Sanford, NC

Census Place

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2024 Population
31,478
US Senator
Thom Tillis
Republican Party
US Senator
Ted Budd
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
34.7
0.573% 1-year decrease
2024 Poverty Rate
22%
8.4% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$57,586
6.06% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$245,400
10.5% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
13,782
0.934% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Sanford, 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.

88.2% of the residents in Sanford, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Sanford, NC are Central Carolina Community College (1,413 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Sanford, NC was $245,400, and the homeownership rate was 53.3%.

Most people in Sanford, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Sanford, NC was 2 cars per household.

United StatesNorth CarolinaLee County, NCSanford, NCChatham & Lee Counties PUMA, NC

Population & Diversity

Sanford, NC is home to a population of 31.5k people, from which 88.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 14.9% of Sanford, NC residents were born outside of the country (4.69k people).

In 2024, there were 1.81 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (13.2k people) in Sanford, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 7.27k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 3.33k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

88.2%
2024 Citizenship
88.5%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 88.2% of Sanford, NC residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Sanford, NC was 88.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Sanford, NC
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    13.2k ± 760
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    7.27k ± 695
  3. Other (Hispanic)
    3.33k ± 728
30%
Hispanic Population
9.46k people

In 2024, there were 1.81 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (13.2k people) in Sanford, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 7.27k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 3.33k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

30% of the people in Sanford, NC are hispanic (9.46k people).

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

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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.

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Foreign-Born Population

14.9%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
4.69k people
14.5%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
4.46k people

As of 2024, 14.9% of Sanford, NC residents (4.69k 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 Sanford, NC was 14.5%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Gulf War (2001-)
    355 ± 131
  2. Vietnam
    304 ± 221
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    207 ± 119

Sanford, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.17 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Sanford, NC employs 13.8k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Sanford, NC were Manufacturing (2,856 people), Accommodation & Food Services (1,424 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (1,421 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance ($77,721), Information ($70,389), and Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation ($67,717).

Employment

Occupations

13.8k
2024 Value
± 1,040
−0.934%
1 Year decline
± 10.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Sanford, NC declined at a rate of −0.934%, from 13.9k employees to 13.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Sanford, NC, are Production Occupations (2,317 people), Sales & Related Occupations (1,295 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,283 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Sanford, NC.

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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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

13.8k
2024 Value
± 1,040
−0.934%
1 Year decline
± 10.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Sanford, NC declined at a rate of −0.934%, from 13.9k employees to 13.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Sanford, NC, are Manufacturing (2,856 people), Accommodation & Food Services (1,424 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (1,421 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Sanford, NC, though some of these residents may live in Sanford, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$41,313
Median earning men ± $1,832
$33,508
Median earning women ± $2,862

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($72,935), Information ($71,250), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($70,333).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($44,024), Public Administration ($42,895), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($40,536).

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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.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Sanford, NC awarded 1,413 degrees. The student population of Sanford, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 2,067 male students and 3,507 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Sanford, NC are White (763 and 54.1%), Hispanic or Latino (319 and 22.6%), Black or African American (219 and 15.5%), and Unknown (54 and 3.83%).

The largest universities in Sanford, NC by number of degrees awarded are Central Carolina Community College (1,413 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Sanford, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (280 and 19.8%), General Business Administration & Management (96 and 6.79%), and Welding Technology (83 and 5.87%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 5,574 students enrolled in Sanford, NC, 37.1% men and 62.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,767 records, of which 61.8% were women and 38.2% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. Welding Technology
    73 degrees awarded
  2. Aesthetician & Skin Care Specialist
    46 degrees awarded
  3. Library & Archives Assisting
    40 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years recipients in Sanford, NC was Welding Technology with 73 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years from schools in Sanford, NC according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Central Carolina Community College
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
1,413 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Central Carolina Community College with 1,413 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

In 2023, 641 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Sanford, NC, which is 0.83 times less than the 772 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 763 degrees mean that there were 2.39 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 319 degrees awarded.

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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.

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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 ($122) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,460) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Sanford, NC was $245,400 in 2024, which is 0.738 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $222,000 to $245,400, a 10.5% increase. The homeownership rate in Sanford, NC is 53.3%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Sanford, NC have an average commute time of 23.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Sanford, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$245,400
Median Property Value 2024
±$17,162
$6,052
Median Property Taxes
±$634

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 Sanford, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

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Rent vs Own

53.3%
Homeownership
2024
65%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 53.3% of the housing units in Sanford, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 52%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$57,586
Median Household Income
± $5,084
11.4k
Number of Households
± 891

In 2024, the median household income of the 11.4k households in Sanford, NC grew to $57,586 from the previous year's value of $54,294.

The following chart displays the households in Sanford, 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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Sanford, 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (77.4%)
  2. Carpooled (12.5%)
  3. Worked At Home (8.08%)

In 2024, 77.4% of workers in Sanford, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (12.5%) and those who worked at home (8.08%).

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.

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Commute Time

23.3 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Sanford, NC have a shorter commute time (23.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.941% of the workforce in Sanford, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

22% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Sanford, NC (6.77k out of 30.8k 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 35 - 44, followed by Females 6 - 11 and then Females 25 - 34.

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

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.

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Health

84.4% of the population of Sanford, NC has health coverage, with 35.6% on employee plans, 25% on Medicaid, 10.1% on Medicare, 11.8% on non-group plans, and 1.89% 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, 49.3% were men and 50.7% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 29.5% under 18 years, 21.5% between 18 and 34 years, 34.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.3% were men and 50.7% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

15.6%
Uninsured
35.6%
Employer Coverage
25%
Medicaid
10.1%
Medicare
11.8%
Non-Group
1.89%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Sanford, NC declined by 0.615% from 15.7% to 15.6%.

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

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