Sampson County, NC

County

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2023 Population

59,245

0.121% 1-year decline

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

39.7

0.253% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

20.2%

9.11% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$53,159

6.4% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$128,400

10.1% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

24,859

0.242% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Sampson County, NC had a population of 59.2k people with a median age of 39.7 and a median household income of $53,159. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Sampson County, NC declined from 59,317 to 59,245, a −0.121% decrease and its median household income grew from $49,963 to $53,159, a 6.4% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Sampson County, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (49.6%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (24.8%), Other (Hispanic) (14.5%), White (Hispanic) (3.64%), and Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) (2.34%).

None of the households in Sampson County, 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.

91.8% of the residents in Sampson County, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Sampson County, NC are Sampson Community College (467 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2023, the median property value in Sampson County, NC was $128,400, and the homeownership rate was 72.8%.

Most people in Sampson County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 29.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Sampson County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Sampson County, NC borders Bladen County, NC, Cumberland County, NC, Duplin County, NC, Harnett County, NC, Johnston County, NC, Pender County, NC, and Wayne County, NC.

United States North Carolina

Population & Diversity

Sampson County, NC is home to a population of 59.2k people, from which 91.8% are citizens. As of 2023, 10.7% of Sampson County, NC residents were born outside of the country (6.32k people).

In 2023, there were 2 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (29.4k people) in Sampson County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 14.7k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 8.61k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

91.8%

2023 Citizenship

92.2%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 91.8% of Sampson County, NC residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Sampson County, NC was 92.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Sampson County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
29.4k ± 78
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
14.7k ± 291
Other (Hispanic)
8.61k ± 766

21.3%

Hispanic Population

12.6k people

21.3% of the people in Sampson County, NC are hispanic (12.6k people).

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

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
224,963 ± 11,520 people
India
83,219 ± 7,055 people
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.

Foreign-Born Population

10.7%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

6.32k people

10.5%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

6.21k people

As of 2023, 10.7% of Sampson County, NC residents (6.32k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Sampson County, NC was 10.5%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
938 ± 180
Gulf War (2001-)
699 ± 205
Gulf War (1990s)
538 ± 171

Sampson County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.34 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Sampson County, NC employs 24.9k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Sampson County, NC were Health Care & Social Assistance (3,882 people), Retail Trade (3,234 people), and Manufacturing (3,053 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($74,638), Management of Companies & Enterprises ($64,286), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($54,954).

Employment

Occupations

24.9k

2023 Value

± 1,215

0.242%

1 Year growth

± 6.94%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Sampson County, NC grew at a rate of 0.242%, from 24.8k employees to 24.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Sampson County, NC, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,540 people), Construction & Extraction Occupations (2,474 people), and Management Occupations (2,356 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Sampson County, 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

24.9k

2023 Value

± 1,215

0.242%

1 Year growth

± 6.94%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Sampson County, NC grew at a rate of 0.242%, from 24.8k employees to 24.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Sampson County, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (3,882 people), Retail Trade (3,234 people), and Manufacturing (3,053 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Sampson County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Sampson County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$43,330

Median earning men ± $2,180

$34,487

Median earning women ± $2,100

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($63,075), Public Administration ($60,647), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($53,750).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($52,875), Public Administration ($46,051), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($44,531).

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

109
Other Services (except Public Administration)
88
Construction
68
Retail Trade

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.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$177k
Manufacturing
$96k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$63.2k
Retail Trade

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Sampson County, NC awarded 467 degrees. The student population of Sampson County, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 543 male students and 1,137 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Sampson County, NC are White (240 and 52.6%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (115 and 25.2%), Black or African American (74 and 16.2%), and Two or More Races (12 and 2.63%).

The largest universities in Sampson County, NC by number of degrees awarded are Sampson Community College (467 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Sampson County, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (108 and 23.1%), General Business Administration & Management (50 and 10.7%), and Registered Nursing (35 and 7.49%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 1,680 students enrolled in Sampson County, NC, 32.3% men and 67.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 728 records, of which 64.7% were women and 35.3% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
108 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
35 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
24 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Sampson County, NC was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 108 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Sampson Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

467 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Sampson Community College with 467 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 156 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Sampson County, NC, which is 0.502 times less than the 311 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 240 degrees mean that there were 2.09 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 115 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 ($3,116) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($47) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($2,289) 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 2023, 0.995% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.855% 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 2023 were High School or Equivalent (2.18M), Some college (1.81M), and Bachelors Degree (1.69M).

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 Sampson County, NC was $128,400 in 2023, which is 0.423 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $116,600 to $128,400, a 10.1% increase. The homeownership rate in Sampson County, NC is 72.8%, which is higher than the national average of 65%.

People in Sampson County, NC have an average commute time of 29.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Sampson County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Sampson County, NC is $53,159. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Sampson County, NC was Census Tract 9703.02, Sampson County, NC with a value of $75,658, followed by Census Tract 9709, Sampson County, NC and Census Tract 9706, Sampson County, NC, with respective values of $47,257 and $42,717.

In 2024, 14.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Sampson County, NC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 2.81%.

Housing

Property

$128,400

Median Property Value 2023

±$10,049

$15,519

Median Property Taxes

±$946

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 Sampson County, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

72.8%

Homeownership

2023

67.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 72.8% of the housing units in Sampson County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 73.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Sampson County, 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)

Census Tract 9703.02, Sampson County, NC
Census Tract 9709, Sampson County, NC
Census Tract 9706, Sampson County, NC

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Sampson County, NC was Census Tract 9703.02, Sampson County, NC with a value of $75,658, followed by Census Tract 9709, Sampson County, NC and Census Tract 9706, Sampson County, NC, with respective values of $47,257 and $42,717.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Sampson County, 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.

$53,159

Median Household Income

± $5,005

21.3k

Number of Households

± 1,115

In 2023, the median household income of the 21.3k households in Sampson County, NC grew to $53,159 from the previous year's value of $49,963.

The following chart displays the households in Sampson County, 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 Sampson County, 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (82.5%)
Carpooled (10.9%)
Worked At Home (4.5%)

In 2023, 82.5% of workers in Sampson County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.9%) and those who worked at home (4.5%).

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

29.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Sampson County, NC have a longer commute time (29.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 5.24% of the workforce in Sampson County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2024, 14.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Sampson County, NC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 2.81%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

20.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Sampson County, NC (11.7k out of 57.9k 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 35 - 44, followed by Males 6 - 11 and then Females 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Sampson County, 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.

Children in Poverty

In 2024, 25.7% of the children was living in poverty in Sampson County, NC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 5.5%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children 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.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 227 in Sampson County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 7.86 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

84% of the population of Sampson County, NC has health coverage, with 34.8% on employee plans, 23.3% on Medicaid, 12.8% on Medicare, 11.3% on non-group plans, and 1.91% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Sampson County, NC see 2,360 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.554% increase from the previous year (2,347 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2956 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1848 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.3% were men and 50.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,360 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Sampson County, NC

Primary care physicians in Sampson County, NC see an average of 2,360 patients per year. This represents a 0.554% increase from the previous year (2,347 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26% under 18 years, 18.5% between 18 and 34 years, 37.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.3% were men and 50.7% were women.

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

Uninsured People

16%

Uninsured

34.8%

Employer Coverage

23.3%

Medicaid

12.8%

Medicare

11.3%

Non-Group

1.91%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Sampson County, NC grew by 1.24% from 15.8% to 16%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2024, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 56.8 in Sampson County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Sampson County, NC.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2024, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 40.2% in Sampson County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Sampson County, NC.