Wilkes County, NC

County

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2023 Population

65,983

0.215% 1-year decline

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

45.3

0% 1-year change

2023 Poverty Rate

16.4%

4.18% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$50,438

2.69% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$161,400

10.4% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

28,715

0.515% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Wilkes County, NC had a population of 66k people with a median age of 45.3 and a median household income of $50,438. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Wilkes County, NC declined from 66,125 to 65,983, a −0.215% decrease and its median household income grew from $49,119 to $50,438, a 2.69% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Wilkes County, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (86.1%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (3.73%), Two+ (Hispanic) (3.33%), Other (Hispanic) (2.72%), and Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.02%).

None of the households in Wilkes 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.

97.6% of the residents in Wilkes County, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Wilkes County, NC are Wilkes Community College (1,085 degrees awarded in 2022).

In 2023, the median property value in Wilkes County, NC was $161,400, and the homeownership rate was 73.9%.

Most people in Wilkes County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 26.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Wilkes County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Wilkes County, NC borders Alexander County, NC, Alleghany County, NC, Ashe County, NC, Caldwell County, NC, Iredell County, NC, Surry County, NC, Watauga County, NC, and Yadkin County, NC.

United States North Carolina North Wilkesboro, NC

Population & Diversity

Wilkes County, NC is home to a population of 66k people, from which 97.6% are citizens. As of 2023, 3.28% of Wilkes County, NC residents were born outside of the country (2.16k people).

In 2023, there were 23.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (56.8k people) in Wilkes County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.46k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 2.2k Two+ (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.6%

2023 Citizenship

97.9%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 97.6% of Wilkes County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Wilkes County, NC was 97.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Wilkes County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
56.8k ± 88
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
2.46k ± 369
Two+ (Hispanic)
2.2k ± 512

7.25%

Hispanic Population

4.79k people

7.25% of the people in Wilkes County, NC are hispanic (4.79k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Wilkes 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
214,508 ± 11,254 people
India
79,868 ± 6,912 people
Honduras
39,759 ± 4,886 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 214,508 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 79,868 and Honduras with 39,759.

Foreign-Born Population

3.28%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

2.16k people

3.25%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

2.15k people

As of 2023, 3.28% of Wilkes County, NC residents (2.16k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Wilkes County, NC was 3.25%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,352 ± 256
Gulf War (1990s)
694 ± 225
Gulf War (2001-)
326 ± 145

Wilkes County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.95 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Wilkes County, NC employs 28.7k people. The largest industries in Wilkes County, NC are Manufacturing (4,840 people), Retail Trade (4,074 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (3,898 people), and the highest paying industries are Public Administration ($46,461), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($42,480), and Finance & Insurance ($41,930).

Males in North Carolina have an average income that is 1.31 times higher than the average income of females, which is $57,464. The income inequality in North Carolina (measured using the Gini index) is 0.47, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

28.7k

2023 Value

± 1,460

0.515%

1 Year growth

± 7.26%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Wilkes County, NC grew at a rate of 0.515%, from 28.6k employees to 28.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Wilkes County, NC, are Production Occupations (3,105 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,768 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (2,467 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Wilkes County, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

28.7k

2023 Value

± 1,460

0.515%

1 Year growth

± 7.26%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Wilkes County, NC grew at a rate of 0.515%, from 28.6k employees to 28.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Wilkes County, NC, are Manufacturing (4,840 people), Retail Trade (4,074 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (3,898 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Wilkes County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Wilkes County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$36,754

Median earning men ± $1,377

$33,412

Median earning women ± $1,995

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Public Administration ($55,407), Wholesale Trade ($50,393), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($48,750).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Information ($43,693), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($41,033), and Manufacturing ($39,805).

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

121
Other Services (except Public Administration)
94
Retail Trade
86
Construction

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

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$229k
Manufacturing
$135k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$116k
Management of Companies and Enterprises

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

Education

In 2022, universities in Wilkes County, NC awarded 1,085 degrees. The student population of Wilkes County, NC in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 968 male students and 1,353 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Wilkes County, NC are White (867 and 80.2%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (113 and 10.5%), Two or More Races (31 and 2.87%), and Unknown (30 and 2.78%).

The largest universities in Wilkes County, NC by number of degrees awarded are Wilkes Community College (1,085 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Wilkes County, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (167 and 15.4%), General Business Administration & Management (128 and 11.8%), and Other Construction Finishing, Management, & Inspection (66 and 6.08%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2022 there were 2,321 students enrolled in Wilkes County, NC, 41.7% men and 58.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,867 records, of which 59% were women and 41% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
167 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
31 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
28 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Wilkes County, NC was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 167 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Wilkes Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

1,085 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Wilkes Community College with 1,085 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2022, 524 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Wilkes County, NC, which is 0.934 times less than the 561 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 867 degrees mean that there were 7.67 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 113 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 2022.

Public, 2-year ($140) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($1,700) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.944% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.805% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (2.16M), Some college (1.84M), and Bachelors Degree (1.63M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Wilkes County, NC was $161,400 in 2023, which is 0.532 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $146,200 to $161,400, a 10.4% increase. The homeownership rate in Wilkes County, NC is 73.9%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Wilkes County, NC have an average commute time of 26.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Wilkes County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Wilkes County, NC is $50,438. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Wilkes County, NC was Census Tract 9610.02 with a value of $67,750, followed by Census Tract 9608.02 and Census Tract 9611, with respective values of $60,750 and $57,179.

In 2023, 10.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Wilkes County, NC. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 4.15%.

Housing

Property

$161,400

Median Property Value 2023

±$7,996

$19,941

Median Property Taxes

±$1,062

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

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

Rent vs Own

73.9%

Homeownership

2023

67.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 73.9% of the housing units in Wilkes County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 73%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9610.02
Census Tract 9608.02
Census Tract 9611

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Wilkes County, NC was Census Tract 9610.02 with a value of $67,750, followed by Census Tract 9608.02 and Census Tract 9611, with respective values of $60,750 and $57,179.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Wilkes County, NC colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$50,438

Median Household Income

± $3,044

27k

Number of Households

± 1,338

In 2023, the median household income of the 27k households in Wilkes County, NC grew to $50,438 from the previous year's value of $49,119.

The following chart displays the households in Wilkes 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 Wilkes County, NC is from North Carolina.

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.47

2021 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2022, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.47 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0732% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2023

Drove Alone (81.1%)
Carpooled (9.21%)
Worked At Home (8.1%)

In 2023, 81.1% of workers in Wilkes County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.21%) and those who worked at home (8.1%).

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

26.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Wilkes County, NC have a longer commute time (26.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.71% of the workforce in Wilkes County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 10.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Wilkes County, NC. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 4.15%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

16.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Wilkes County, NC (10.6k out of 64.6k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 65 - 74 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Wilkes County, NC is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

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 2023, 23.9% of the children was living in poverty in Wilkes County, NC. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 4.4%.

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.

Health

88.6% of the population of Wilkes County, NC has health coverage, with 34.7% on employee plans, 20.9% on Medicaid, 17.3% on Medicare, 14.5% on non-group plans, and 1.31% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Wilkes County, NC see 2617 patients per year on average, which represents a 7.12% increase from the previous year (2443 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2437 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 425 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48% were men and 52% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,617 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Wilkes County, NC

Primary care physicians in Wilkes County, NC see an average of 2,617 patients per year. This represents a 7.12% increase from the previous year (2,443 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.2% under 18 years, 17.7% between 18 and 34 years, 38.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48% were men and 52% were women.

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

Uninsured People

11.4%

Uninsured

34.7%

Employer Coverage

20.9%

Medicaid

17.3%

Medicare

14.5%

Non-Group

1.31%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Wilkes County, NC declined by 3% from 11.7% to 11.4%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 55.7 in Wilkes County, NC.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, 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 37.4% in Wilkes County, NC.

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