Rocky Mount, NC

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2024 Population
144,952
US Senator
Thom Tillis
Republican Party
US Senator
Ted Budd
Republican Party
2024 Poverty Rate
15.2%
9.16% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$59,636
3.83% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$167,800
9.67% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
64,399
1.65% 1-year growth

About

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.

97.7% of the residents in Rocky Mount, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Rocky Mount, NC are Nash Community College (676 degrees awarded in 2023), North Carolina Wesleyan University (470 degrees), and Edgecombe Community College (435 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Rocky Mount, NC was $167,800, and the homeownership rate was 62.6%.

Most people in Rocky Mount, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Rocky Mount, NC was 2 cars per household.

United StatesNorth Carolina

Population & Diversity

Rocky Mount, NC is home to a population of 145k people, from which 97.7% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.76% of Rocky Mount, NC residents were born outside of the country (5.45k people).

In 2024, there were 1.07 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (65.6k people) in Rocky Mount, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 61.5k White (Non-Hispanic) and 5.85k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.7%
2024 Citizenship
97.8%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.7% of Rocky Mount, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Rocky Mount, NC was 97.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Rocky Mount, 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 Rocky Mount, NC
  1. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    65.6k ± 691
  2. White (Non-Hispanic)
    61.5k ± 341
  3. Other (Hispanic)
    5.85k ± 865
7.54%
Hispanic Population
10.9k people

In 2024, there were 1.07 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (65.6k people) in Rocky Mount, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 61.5k White (Non-Hispanic) and 5.85k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

7.54% of the people in Rocky Mount, NC are hispanic (10.9k people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA 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

3.76%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
5.45k people
3.71%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
5.36k people

As of 2024, 3.76% of Rocky Mount, NC residents (5.45k 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 Rocky Mount, NC was 3.71%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    3,126 ± 405
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    1,632 ± 316
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    1,453 ± 298

Rocky Mount, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.92 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Rocky Mount, NC employs 64.4k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Rocky Mount, NC were Manufacturing (11,845 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (8,704 people), and Retail Trade (7,776 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($73,534), Utilities ($70,625), and Finance & Insurance ($58,038).

Employment

Occupations

64.4k
2024 Value
± 2,281
1.65%
1 Year growth
± 4.96%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Rocky Mount, NC grew at a rate of 1.65%, from 63.4k employees to 64.4k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Rocky Mount, NC, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (7,497 people), Production Occupations (7,385 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (5,724 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Rocky Mount, 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

64.4k
2024 Value
± 2,281
1.65%
1 Year growth
± 4.96%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Rocky Mount, NC grew at a rate of 1.65%, from 63.4k employees to 64.4k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Rocky Mount, NC, are Manufacturing (11,845 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (8,704 people), and Retail Trade (7,776 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.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$46,387
Median earning men ± $1,829
$38,598
Median earning women ± $1,785

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($79,605), Public Administration ($60,341), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($59,873).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($46,774), Public Administration ($46,677), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($45,774).

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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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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 223
    Retail Trade
  2. 222
    Other Services (except Public Administration)
  3. 162
    Construction

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.

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Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $661k
    Manufacturing
  2. $361k
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  3. $186k
    Retail Trade

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

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Education

In 2023, universities in Rocky Mount, NC awarded 1,581 degrees. The student population of Rocky Mount, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,782 male students and 3,024 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Rocky Mount, NC are White (685 and 44.4%), Black or African American (563 and 36.5%), Hispanic or Latino (149 and 9.66%), and Unknown (72 and 4.67%).

The largest universities in Rocky Mount, NC by number of degrees awarded are Nash Community College (676 and 42.8%), North Carolina Wesleyan University (470 and 29.7%), and Edgecombe Community College (435 and 27.5%).

The most popular majors in Rocky Mount, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (240 and 15.2%), General Business Administration & Management (204 and 12.9%), and Registered Nursing (75 and 4.74%).

The median tuition cost in Rocky Mount, NC for private four year colleges is $34,936.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Rocky Mount, NC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 77.9%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 13.3%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 4,806 (37.1% men and 62.9% 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.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 4,806 students enrolled in Rocky Mount, NC, 37.1% men and 62.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Black or African American with 1,914 records, of which 70.5% were women and 29.5% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. Registered Nursing
    64 degrees awarded
  2. Pre-Engineering
    26 degrees awarded
  3. Liberal Arts & Sciences
    214 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Rocky Mount, NC was Registered Nursing with 64 degrees awarded.

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

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. Nash Community College
    676 degrees awarded
  2. North Carolina Wesleyan University
    470 degrees awarded
  3. Edgecombe Community College
    435 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Nash Community College with 676 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 619 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Rocky Mount, NC, which is 0.643 times less than the 962 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 685 degrees mean that there were 1.22 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 563 degrees awarded.

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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.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($34,936) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($600) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

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.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Rocky Mount, NC was $167,800 in 2024, which is 0.504 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $153,000 to $167,800, a 9.67% increase. The homeownership rate in Rocky Mount, NC is 62.6%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Rocky Mount, NC have an average commute time of 23.3 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.

Housing

Property

$167,800
Median Property Value 2024
±$3,399
$36,608
Median Property Taxes
±$1,474

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.

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Rent vs Own

62.6%
Homeownership
2024
68.6%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 62.6% of the housing units in Rocky Mount, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 62.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Rocky Mount, 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.
$59,636
Median Household Income
± $2,138
58.4k
Number of Households
± 2,131

In 2024, the median household income of the 58.4k households in Rocky Mount, NC grew to $59,636 from the previous year's value of $57,437.

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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Rocky Mount, 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 (80%)
  2. Worked At Home (9.84%)
  3. Carpooled (7.56%)

In 2024, 80% of workers in Rocky Mount, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (9.84%) and those who carpooled to work (7.56%).

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

23.3 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Rocky Mount, NC have a shorter commute time (23.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.26% 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.

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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.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

15.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Rocky Mount, NC (21.6k out of 142k 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 25 - 34, followed by Males 6 - 11 and then Females 55 - 64.

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.

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Health

88.7% of the population of Rocky Mount, NC has health coverage, with 39% on employee plans, 20.4% on Medicaid, 14.4% on Medicare, 12.9% on non-group plans, and 2.05% 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, 47.7% were men and 52.3% were women.

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 0% change from the previous year (1,413 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.

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Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.9% under 18 years, 18.9% between 18 and 34 years, 37.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.7% were men and 52.3% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

11.3%
Uninsured
39%
Employer Coverage
20.4%
Medicaid
14.4%
Medicare
12.9%
Non-Group
2.05%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Rocky Mount, NC declined by 1.51% from 11.5% to 11.3%.

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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