Rocky Mount, NC

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2023 Population

144,228

0.101% 1-year growth

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

41.6

0% 1-year change

2023 Poverty Rate

16.7%

2.39% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$57,437

7.25% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$153,000

7.9% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

63,351

0.296% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Rocky Mount, NC had a population of 144k people with a median age of 41.6 and a median household income of $57,437. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Rocky Mount, NC grew from 144,082 to 144,228, a 0.101% increase and its median household income grew from $53,553 to $57,437, a 7.25% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Rocky Mount, NC are Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (45.7%), White (Non-Hispanic) (42.9%), Other (Hispanic) (3.74%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.68%), and White (Hispanic) (1.76%).

None of the households in Rocky Mount, 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.

97.8% of the residents in Rocky Mount, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Rocky Mount, NC are Nash Community College (758 degrees awarded in 2022), North Carolina Wesleyan University (584 degrees), and Edgecombe Community College (402 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Rocky Mount, NC was $153,000, and the homeownership rate was 62.2%.

Most people in Rocky Mount, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Rocky Mount, NC was 2 cars per household.

Rocky Mount, NC borders Greenville, NC, Raleigh, NC, Roanoke Rapids, NC, and Wilson, NC.

United States North Carolina

Population & Diversity

Rocky Mount, NC is home to a population of 144k people, from which 97.8% are citizens. As of 2023, 3.71% of Rocky Mount, NC residents were born outside of the country (5.36k people).

In 2023, there were 1.06 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (65.9k people) in Rocky Mount, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 61.9k White (Non-Hispanic) and 5.4k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.8%

2023 Citizenship

97.5%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 97.8% of Rocky Mount, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Rocky Mount, NC was 97.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Rocky Mount, NC

Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
65.9k ± 613
White (Non-Hispanic)
61.9k ± 277
Other (Hispanic)
5.4k ± 879

7.22%

Hispanic Population

10.4k people

7.22% of the people in Rocky Mount, NC are hispanic (10.4k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Rocky Mount, NC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA 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

3.71%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

5.36k people

3.85%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

5.55k people

As of 2023, 3.71% of Rocky Mount, NC residents (5.36k 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 Rocky Mount, NC was 3.85%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
3,314 ± 441
Gulf War (2001-)
1,573 ± 361
Gulf War (1990s)
1,109 ± 241

Rocky Mount, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.11 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Rocky Mount, NC employs 63.4k people. The largest industries in Rocky Mount, NC are Manufacturing (11,136 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (8,661 people), and Retail Trade (7,794 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($80,625), Management of Companies & Enterprises ($70,985), and Finance & Insurance ($60,167).

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

63.4k

2023 Value

± 2,270

−0.296%

1 Year decline

± 5.07%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Rocky Mount, NC declined at a rate of −0.296%, from 63.5k employees to 63.4k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Rocky Mount, NC, are Production Occupations (7,149 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (6,857 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (6,112 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Rocky Mount, 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

63.4k

2023 Value

± 2,270

−0.296%

1 Year decline

± 5.07%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Rocky Mount, NC declined at a rate of −0.296%, from 63.5k employees to 63.4k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Rocky Mount, NC, are Manufacturing (11,136 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (8,661 people), and Retail Trade (7,794 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Rocky Mount, NC, though some of these residents may live in Rocky Mount, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$44,703

Median earning men ± $1,567

$36,450

Median earning women ± $1,074

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Information ($77,868), Public Administration ($60,179), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($56,875).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($50,377), Public Administration ($44,740), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($42,820).

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

223
Retail Trade
222
Other Services (except Public Administration)
162
Construction

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

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$661k
Manufacturing
$361k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$186k
Retail Trade

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

Education

In 2022, universities in Rocky Mount, NC awarded 1,744 degrees. The student population of Rocky Mount, NC in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 1,973 male students and 3,322 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Rocky Mount, NC are White (769 and 45.7%), followed by Black or African American (598 and 35.5%), Hispanic or Latino (123 and 7.3%), and Unknown (101 and 6%).

The largest universities in Rocky Mount, NC by number of degrees awarded are Nash Community College (758 and 43.5%), North Carolina Wesleyan University (584 and 33.5%), and Edgecombe Community College (402 and 23.1%).

The most popular majors in Rocky Mount, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (236 and 13.5%), General Business Administration & Management (223 and 12.8%), and Criminal Justice - Law Enforcement Administration (107 and 6.14%).

The median tuition cost in Rocky Mount, NC for private four year colleges is $33,952.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Rocky Mount, NC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 68.4%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 15.3%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 5,295 (37.3% men and 62.7% 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 2022 there were 5,295 students enrolled in Rocky Mount, NC, 37.3% men and 62.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Black or African American with 2,096 records, of which 70.1% were women and 29.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
70 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
36 degrees awarded
Liberal Arts & Sciences
230 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Rocky Mount, NC was Registered Nursing with 70 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Nash Community College
758 degrees awarded
North Carolina Wesleyan University
584 degrees awarded
Edgecombe Community College
402 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Nash Community College with 758 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 651 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Rocky Mount, NC, which is 0.596 times less than the 1,093 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 769 degrees mean that there were 1.29 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 598 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 ($33,952) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($400) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($2,125) 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 Rocky Mount, NC was $153,000 in 2023, which is 0.504 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $141,800 to $153,000, a 7.9% increase. The homeownership rate in Rocky Mount, NC is 62.2%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Rocky Mount, NC have an average commute time of 23.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Rocky Mount, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Rocky Mount, NC is $57,437. In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Rocky Mount, NC was Wake County, NC with a value of $101,763, followed by Union County, NC and Currituck County, NC, with respective values of $99,243 and $91,548.

Housing

Property

$153,000

Median Property Value 2023

±$5,212

$35,886

Median Property Taxes

±$1,459

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

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

Rent vs Own

62.2%

Homeownership

2023

69.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 62.2% of the housing units in Rocky Mount, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 63.9%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Rocky Mount, NC was Wake County, NC with a value of $101,763, followed by Union County, NC and Currituck County, NC, with respective values of $99,243 and $91,548.

The following map shows all of the counties in Rocky Mount, 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.

$57,437

Median Household Income

± $1,963

57.7k

Number of Households

± 1,991

In 2023, the median household income of the 57.7k households in Rocky Mount, NC grew to $57,437 from the previous year's value of $53,553.

The following chart displays the households in Rocky Mount, 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 Rocky Mount, 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 (80.6%)
Worked At Home (9.11%)
Carpooled (7.43%)

In 2023, 80.6% of workers in Rocky Mount, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (9.11%) and those who carpooled to work (7.43%).

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

23.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Rocky Mount, NC have a shorter commute time (23.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.78% of the workforce in Rocky Mount, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

16.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Rocky Mount, NC (23.6k out of 142k 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 6 - 11 and then Females 6 - 11.

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

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

88.5% of the population of Rocky Mount, NC has health coverage, with 38.4% on employee plans, 21.2% on Medicaid, 13.9% on Medicare, 13.2% on non-group plans, and 1.88% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see 1413 patients per year on average, which represents a 1% increase from the previous year (1399 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1657 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 336 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

1,413 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in North Carolina

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see an average of 1,413 patients per year. This represents a 1% increase from the previous year (1,399 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24% under 18 years, 18.8% between 18 and 34 years, 38% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46% were men and 54% were women.

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

Uninsured People

11.5%

Uninsured

38.4%

Employer Coverage

21.2%

Medicaid

13.9%

Medicare

13.2%

Non-Group

1.88%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Rocky Mount, NC declined by 0.9% from 11.6% to 11.5%.

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

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