Rowan County, NC

County

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2024 Population

149,875

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

40.4

0.247% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

16%

0.998% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$65,725

4% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$238,400

10.3% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

68,101

0.866% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Rowan 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.

95.6% of the residents in Rowan County, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Rowan County, NC are Rowan-Cabarrus Community College (1,602 degrees awarded in 2023), Catawba College (318 degrees), and Livingstone College (116 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Rowan County, NC was $238,400, and the homeownership rate was 72.3%.

Most people in Rowan County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 26.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Rowan County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Rowan County, NC borders Cabarrus County, NC, Davidson County, NC, Davie County, NC, Iredell County, NC, Montgomery County, NC, and Stanly County, NC.

United States North Carolina Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC

Population & Diversity

Rowan County, NC is home to a population of 150k people, from which 95.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 6.25% of Rowan County, NC residents were born outside of the country (9.36k people).

In 2024, there were 4.38 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (102k people) in Rowan County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 23.2k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 6.72k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.6%

2024 Citizenship

95.8%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 95.6% of Rowan County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Rowan County, NC was 95.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Rowan County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
102k ± 650
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
23.2k ± 622
Other (Hispanic)
6.72k ± 1.4k

11.9%

Hispanic Population

17.8k people

11.9% of the people in Rowan County, NC are hispanic (17.8k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Rowan 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

6.25%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

9.36k people

6.03%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

8.96k people

As of 2024, 6.25% of Rowan County, NC residents (9.36k 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 Rowan County, NC was 6.03%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,878 ± 372
Gulf War (2001-)
1,719 ± 369
Gulf War (1990s)
1,610 ± 317

Rowan County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.67 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Rowan County, NC employs 68.1k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Rowan County, NC were Manufacturing (10,068 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (9,673 people), and Retail Trade (8,593 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($110,827), Utilities ($107,222), and Information ($60,943).

Employment

Occupations

68.1k

2024 Value

± 2,374

0.866%

1 Year growth

± 4.96%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Rowan County, NC grew at a rate of 0.866%, from 67.5k employees to 68.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Rowan County, NC, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (7,396 people), Production Occupations (6,551 people), and Management Occupations (6,227 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Rowan 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

68.1k

2024 Value

± 2,374

0.866%

1 Year growth

± 4.96%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Rowan County, NC grew at a rate of 0.866%, from 67.5k employees to 68.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Rowan County, NC, are Manufacturing (10,068 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (9,673 people), and Retail Trade (8,593 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Rowan County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Rowan County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$50,328

Median earning men ± $1,862

$37,624

Median earning women ± $1,715

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($83,341), Public Administration ($66,557), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($62,445).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($52,835), Public Administration ($52,602), and Information ($50,352).

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

250
Other Services (except Public Administration)
237
Construction
196
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

$639k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$633k
Manufacturing
$496k
Management of Companies and Enterprises

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Rowan County, NC awarded 2,076 degrees. The student population of Rowan County, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 3,788 male students and 5,261 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Rowan County, NC are White (1,159 and 56.7%), Black or African American (454 and 22.2%), Hispanic or Latino (264 and 12.9%), and Unknown (68 and 3.33%).

The largest universities in Rowan County, NC by number of degrees awarded are Rowan-Cabarrus Community College (1,602 and 77.2%), Catawba College (318 and 15.3%), and Livingstone College (116 and 5.59%).

The most popular majors in Rowan County, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (358 and 17.2%), Information Technology (203 and 9.78%), and Welding Technology (146 and 7.03%).

The median tuition cost in Rowan County, NC for private four year colleges is $24,659.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Rowan County, NC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 75.4%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 10.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 9,049 (41.9% men and 58.1% 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 9,049 students enrolled in Rowan County, NC, 41.9% men and 58.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 4,186 records, of which 57.9% were women and 42.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
79 degrees awarded
Liberal Arts & Sciences
353 degrees awarded
Other Liberal Arts & Sciences, General Studies, & Humanities
122 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Rowan County, NC was Registered Nursing with 79 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College
1,602 degrees awarded
Catawba College
318 degrees awarded
Livingstone College
116 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Rowan-Cabarrus Community College with 1,602 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 871 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Rowan County, NC, which is 0.723 times less than the 1,205 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 1,159 degrees mean that there were 2.55 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 454 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

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($24,659) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($2,379) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,800) 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 Rowan County, NC was $238,400 in 2024, which is 0.717 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $216,100 to $238,400, a 10.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Rowan County, NC is 72.3%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Rowan County, NC have an average commute time of 26.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Rowan County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 13.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Rowan County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.01%.

Housing

Property

$238,400

Median Property Value 2024

±$7,874

$42,593

Median Property Taxes

±$1,668

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 Rowan County, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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

Rent vs Own

72.3%

Homeownership

2024

69.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 72.3% of the housing units in Rowan County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 71.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Rowan 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.

$65,725

Median Household Income

± $2,025

58.9k

Number of Households

± 2,137

In 2024, the median household income of the 58.9k households in Rowan County, NC grew to $65,725 from the previous year's value of $63,196.

The following chart displays the households in Rowan 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 $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Rowan 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 (78%)
Carpooled (10.2%)
Worked At Home (8.37%)

In 2024, 78% of workers in Rowan County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.2%) and those who worked at home (8.37%).

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

26.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Rowan County, NC have a shorter commute time (26.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.13% of the workforce in Rowan County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 13.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Rowan County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.01%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

16% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Rowan County, NC (23.4k out of 146k 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 Males 6 - 11 and then Females 45 - 54.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Rowan County, NC is White, 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, 20.7% of the children was living in poverty in Rowan County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.5%.

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 391 in Rowan County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 62.4 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

90.7% of the population of Rowan County, NC has health coverage, with 42.6% on employee plans, 19.7% on Medicaid, 13.6% on Medicare, 13% on non-group plans, and 1.8% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Rowan County, NC see 2,905 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,905 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2050 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 384 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,905 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Rowan County, NC

Primary care physicians in Rowan County, NC see an average of 2,905 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,905 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.6% under 18 years, 20.4% between 18 and 34 years, 38.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

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

Uninsured People

9.35%

Uninsured

42.6%

Employer Coverage

19.7%

Medicaid

13.6%

Medicare

13%

Non-Group

1.8%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Rowan County, NC declined by 8.68% from 10.2% to 9.35%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Rowan 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 60.5 in Rowan County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Rowan 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 33.9% in Rowan County, NC.

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