Wilkesboro, NC

Census Place

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2023 Population

3,664

0.272% 1-year decline

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

44.2

10.5% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

18.7%

15.8% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$41,175

5.3% 1-year decline

2023 Median Property Value

$197,600

12.3% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

1,449

6.94% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Wilkesboro, NC had a population of 3.66k people with a median age of 44.2 and a median household income of $41,175. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Wilkesboro, NC declined from 3,674 to 3,664, a −0.272% decrease and its median household income declined from $43,480 to $41,175, a −5.3% decrease.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Wilkesboro, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (80.9%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (9.01%), White (Hispanic) (5.19%), Two+ (Hispanic) (2.43%), and Other (Hispanic) (1.86%).

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.

98.1% of the residents in Wilkesboro, NC are U.S. citizens.

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

In 2023, the median property value in Wilkesboro, NC was $197,600, and the homeownership rate was 50.6%.

Most people in Wilkesboro, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Wilkesboro, NC was 2 cars per household.

United States North Carolina Wilkes County, NC North Wilkesboro, NC Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC

Population & Diversity

Wilkesboro, NC is home to a population of 3.66k people, from which 98.1% are citizens. As of 2023, 3.47% of Wilkesboro, NC residents were born outside of the country (127 people).

In 2023, there were 8.99 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.97k people) in Wilkesboro, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 330 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 190 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.1%

2023 Citizenship

99%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 98.1% of Wilkesboro, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Wilkesboro, NC was 99%, 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.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Wilkesboro, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
2.97k ± 264
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
330 ± 169
White (Hispanic)
190 ± 197

9.47%

Hispanic Population

347 people

9.47% of the people in Wilkesboro, NC are hispanic (347 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Wilkesboro, 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
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

3.47%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

127 people

2.31%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

85 people

As of 2023, 3.47% of Wilkesboro, NC residents (127 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 Wilkesboro, NC was 2.31%, 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.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
82 ± 60
Korea
40 ± 37
Gulf War (2001-)
22 ± 40

Wilkesboro, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.05 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Wilkesboro, NC employs 1.45k people. The largest industries in Wilkesboro, NC are Health Care & Social Assistance (273 people), Manufacturing (248 people), and Retail Trade (235 people), and the highest paying industries are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($68,889), Public Administration ($59,231), and Health Care & Social Assistance ($57,417).

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

1.45k

2023 Value

± 290

−6.94%

1 Year decline

± 30.4%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Wilkesboro, NC declined at a rate of −6.94%, from 1.56k employees to 1.45k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Wilkesboro, NC, are Management Occupations (188 people), Sales & Related Occupations (159 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (153 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Wilkesboro, 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

1.45k

2023 Value

± 290

−6.94%

1 Year decline

± 30.4%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Wilkesboro, NC declined at a rate of −6.94%, from 1.56k employees to 1.45k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Wilkesboro, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (273 people), Manufacturing (248 people), and Retail Trade (235 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.

Median Earnings by Industry

$27,180

Median earning men ± $11,451

$32,242

Median earning women ± $14,509

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Construction ($53,750), Other Services Except Public Administration ($48,359), and Manufacturing ($26,635).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Retail Trade ($87,813), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($47,168), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($32,411).

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.

Education

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

Most students graduating from Universities in Wilkesboro, 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 Wilkesboro, NC by number of degrees awarded are Wilkes Community College (1,085 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Wilkesboro, 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 Wilkesboro, 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 Wilkesboro, NC was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 167 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Wilkesboro, 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 Wilkesboro, 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 Wilkesboro, NC was $197,600 in 2023, which is 0.651 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $175,900 to $197,600, a 12.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Wilkesboro, NC is 50.6%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Wilkesboro, NC have an average commute time of 21.2 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

$197,600

Median Property Value 2023

±$35,534

$808

Median Property Taxes

±$187

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.

Rent vs Own

50.6%

Homeownership

2023

60.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 50.6% of the housing units in Wilkesboro, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 51.2%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Census Tract 9608.02

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

The following map shows all of the places in Wilkesboro, 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.

$41,175

Median Household Income

± $10,212

1.6k

Number of Households

± 341

In 2023, the median household income of the 1.6k households in Wilkesboro, NC declined from $41,175 from the previous year's value of $43,480.

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.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Wilkesboro, 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 (81.9%)
Worked At Home (7.72%)
Walked (6.04%)

In 2023, 81.9% of workers in Wilkesboro, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (7.72%) and those who walked to work (6.04%).

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

21.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Wilkesboro, NC have a shorter commute time (21.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.75% 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.

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.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

18.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Wilkesboro, NC (629 out of 3.36k 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 Males 15 and then Males 12 - 14.

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

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

91.6% of the population of Wilkesboro, NC has health coverage, with 29.2% on employee plans, 25.3% on Medicaid, 15.1% on Medicare, 17.4% on non-group plans, and 4.58% 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.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Wilkes County, NC.

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 23.4% under 18 years, 23.3% between 18 and 34 years, 30% between 35 and 64 years, and 23.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 42.2% were men and 57.8% were women.

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

Uninsured People

8.42%

Uninsured

29.2%

Employer Coverage

25.3%

Medicaid

15.1%

Medicare

17.4%

Non-Group

4.58%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Wilkesboro, NC declined by 6.69% from 9.02% to 8.42%.

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.

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