Wilkesboro, NC

Census Place

Add Comparison
2024 Population
3,646
US Senator
Thom Tillis
Republican Party
US Senator
Ted Budd
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
47.9
8.37% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
22.6%
20.7% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$40,907
0.651% 1-year decline
2024 Median Property Value
$223,700
13.2% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
1,465
1.1% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Wilkesboro, 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.

96% of the residents in Wilkesboro, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Wilkesboro, NC are Wilkes Community College (1,200 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Wilkesboro, NC was $223,700, and the homeownership rate was 48%.

Most people in Wilkesboro, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 18.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Wilkesboro, NC was 2 cars per household.

United StatesNorth CarolinaWilkes County, NCNorth Wilkesboro, NCWilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC

Population & Diversity

Wilkesboro, NC is home to a population of 3.65k people, from which 96% are citizens. As of 2024, 6.06% of Wilkesboro, NC residents were born outside of the country (221 people).

In 2024, there were 5.69 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.77k people) in Wilkesboro, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 487 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 253 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96%
2024 Citizenship
98.1%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96% of Wilkesboro, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Wilkesboro, NC was 98.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Wilkesboro, 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 Wilkesboro, NC
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    2.77k ± 340
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    487 ± 230
  3. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    253 ± 239
10.3%
Hispanic Population
374 people

In 2024, there were 5.69 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.77k people) in Wilkesboro, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 487 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 253 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

10.3% of the people in Wilkesboro, NC are hispanic (374 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Wilkesboro, 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

6.06%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
221 people
3.47%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
127 people

As of 2024, 6.06% of Wilkesboro, NC residents (221 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 Wilkesboro, NC was 3.47%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

View Data
Save Image

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    68 ± 64
  2. Korea
    39 ± 44
  3. Gulf War (2001-)
    28 ± 50

Wilkesboro, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.74 times greater than any other conflict.

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

View Data
Save Image

Economy

The economy of Wilkesboro, NC employs 1.47k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Wilkesboro, NC were Retail Trade (246 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (234 people), and Manufacturing (225 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($75,192), Construction ($73,158), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($61,364).

Employment

Occupations

1.47k
2024 Value
± 332
1.1%
1 Year growth
± 29.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Wilkesboro, NC grew at a rate of 1.1%, from 1.45k employees to 1.47k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Wilkesboro, NC, are Production Occupations (230 people), Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (172 people), and Management Occupations (145 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Wilkesboro, 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

1.47k
2024 Value
± 332
1.1%
1 Year growth
± 29.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Wilkesboro, NC grew at a rate of 1.1%, from 1.45k employees to 1.47k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Wilkesboro, NC, are Retail Trade (246 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (234 people), and Manufacturing (225 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Wilkesboro, NC, though some of these residents may live in Wilkesboro, 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

$27,470
Median earning men ± $3,354
$33,012
Median earning women ± $4,655

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Construction ($73,158), Retail Trade ($32,974), and Manufacturing ($26,971).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($61,250), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($40,125), and Other Services Except Public Administration ($31,563).

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 Wilkesboro, NC awarded 1,200 degrees. The student population of Wilkesboro, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,042 male students and 1,363 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Wilkesboro, NC are White (964 and 80.7%), Hispanic or Latino (146 and 12.2%), Unknown (32 and 2.68%), and Two or More Races (24 and 2.01%).

The largest universities in Wilkesboro, NC by number of degrees awarded are Wilkes Community College (1,200 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Wilkesboro, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (189 and 15.8%), General Business Administration & Management (155 and 12.9%), and Welding Technology (68 and 5.67%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 2,405 students enrolled in Wilkesboro, NC, 43.3% men and 56.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,908 records, of which 56.9% were women and 43.1% men.

View Data
Save Image

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Business Administration & Management
    96 degrees awarded
  2. Welding Technology
    55 degrees awarded
  3. Automobile Mechanics Technology
    50 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years recipients in Wilkesboro, NC was General Business Administration & Management with 96 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 Wilkesboro, NC according to their major.

View Data
Save Image

Universities

Gender
Race
Wilkes Community College
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
1,200 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Wilkes Community College with 1,200 degrees awarded.

View Data
Save Image

Student Diversity

In 2023, 604 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Wilkesboro, NC, which is 1.01 times more than the 596 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 964 degrees mean that there were 6.6 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 146 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 ($140) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($848) 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 Wilkesboro, NC was $223,700 in 2024, which is 0.672 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $197,600 to $223,700, a 13.2% increase. The homeownership rate in Wilkesboro, NC is 48%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Wilkesboro, NC have an average commute time of 18.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Wilkesboro, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$223,700
Median Property Value 2024
±$57,036
$802
Median Property Taxes
±$213

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

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

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Rent vs Own

48%
Homeownership
2024
66%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 48% of the housing units in Wilkesboro, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 50.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Wilkesboro, 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.
$40,907
Median Household Income
± $6,060
1.67k
Number of Households
± 334

In 2024, the median household income of the 1.67k households in Wilkesboro, NC declined from $40,907 from the previous year's value of $41,175.

The following chart displays the households in Wilkesboro, 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 Wilkesboro, 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 (84.7%)
  2. Carpooled (4.19%)
  3. Walked (3.91%)

In 2024, 84.7% of workers in Wilkesboro, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (4.19%) and those who walked to work (3.91%).

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

18.9 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Wilkesboro, NC have a shorter commute time (18.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.71% of the workforce in Wilkesboro, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

View Data
Save Image

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

22.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Wilkesboro, NC (758 out of 3.36k 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 45 - 54, followed by Males 12 - 14 and then Females 75+.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Wilkesboro, 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.

View Data
Save Image

Health

92.9% of the population of Wilkesboro, NC has health coverage, with 31.4% on employee plans, 22.1% on Medicaid, 16.5% on Medicare, 22% on non-group plans, and 0.924% 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, 47.8% were men and 52.2% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.4% under 18 years, 18.1% between 18 and 34 years, 29.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 27.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.8% were men and 52.2% were women.

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

View Data
Save Image

Uninsured People

7.06%
Uninsured
31.4%
Employer Coverage
22.1%
Medicaid
16.5%
Medicare
22%
Non-Group
0.924%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Wilkesboro, NC declined by 16.1% from 8.42% to 7.06%.

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

View Data
Save Image