Lenoir, NC

Census Place

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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
8.6% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
7,562
2.08% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Lenoir, 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.

94.7% of the residents in Lenoir, NC are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Lenoir, NC was $179,400, and the homeownership rate was 64.2%.

Most people in Lenoir, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Lenoir, NC was 2 cars per household.

United StatesNorth CarolinaCaldwell County, NCHickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NCCaldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC

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.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Lenoir, NC
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    13.4k ± 683
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    1.82k ± 375
  3. Other (Hispanic)
    1.48k ± 788
13.2%
Hispanic Population
2.42k 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.

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.

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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

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.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    341 ± 170
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    320 ± 234
  3. 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.

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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.

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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

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.

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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).

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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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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.

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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.

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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.
$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 < $10k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Lenoir, 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 (77.2%)
  2. Worked At Home (11.1%)
  3. 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Health

87.5% of the population of Lenoir, NC has health coverage, with 34.9% on employee plans, 23.2% on Medicaid, 16.6% on Medicare, 11.2% on non-group plans, and 1.55% 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, 45.8% were men and 54.2% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.6% under 18 years, 17.7% between 18 and 34 years, 38.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 45.8% were men and 54.2% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

12.5%
Uninsured
34.9%
Employer Coverage
23.2%
Medicaid
16.6%
Medicare
11.2%
Non-Group
1.55%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Lenoir, NC declined by 10.2% from 13.9% to 12.5%.

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

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