Morganton, NC

Census Place

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2023 Population

17,541

0.481% 1-year growth

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

38.5

2.12% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

29.9%

6.81% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$49,434

3.6% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

7,355

3.72% 1-year growth

About

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Morganton, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (57.6%), Other (Hispanic) (13.6%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (13.2%), American Indian & Alaska Native (Hispanic) (4.53%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (3.05%).

None of the households in Morganton, 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.

91.1% of the residents in Morganton, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Morganton, NC are Western Piedmont Community College (569 degrees awarded in 2023).

Most people in Morganton, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Morganton, NC was 2 cars per household.

United States North Carolina Burke County, NC Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC

Population & Diversity

Morganton, NC is home to a population of 17.5k people, from which 91.1% are citizens. As of 2023, 12.4% of Morganton, NC residents were born outside of the country (2.17k people).

In 2023, there were 4.23 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (10.1k people) in Morganton, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.39k Other (Hispanic) and 2.32k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

91.1%

2023 Citizenship

92.5%

2022 Citizenship

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Morganton, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
10.1k ± 783
Other (Hispanic)
2.39k ± 598
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
2.32k ± 557

23.2%

Hispanic Population

4.08k people

23.2% of the people in Morganton, NC are hispanic (4.08k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Morganton, 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

12.4%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

2.17k people

9.92%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

1.73k people

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
323 ± 107
Gulf War (1990s)
53 ± 58
Gulf War (2001-)
50 ± 44

Morganton, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 6.09 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Morganton, NC employs 7.36k people. The largest industries in Morganton, NC are Manufacturing (1,737 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,610 people), and Other Services, Except Public Administration (641 people), and the highest paying industries are Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation ($60,078), Public Administration ($55,757), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($51,406).

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

7.36k

2023 Value

± 741

3.72%

1 Year growth

± 13.8%

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Morganton, NC, are Production Occupations (1,394 people), Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (720 people), and Material Moving Occupations (541 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Morganton, 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

7.36k

2023 Value

± 741

3.72%

1 Year growth

± 13.8%

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Morganton, NC, are Manufacturing (1,737 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,610 people), and Other Services, Except Public Administration (641 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Morganton, NC, though some of these residents may live in Morganton, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$30,975

Median earning men ± $4,918

$30,715

Median earning women ± $2,791

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Wholesale Trade ($67,955), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($58,182), and Public Administration ($56,382).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($56,140), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($46,667), and Manufacturing ($39,846).

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 2023, universities in Morganton, NC awarded 569 degrees. The student population of Morganton, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 678 male students and 1,113 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Morganton, NC are White (430 and 76.1%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (67 and 11.9%), Black or African American (36 and 6.37%), and Asian (28 and 4.96%).

The largest universities in Morganton, NC by number of degrees awarded are Western Piedmont Community College (569 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Morganton, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (141 and 24.8%), General Cosmetology (62 and 10.9%), and Criminal Justice - Police Science (27 and 4.75%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 1,791 students enrolled in Morganton, NC, 37.9% men and 62.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,276 records, of which 63.2% were women and 36.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
141 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
18 degrees awarded
General Cosmetology
18 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Morganton, NC was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 141 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Western Piedmont Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

569 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Western Piedmont Community College with 569 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 202 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Morganton, NC, which is 0.55 times less than the 367 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 430 degrees mean that there were 6.42 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 67 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 2023.

Public, 2-year ($218) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,400) 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

People in Morganton, NC have an average commute time of 19.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Morganton, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Morganton, NC is $49,434. In 2023, the place with the highest median household income in Morganton, NC was Census Tract 202.02 with a value of $63,537, followed by Census Tract 208.02 and Census Tract 205, with respective values of $60,541 and $59,402.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 202.02
Census Tract 208.02
Census Tract 205

In 2023, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Morganton, NC was Census Tract 202.02 with a value of $63,537, followed by Census Tract 208.02 and Census Tract 205, with respective values of $60,541 and $59,402.

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

$49,434

Median Household Income

± $4,828

N/A

Number of Households

± 0

The following chart displays the households in Morganton, 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 - $15k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Morganton, 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 (75.9%)
Carpooled (15.7%)
Worked At Home (6.82%)

In 2023, 75.9% of workers in Morganton, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (15.7%) and those who worked at home (6.82%).

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

19.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Morganton, NC have a shorter commute time (19.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 0.371% of the workforce in Morganton, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

29.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Morganton, NC (4.99k out of 16.7k 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 Males < 5, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females < 5.

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

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

80.7% of the population of Morganton, NC has health coverage, with 29.1% on employee plans, 28.4% on Medicaid, 13.4% on Medicare, 9.02% on non-group plans, and 0.826% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Burke County, NC see 1586 patients per year on average, which represents a 5.37% decrease from the previous year (1676 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1991 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 320 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

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

1,586 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Burke County, NC

Primary care physicians in Burke County, NC see an average of 1,586 patients per year. This represents a 5.37% decrease from the previous year (1,676 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In N/A, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in .

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, N/A were men and N/A were women.

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

Uninsured People

19.3%

Uninsured

29.1%

Employer Coverage

28.4%

Medicaid

13.4%

Medicare

9.02%

Non-Group

0.826%

Military or VA

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

Keep Exploring

North Carolina

State

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC