Hertford County, NC

County

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2024 Population

19,908

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

42.6

0.709% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

22.9%

7.06% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$45,537

4.08% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$119,200

7.29% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

7,909

5.12% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Hertford County, 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.

96.9% of the residents in Hertford County, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Hertford County, NC are Chowan University (196 degrees awarded in 2023) and Roanoke-Chowan Community College (135 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Hertford County, NC was $119,200, and the homeownership rate was 67.4%.

Most people in Hertford County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 26.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Hertford County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Hertford County, NC borders Bertie County, NC, Chowan County, NC, Gates County, NC, Northampton County, NC, and Southampton County, VA.

United States North Carolina

Population & Diversity

Hertford County, NC is home to a population of 19.9k people, from which 96.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.94% of Hertford County, NC residents were born outside of the country (784 people).

In 2024, there were 1.73 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (11.1k people) in Hertford County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 6.41k White (Non-Hispanic) and 659 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.9%

2024 Citizenship

96.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.9% of Hertford County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Hertford County, NC was 96.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Hertford County, NC

Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
11.1k ± 166
White (Non-Hispanic)
6.41k ± 61
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
659 ± 179

6.4%

Hispanic Population

1.27k people

6.4% of the people in Hertford County, NC are hispanic (1.27k people).

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

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Mexico
224,963 ± 11,520 people
India
83,219 ± 7,055 people
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.

Foreign-Born Population

3.94%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

784 people

4.47%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

915 people

As of 2024, 3.94% of Hertford County, NC residents (784 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 Hertford County, NC was 4.47%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
496 ± 102
Gulf War (2001-)
331 ± 113
Gulf War (1990s)
204 ± 98

Hertford County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.5 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Hertford County, NC employs 7.91k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Hertford County, NC were Health Care & Social Assistance (1,299 people), Manufacturing (1,285 people), and Educational Services (1,042 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance ($86,833), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($51,250), and Construction ($49,063).

Employment

Occupations

7.91k

2024 Value

± 546

−5.12%

1 Year decline

± 10.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Hertford County, NC declined at a rate of −5.12%, from 8.34k employees to 7.91k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Hertford County, NC, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (923 people), Material Moving Occupations (739 people), and Production Occupations (706 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Hertford County, 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

7.91k

2024 Value

± 546

−5.12%

1 Year decline

± 10.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Hertford County, NC declined at a rate of −5.12%, from 8.34k employees to 7.91k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Hertford County, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,299 people), Manufacturing (1,285 people), and Educational Services (1,042 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Hertford County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Hertford County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$39,957

Median earning men ± $7,582

$32,094

Median earning women ± $2,425

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($55,385), Construction ($50,536), and Manufacturing ($48,750).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($53,438), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($45,313), and Construction ($41,875).

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.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

55
Other Services (except Public Administration)
30
Health Care and Social Assistance
30
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$106k
Manufacturing
$73.5k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$28.1k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2023, universities in Hertford County, NC awarded 331 degrees. The student population of Hertford County, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 624 male students and 675 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Hertford County, NC are Black or African American (197 and 61.8%), White (82 and 25.7%), Unknown (14 and 4.39%), and Hispanic or Latino (13 and 4.08%).

The largest universities in Hertford County, NC by number of degrees awarded are Chowan University (196 and 59.2%) and Roanoke-Chowan Community College (135 and 40.8%).

The most popular majors in Hertford County, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (43 and 13%), General Psychology (29 and 8.76%), and Organizational Leadership (29 and 8.76%).

The median tuition cost in Hertford County, NC for private four year colleges is $27,110.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Hertford County, NC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 72.4%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 9.43%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 1,299 (48% men and 52% 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 2023 there were 1,299 students enrolled in Hertford County, NC, 48% men and 52% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Black or African American with 749 records, of which 54.5% were women and 45.5% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Psychology
29 degrees awarded
Kinesiology & Exercise Science
15 degrees awarded
General Business
12 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Hertford County, NC was General Psychology with 29 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Chowan University
196 degrees awarded
Roanoke-Chowan Community College
135 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Chowan University with 196 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 161 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Hertford County, NC, which is 0.947 times less than the 170 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Black or African American students. These 197 degrees mean that there were 2.4 times more degrees awarded to Black or African American students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 82 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 ($27,110) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($210) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($2,500) 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 Hertford County, NC was $119,200 in 2024, which is 0.358 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $111,100 to $119,200, a 7.29% increase. The homeownership rate in Hertford County, NC is 67.4%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Hertford County, NC have an average commute time of 26.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Hertford County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 16.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Hertford County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.37%.

Housing

Property

$119,200

Median Property Value 2024

±$7,140

$5,581

Median Property Taxes

±$426

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

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

Rent vs Own

67.4%

Homeownership

2024

63.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 67.4% of the housing units in Hertford County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 66.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Hertford County, 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.

$45,537

Median Household Income

± $2,991

8.29k

Number of Households

± 522

In 2024, the median household income of the 8.29k households in Hertford County, NC declined from $45,537 from the previous year's value of $47,472.

The following chart displays the households in Hertford County, 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 Hertford County, 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (78.9%)
Carpooled (11.5%)
Worked At Home (4.3%)

In 2024, 78.9% of workers in Hertford County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.5%) and those who worked at home (4.3%).

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

26.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Hertford County, NC have a longer commute time (26.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.53% of the workforce in Hertford County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 16.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Hertford County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.37%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

22.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Hertford County, NC (4.18k out of 18.2k 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 35 - 44 and then Females 25 - 34.

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

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.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 32% of the children was living in poverty in Hertford County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.9%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children 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.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 304 in Hertford County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 8.97 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

91.4% of the population of Hertford County, NC has health coverage, with 32.5% on employee plans, 24.8% on Medicaid, 16.6% on Medicare, 15.4% on non-group plans, and 2.07% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Hertford County, NC see 1,637 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,637 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2319 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 374 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.1% were men and 52.9% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,637 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Hertford County, NC

Primary care physicians in Hertford County, NC see an average of 1,637 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,637 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Hertford County, NC in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.9% under 18 years, 20% between 18 and 34 years, 35.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.1% were men and 52.9% were women.

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

Uninsured People

8.56%

Uninsured

32.5%

Employer Coverage

24.8%

Medicaid

16.6%

Medicare

15.4%

Non-Group

2.07%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Hertford County, NC declined by 11.5% from 9.66% to 8.56%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 104 in Hertford County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Hertford County, NC.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 43.4% in Hertford County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Hertford County, NC.