0.1%(665)
Jamaican0.1%(665)
Ukrainian0.1%(660)
Canadian0.1%(601)
Slovak0.1%(585)
Portuguese0.1%(542)
Iranian0.1%(501)
Lithuanian0.1%(456)
Romanian0.1%(418)
Serbian0.1%(291)
Nigerian0.1%(254)
Belgian0%(225)
Barbadian0.1%(222)
Finnish0%(193)
Egyptian0.1%(192)
Haitian0.1%(191)
Brazilian0%(173)
Guyanese0%(163)
Croatian0%(156)
Kenyan0%(154)
Jordanian0%(148)
Armenian0%(146)
Australian0%(116)
Latvian0%(102)
Syrian0%(98)
Ghanaian0%(70)
Bulgarian0%(63)
Turkish0%(63)
Slovene0%(62)
Moroccan0%(43)
Ethiopian0%(16)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
24.2%
+3.1 ptssince 2000
from 21.2% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
83.6%
+5.7 ptssince 2000
from 77.9% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
7.7%
+1.1 ptssince 2000
from 6.6% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.1 min
+53%since 2000
from 14.5 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
84.7%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 84.0% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
9.1%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 9.6% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
0.8%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
2.8%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 2.9% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
1.3%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
0.1%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
6.3%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 6.2% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
11.9%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 11.6% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
32.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 32.1% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.2%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 48.4% in 2009
Female
51.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 51.6% in 2009
Foreign born
6.8%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 6.2% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
10.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 10.2% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
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
Little Rock
Income$67,436+48%
Home value$214,329+53%
Population777,607+9%
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WINSTON-SALEM VS
Greensboro
Income$65,866+44%
Home value$237,517+70%
Population805,945+13%
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WINSTON-SALEM VS
Deltona
Income$71,355+57%
Home value$322,299+131%
Population746,933+5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WINSTON-SALEM VS
Toledo
Income$65,600+44%
Home value$179,767+29%
Population599,376−16%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Winston-Salem, NC?

Winston-Salem, NC has about 640,595 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Winston-Salem, NC earns about $45,588 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 $139,771, and the typical rent is about $638 a month.

How educated are people in Winston-Salem, NC?

About 24.2% 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 14.6% 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 152,470 residents, a change of about 31 percent over that period.

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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 →