Rocky Mount, NC

Census Place

2024 Population

54,297

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

40.7

2.63% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

19.7%

7.15% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$55,534

4.93% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$165,700

Population & Diversity

Rocky Mount, NC is home to a population of 54.3k people, from which 98% are citizens.

As of 2024, 3.75% of Rocky Mount, NC residents were born outside of the country (2.04k people).

In 2024, there were 2.4 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (33.9k people) in Rocky Mount, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 14.1k White (Non-Hispanic) and 1.59k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98%

2024 Citizenship

98.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98% of Rocky Mount, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Rocky Mount, NC was 98.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Rocky Mount, NC

Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
33.9k ± 1.08k
White (Non-Hispanic)
14.1k ± 1.01k
Other (Hispanic)
1.59k ± 671

5.52%

Hispanic Population

3k people

5.52% of the people in Rocky Mount, NC are hispanic (3k people).

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

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Mexico
228,441 ± 11,609 people
India
90,815 ± 7,367 people
Honduras
52,061 ± 5,588 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 228,441 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 90,815 and Honduras with 52,061.

Foreign-Born Population

3.75%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

2.04k people

3.21%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.74k people

As of 2024, 3.75% of Rocky Mount, NC residents (2.04k 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 Rocky Mount, NC was 3.21%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,415 ± 359
Gulf War (2001-)
749 ± 286
Gulf War (1990s)
602 ± 177

Rocky Mount, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.89 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Rocky Mount, NC employs 23.9k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Rocky Mount, NC were Manufacturing (4,413 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,371 people), and Retail Trade (3,265 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($55,833), Utilities ($54,925), and Public Administration ($53,949).

Employment

Occupations

23.9k

2024 Value

± 1,540

0.878%

1 Year growth

± 9.12%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Rocky Mount, NC grew at a rate of 0.878%, from 23.7k employees to 23.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Rocky Mount, NC, are Production Occupations (2,962 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,763 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (2,436 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Rocky Mount, 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

23.9k

2024 Value

± 1,540

0.878%

1 Year growth

± 9.12%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Rocky Mount, NC grew at a rate of 0.878%, from 23.7k employees to 23.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Rocky Mount, NC, are Manufacturing (4,413 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,371 people), and Retail Trade (3,265 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Rocky Mount, NC, though some of these residents may live in Rocky Mount, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$38,659

Median earning men ± $4,059

$36,333

Median earning women ± $1,169

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($80,521), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($62,045), and Public Administration ($58,462).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($49,762), Public Administration ($47,000), and Manufacturing ($44,925).

Education

The student population of Rocky Mount, NC in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 641 male students and 778 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Rocky Mount, NC are Black or African American (170 and 46.3%), White (112 and 30.5%), Unknown (33 and 8.99%), and Two or More Races (28 and 7.63%).

The largest universities in Rocky Mount, NC by number of degrees awarded are North Carolina Wesleyan University (401 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Rocky Mount, NC are General Business Administration & Management (121 and 30.2%), Criminal Justice - Law Enforcement Administration (69 and 17.2%), and Organizational Leadership (39 and 9.73%).

The median tuition cost for private four year colleges is $34,936.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Rocky Mount, NC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 80.2%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 17.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 1,419 (45.2% men and 54.8% 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 2024 there were 1,419 students enrolled in Rocky Mount, NC, 45.2% men and 54.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Black or African American with 527 records, of which 54.8% were women and 45.2% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
79 degrees awarded
Criminal Justice - Law Enforcement Administration
48 degrees awarded
Organizational Leadership
36 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Rocky Mount, NC was General Business Administration & Management with 79 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

North Carolina Wesleyan University

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

401 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was North Carolina Wesleyan University with 401 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 169 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Rocky Mount, NC, which is 0.728 times less than the 232 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Black or African American students. These 170 degrees mean that there were 1.52 times more degrees awarded to Black or African American students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 112 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 ($34,936) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($650) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($300) 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 Rocky Mount, NC was $165,700 in 2024, which is 0.498 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $148,300 to $165,700, a 11.7% increase. The homeownership rate in Rocky Mount, NC is 49%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Rocky Mount, NC have an average commute time of 20.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Rocky Mount, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$165,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$7,781

$11,451

Median Property Taxes

±$935

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

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

Rent vs Own

49%

Homeownership

2024

65.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 49% of the housing units in Rocky Mount, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 47.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Rocky Mount, 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.

$55,534

Median Household Income

± $2,420

23.4k

Number of Households

± 1,432

In 2024, the median household income of the 23.4k households in Rocky Mount, NC grew to $55,534 from the previous year's value of $52,927.

The following chart displays the households in Rocky Mount, 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 Rocky Mount, NC is from North Carolina.

0.466

2024 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.467

2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2024, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.466 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.16% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.474. 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 (80%)
Worked At Home (8.57%)
Carpooled (7.54%)

In 2024, 80% of workers in Rocky Mount, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (8.57%) and those who carpooled to work (7.54%).

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

20.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Rocky Mount, NC have a shorter commute time (20.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.617% of the workforce in Rocky Mount, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

19.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Rocky Mount, NC (10.5k out of 53.3k 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 Males < 5.

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

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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

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

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

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