Kinston, NC

Census Place

Add Comparison
2024 Population
19,505
US Senator
Thom Tillis
Republican Party
US Senator
Ted Budd
Republican Party
2024 Poverty Rate
27.9%
3.37% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$36,878
4.62% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$119,300
10.2% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
6,781
0.251% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Kinston, 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.

98.2% of the residents in Kinston, NC are U.S. citizens.

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

In 2024, the median property value in Kinston, NC was $119,300, and the homeownership rate was 42.5%.

Most people in Kinston, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 20.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Kinston, NC was 1 car per household.

United StatesNorth CarolinaLenoir County, NCKinston, NCLenoir, Onslow (North) & Jones Counties PUMA, NC

Population & Diversity

Kinston, NC is home to a population of 19.5k people, from which 98.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.55% of Kinston, NC residents were born outside of the country (693 people).

In 2024, there were 2.98 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (13.2k people) in Kinston, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.42k White (Non-Hispanic) and 868 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.2%
2024 Citizenship
98.1%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.2% of Kinston, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Kinston, NC was 98.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

View Data
Save Image

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Kinston, NC
  1. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    13.2k ± 686
  2. White (Non-Hispanic)
    4.42k ± 532
  3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    868 ± 438
3.2%
Hispanic Population
624 people

In 2024, there were 2.98 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (13.2k people) in Kinston, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.42k White (Non-Hispanic) and 868 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

3.2% of the people in Kinston, NC are hispanic (624 people).

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

View Data
Save Image

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    224,963 ± 11,520 people
  2. India
    83,219 ± 7,055 people
  3. 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.

View Data
Save Image

Foreign-Born Population

3.55%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
693 people
3.65%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
715 people

As of 2024, 3.55% of Kinston, NC residents (693 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 Kinston, NC was 3.65%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

View Data
Save Image

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    569 ± 164
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    294 ± 185
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    190 ± 100

Kinston, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.94 times greater than any other conflict.

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

View Data
Save Image

Economy

The economy of Kinston, NC employs 6.78k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Kinston, NC were Health Care & Social Assistance (1,418 people), Manufacturing (1,272 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (701 people), and the highest paying industries were Information ($59,583), Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($52,377), and Construction ($51,705).

Employment

Occupations

6.78k
2024 Value
± 698
0.251%
1 Year growth
± 14.6%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Kinston, NC grew at a rate of 0.251%, from 6.76k employees to 6.78k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Kinston, NC, are Management Occupations (826 people), Production Occupations (804 people), and Healthcare Support Occupations (681 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Kinston, NC.

View Data
Save Image

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.

View Data
Save Image

Industries

Employment by Industries

6.78k
2024 Value
± 698
0.251%
1 Year growth
± 14.6%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Kinston, NC grew at a rate of 0.251%, from 6.76k employees to 6.78k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Kinston, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,418 people), Manufacturing (1,272 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (701 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Kinston, NC, though some of these residents may live in Kinston, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

View Data
Save Image

Median Earnings by Industry

$42,375
Median earning men ± $10,539
$30,821
Median earning women ± $3,316

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Other Services Except Public Administration ($63,239), Information ($58,542), and Retail Trade ($58,438).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($48,827), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($47,083), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($34,335).

View Data
Save Image

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.

View Data
Save Image

Education

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

Most students graduating from Universities in Kinston, 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 Kinston, NC by number of degrees awarded are Lenoir Community College (620 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Kinston, 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 Kinston, 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.

View Data
Save Image

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. Liberal Arts & Sciences
    179 degrees awarded
  2. Registered Nursing
    25 degrees awarded
  3. Medical Office Management
    14 degrees awarded

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

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

View Data
Save Image

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.

View Data
Save Image

Student Diversity

In 2023, 236 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Kinston, 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.

View Data
Save Image

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.

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

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.

View Data
Save Image

Housing & Living

The median property value in Kinston, NC was $119,300 in 2024, which is 0.359 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $108,300 to $119,300, a 10.2% increase. The homeownership rate in Kinston, NC is 42.5%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Kinston, NC have an average commute time of 20.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Kinston, NC is lower than the national average, with an average of 1 car per household.

Housing

Property

$119,300
Median Property Value 2024
±$16,128
$3,783
Median Property Taxes
±$473

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

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

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Rent vs Own

42.5%
Homeownership
2024
65.4%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 42.5% of the housing units in Kinston, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 42.2%.

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

View Data
Save Image

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$36,878
Median Household Income
± $2,930
8.89k
Number of Households
± 776

In 2024, the median household income of the 8.89k households in Kinston, NC grew to $36,878 from the previous year's value of $35,250.

The following chart displays the households in Kinston, 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.

View Data
Save Image

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Kinston, 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.

View Data
Save Image

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (80%)
  2. Carpooled (14.8%)
  3. Worked At Home (3.25%)

In 2024, 80% of workers in Kinston, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (14.8%) and those who worked at home (3.25%).

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.

View Data
Save Image

Commute Time

20.7 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Kinston, NC have a shorter commute time (20.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.05% of the workforce in Kinston, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Car Ownership

1 car
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Kinston, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Kinston, NC have 1 car.

View Data
Save Image

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

27.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Kinston, NC (5.28k out of 18.9k 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 55 - 64, followed by Females 75+ and then Males 55 - 64.

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

View Data
Save Image

Health

90.6% of the population of Kinston, NC has health coverage, with 19.3% on employee plans, 32.2% on Medicaid, 13.8% on Medicare, 22.5% on non-group plans, and 2.72% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see 1,413 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,413 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1634 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 299 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 45% were men and 55% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.5% under 18 years, 17.5% between 18 and 34 years, 34.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 24.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 45% were men and 55% were women.

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

View Data
Save Image

Uninsured People

9.41%
Uninsured
19.3%
Employer Coverage
32.2%
Medicaid
13.8%
Medicare
22.5%
Non-Group
2.72%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Kinston, NC grew by 2.88% from 9.15% to 9.41%.

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

View Data
Save Image