Robeson County, NC

County

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2024 Population

116,902

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

36.4

0.274% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

27.2%

5.37% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$41,978

4.12% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$94,500

6.66% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

42,971

0.515% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Robeson 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.

95.8% of the residents in Robeson County, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Robeson County, NC are University of North Carolina at Pembroke (2,181 degrees awarded in 2023) and Robeson Community College (506 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Robeson County, NC was $94,500, and the homeownership rate was 65.8%.

Most people in Robeson County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Robeson County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Robeson County, NC borders Bladen County, NC, Columbus County, NC, Cumberland County, NC, Hoke County, NC, Scotland County, NC, Dillon County, SC, Horry County, SC, and Marlboro County, SC.

About the photo: A tobacco barn visible from U.S. Route 301 between St. Pauls and Lumberton in Robeson County, North Carolina.

Photo by Gerry Dincher

United States North Carolina Lumberton, NC

Population & Diversity

Robeson County, NC is home to a population of 117k people, from which 95.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 5.51% of Robeson County, NC residents were born outside of the country (6.45k people).

In 2024, there were 1.65 times more American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents (44.9k people) in Robeson County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 27.2k White (Non-Hispanic) and 27.1k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.8%

2024 Citizenship

96.1%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 95.8% of Robeson County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Robeson County, NC was 96.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Robeson County, NC

American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
44.9k ± 442
White (Non-Hispanic)
27.2k ± 74
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
27.1k ± 251

10.9%

Hispanic Population

12.7k people

10.9% of the people in Robeson County, NC are hispanic (12.7k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Robeson 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

5.51%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

6.45k people

5.12%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

5.98k people

As of 2024, 5.51% of Robeson County, NC residents (6.45k 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 Robeson County, NC was 5.12%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,409 ± 230
Gulf War (2001-)
1,226 ± 221
Gulf War (1990s)
1,115 ± 212

Robeson County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.15 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Robeson County, NC employs 43k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Robeson County, NC were Manufacturing (7,004 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (6,806 people), and Retail Trade (4,635 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($55,750), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($50,656), and Transportation & Warehousing ($49,049).

Employment

Occupations

43k

2024 Value

± 1,264

0.515%

1 Year growth

± 4.08%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Robeson County, NC grew at a rate of 0.515%, from 42.8k employees to 43k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Robeson County, NC, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (4,832 people), Production Occupations (4,466 people), and Construction & Extraction Occupations (3,732 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Robeson 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

43k

2024 Value

± 1,264

0.515%

1 Year growth

± 4.08%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Robeson County, NC grew at a rate of 0.515%, from 42.8k employees to 43k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Robeson County, NC, are Manufacturing (7,004 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (6,806 people), and Retail Trade (4,635 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Robeson County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Robeson County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$41,243

Median earning men ± $1,614

$33,204

Median earning women ± $1,070

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($56,563), Information ($56,058), and Public Administration ($54,315).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($44,740), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($39,170), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($38,229).

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

173
Other Services (except Public Administration)
144
Retail Trade
117
Retail Trade

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

$441k
Manufacturing
$281k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$159k
Retail Trade

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Robeson County, NC awarded 2,687 degrees. The student population of Robeson County, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 3,156 male students and 6,463 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Robeson County, NC are White (1,033 and 38.8%), Black or African American (690 and 25.9%), American Indian or Alaska Native (445 and 16.7%), and Hispanic or Latino (273 and 10.3%).

The largest universities in Robeson County, NC by number of degrees awarded are University of North Carolina at Pembroke (2,181 and 81.2%) and Robeson Community College (506 and 18.8%).

The most popular majors in Robeson County, NC are General Business Administration & Management (712 and 26.5%), Other Multidisciplinary Studies (209 and 7.78%), and Criminal Justice - Safety Studies (183 and 6.81%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $1,000 for in-state students and $5,000 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Robeson County, NC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 92.4%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 12.9%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 9,619 (32.8% men and 67.2% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 9,619 students enrolled in Robeson County, NC, 32.8% men and 67.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 3,306 records, of which 65.9% were women and 34.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Other Multidisciplinary Studies
209 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
198 degrees awarded
Criminal Justice - Safety Studies
146 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Robeson County, NC was Other Multidisciplinary Studies with 209 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of North Carolina at Pembroke
2,181 degrees awarded
Robeson Community College
506 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of North Carolina at Pembroke with 2,181 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 908 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Robeson County, NC, which is 0.51 times less than the 1,779 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 1,033 degrees mean that there were 1.5 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 690 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

Universities

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

Public, 4-year or above ($2,571) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,400) 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 Robeson County, NC was $94,500 in 2024, which is 0.284 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $88,600 to $94,500, a 6.66% increase. The homeownership rate in Robeson County, NC is 65.8%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Robeson County, NC have an average commute time of 25.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Robeson County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 15.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Robeson County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.7%.

Housing

Property

$94,500

Median Property Value 2024

±$2,445

$28,399

Median Property Taxes

±$858

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 Robeson County, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

65.8%

Homeownership

2024

61.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 65.8% of the housing units in Robeson County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 65.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Robeson 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.

$41,978

Median Household Income

± $1,323

43.1k

Number of Households

± 1,176

In 2024, the median household income of the 43.1k households in Robeson County, NC grew to $41,978 from the previous year's value of $40,318.

The following chart displays the households in Robeson 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 Robeson 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 (85.3%)
Carpooled (7.39%)
Worked At Home (4.18%)

In 2024, 85.3% of workers in Robeson County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (7.39%) and those who worked at home (4.18%).

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

25.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Robeson County, NC have a shorter commute time (25.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.91% of the workforce in Robeson County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Robeson 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 Robeson County, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Robeson County, NC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 15.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Robeson County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.7%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

27.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Robeson County, NC (30.9k out of 113k 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 Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Robeson County, NC is Native American, followed by Black 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, 37.9% of the children was living in poverty in Robeson County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 9.9%.

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 461 in Robeson County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 405 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

85.8% of the population of Robeson County, NC has health coverage, with 28.5% on employee plans, 32.9% on Medicaid, 12.5% on Medicare, 10.6% on non-group plans, and 1.26% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Robeson County, NC see 1,972 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,972 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 3153 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 347 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.7% were men and 52.3% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,972 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Robeson County, NC

Primary care physicians in Robeson County, NC see an average of 1,972 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,972 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 28% under 18 years, 20.8% between 18 and 34 years, 35.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 15.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.7% were men and 52.3% were women.

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

Uninsured People

14.2%

Uninsured

28.5%

Employer Coverage

32.9%

Medicaid

12.5%

Medicare

10.6%

Non-Group

1.26%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Robeson County, NC declined by 1.06% from 14.3% to 14.2%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Robeson 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 103 in Robeson County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Robeson 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 41.9% in Robeson County, NC.

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