Lenoir County, NC

County

Add Comparison

2024 Population

54,919

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

41.9

0.711% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

22%

2.26% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$45,143

0.777% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$120,500

8.17% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

22,494

0.649% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Lenoir County, NC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.1% of the residents in Lenoir County, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Lenoir County, NC are Lenoir Community College (620 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Lenoir County, NC was $120,500, and the homeownership rate was 59.2%.

Most people in Lenoir County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Lenoir County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Lenoir County, NC borders Craven County, NC, Duplin County, NC, Greene County, NC, Jones County, NC, Pitt County, NC, and Wayne County, NC.

United States North Carolina Kinston, NC

Population & Diversity

Lenoir County, NC is home to a population of 54.9k people, from which 97.1% are citizens. As of 2024, 4.37% of Lenoir County, NC residents were born outside of the country (2.4k people).

In 2024, there were 1.21 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (26k people) in Lenoir County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 21.5k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 2.48k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.1%

2024 Citizenship

97.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.1% of Lenoir County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Lenoir County, NC was 97.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Lenoir County, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Lenoir County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
26k ± 236
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
21.5k ± 473
Other (Hispanic)
2.48k ± 426

8.82%

Hispanic Population

4.84k people

8.82% of the people in Lenoir County, NC are hispanic (4.84k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Lenoir County, NC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
224,963 ± 11,520 people
India
83,219 ± 7,055 people
Honduras
48,247 ± 5,380 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 224,963 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 83,219 and Honduras with 48,247.

Foreign-Born Population

4.37%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

2.4k people

4.24%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

2.33k people

As of 2024, 4.37% of Lenoir County, NC residents (2.4k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Lenoir County, NC was 4.24%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Lenoir County, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,405 ± 229
Gulf War (1990s)
664 ± 208
Gulf War (2001-)
648 ± 232

Lenoir County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.12 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Lenoir County, NC.

Economy

The economy of Lenoir County, NC employs 22.5k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Lenoir County, NC were Health Care & Social Assistance (4,717 people), Manufacturing (3,782 people), and Retail Trade (2,117 people), and the highest paying industries were Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($55,813), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($55,098), and Transportation & Warehousing ($52,358).

Employment

Occupations

22.5k

2024 Value

± 1,300

−0.649%

1 Year decline

± 8.17%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lenoir County, NC declined at a rate of −0.649%, from 22.6k employees to 22.5k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Lenoir County, NC, are Production Occupations (2,420 people), Management Occupations (2,243 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,926 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Lenoir County, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

22.5k

2024 Value

± 1,300

−0.649%

1 Year decline

± 8.17%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lenoir County, NC declined at a rate of −0.649%, from 22.6k employees to 22.5k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Lenoir County, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (4,717 people), Manufacturing (3,782 people), and Retail Trade (2,117 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Lenoir County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Lenoir County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$42,352

Median earning men ± $3,546

$32,892

Median earning women ± $1,685

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($65,000), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($61,923), and Information ($59,167).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($51,477), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($48,454), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($43,750).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Y-Axis

3.04%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in North Carolina.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

102
Retail Trade
99
Other Services (except Public Administration)
70
Construction

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$350k
Manufacturing
$183k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$95.2k
Construction

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2023, universities in Lenoir County, NC awarded 620 degrees. The student population of Lenoir County, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 840 male students and 1,547 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Lenoir County, NC are White (362 and 58.4%), Black or African American (147 and 23.7%), Hispanic or Latino (82 and 13.2%), and Two or More Races (15 and 2.42%).

The largest universities in Lenoir County, NC by number of degrees awarded are Lenoir Community College (620 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Lenoir County, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (179 and 28.9%), Medical Office Management (44 and 7.1%), and Welding Technology (36 and 5.81%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 2,387 students enrolled in Lenoir County, NC, 35.2% men and 64.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,165 records, of which 61.5% were women and 38.5% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
179 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
25 degrees awarded
Medical Office Management
14 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Lenoir County, NC was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 179 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Lenoir County, NC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Lenoir Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

620 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Lenoir Community College with 620 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 236 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Lenoir County, NC, which is 0.615 times less than the 384 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 362 degrees mean that there were 2.46 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 147 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($2,432) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($136) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($2,250) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Lenoir County, NC was $120,500 in 2024, which is 0.362 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $111,400 to $120,500, a 8.17% increase. The homeownership rate in Lenoir County, NC is 59.2%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Lenoir County, NC have an average commute time of 24.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Lenoir County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 16.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Lenoir County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.57%.

Housing

Property

$120,500

Median Property Value 2024

±$7,092

$13,826

Median Property Taxes

±$930

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Lenoir County, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Lenoir County, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

59.2%

Homeownership

2024

62.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 59.2% of the housing units in Lenoir County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 59.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Lenoir County, NC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$45,143

Median Household Income

± $2,547

23.4k

Number of Households

± 1,227

In 2024, the median household income of the 23.4k households in Lenoir County, NC grew to $45,143 from the previous year's value of $44,795.

The following chart displays the households in Lenoir County, NC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Lenoir County, NC is from North Carolina.

0.467

2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.467 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.639% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in North Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (82.4%)
Carpooled (12.2%)
Worked At Home (3.4%)

In 2024, 82.4% of workers in Lenoir County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (12.2%) and those who worked at home (3.4%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

24.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Lenoir County, NC have a shorter commute time (24.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.79% of the workforce in Lenoir County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Lenoir County, NC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Lenoir County, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Lenoir County, NC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 16.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Lenoir County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.57%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

22% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Lenoir County, NC (11.9k out of 54k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Lenoir County, NC is Black, followed by White and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 32% of the children was living in poverty in Lenoir County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.6%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 753 in Lenoir County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 78.6 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

89.9% of the population of Lenoir County, NC has health coverage, with 30.7% on employee plans, 24% on Medicaid, 14.5% on Medicare, 18.7% on non-group plans, and 2.02% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Lenoir County, NC see 1,765 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,765 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1762 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 566 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.6% were men and 52.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,765 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Lenoir County, NC

Primary care physicians in Lenoir County, NC see an average of 1,765 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,765 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Lenoir County, NC in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.7% under 18 years, 18% between 18 and 34 years, 37.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.6% were men and 52.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

10.1%

Uninsured

30.7%

Employer Coverage

24%

Medicaid

14.5%

Medicare

18.7%

Non-Group

2.02%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Lenoir County, NC declined by 0.926% from 10.2% to 10.1%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Lenoir County, NC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 93.7 in Lenoir County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Lenoir County, NC.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 40.4% in Lenoir County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Lenoir County, NC.