Lenoir, NC

Census Place

2024 Population

18,299

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

45.7

5.06% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

14.6%

13.2% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$49,910

2.09% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$179,400

Population & Diversity

Lenoir, NC is home to a population of 18.3k people, from which 94.7% are citizens.

As of 2024, 7.06% of Lenoir, NC residents were born outside of the country (1.29k people).

In 2024, there were 7.35 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (13.4k people) in Lenoir, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.82k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 1.48k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

94.7%

2024 Citizenship

94.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 94.7% of Lenoir, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Lenoir, NC was 94.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Lenoir, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
13.4k ± 683
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.82k ± 375
Other (Hispanic)
1.48k ± 788

13.2%

Hispanic Population

2.42k people

13.2% of the people in Lenoir, NC are hispanic (2.42k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Lenoir, 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

7.06%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.29k people

7.51%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.37k people

As of 2024, 7.06% of Lenoir, NC residents (1.29k 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 Lenoir, NC was 7.51%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
341 ± 170
Gulf War (2001-)
320 ± 234
Gulf War (1990s)
81 ± 72

Lenoir, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.07 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Lenoir, NC employs 7.56k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Lenoir, NC were Health Care & Social Assistance (1,144 people), Manufacturing (1,102 people), and Retail Trade (825 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($72,409), Finance & Insurance ($71,189), and Information ($69,318).

Employment

Occupations

7.56k

2024 Value

± 865

−2.08%

1 Year decline

± 15.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lenoir, NC declined at a rate of −2.08%, from 7.72k employees to 7.56k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Lenoir, NC, are Production Occupations (812 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (744 people), and Management Occupations (649 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Lenoir, 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

7.56k

2024 Value

± 865

−2.08%

1 Year decline

± 15.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lenoir, NC declined at a rate of −2.08%, from 7.72k employees to 7.56k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Lenoir, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,144 people), Manufacturing (1,102 people), and Retail Trade (825 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Lenoir, NC, though some of these residents may live in Lenoir, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$43,759

Median earning men ± $7,742

$34,594

Median earning women ± $5,571

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Other Services Except Public Administration ($95,588), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($64,627), and Public Administration ($56,505).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($83,935), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($63,170), and Public Administration ($47,917).

Housing & Living

The median property value in Lenoir, NC was $179,400 in 2024, which is 0.539 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $165,200 to $179,400, a 8.6% increase. The homeownership rate in Lenoir, NC is 64.2%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Lenoir, NC have an average commute time of 24.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Lenoir, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$179,400

Median Property Value 2024

±$15,798

$5,263

Median Property Taxes

±$682

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

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

Rent vs Own

64.2%

Homeownership

2024

68.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 64.2% of the housing units in Lenoir, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 61.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Lenoir, 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.

$49,910

Median Household Income

± $6,914

8.2k

Number of Households

± 871

In 2024, the median household income of the 8.2k households in Lenoir, NC grew to $49,910 from the previous year's value of $48,889.

The following chart displays the households in Lenoir, 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 Lenoir, 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 (77.2%)
Worked At Home (11.1%)
Carpooled (10.5%)

In 2024, 77.2% of workers in Lenoir, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (11.1%) and those who carpooled to work (10.5%).

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

24.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Lenoir, NC have a shorter commute time (24.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 4.65% of the workforce in Lenoir, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

14.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Lenoir, NC (2.61k out of 17.9k 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 65 - 74, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males < 5.

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

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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