Smithfield, NC

Census Place

2024 Population

12,116

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

44.9

5.15% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

27.3%

13% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$43,270

14.4% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$242,500

Population & Diversity

Smithfield, NC is home to a population of 12.1k people, from which 96.1% are citizens.

As of 2024, 7.92% of Smithfield, NC residents were born outside of the country (959 people).

In 2024, there were 2.58 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (7.21k people) in Smithfield, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.8k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 956 Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.1%

2024 Citizenship

94.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.1% of Smithfield, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Smithfield, NC was 94.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Smithfield, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
7.21k ± 1.04k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
2.8k ± 875
Other (Hispanic)
956 ± 444

13.8%

Hispanic Population

1.67k people

13.8% of the people in Smithfield, NC are hispanic (1.67k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Smithfield, 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
228,441 ± 11,609 people
India
90,815 ± 7,367 people
Honduras
52,061 ± 5,588 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 228,441 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 90,815 and Honduras with 52,061.

Foreign-Born Population

7.92%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

959 people

8.81%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.04k people

As of 2024, 7.92% of Smithfield, NC residents (959 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 Smithfield, NC was 8.81%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
301 ± 152
Gulf War (2001-)
213 ± 177
Gulf War (1990s)
17 ± 35

Smithfield, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.41 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Smithfield, NC employs 4.67k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Smithfield, NC were Retail Trade (839 people), Educational Services (636 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (562 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($84,038), Administrative & Support & Waste Management Services ($76,036), and Wholesale Trade ($71,203).

Employment

Occupations

4.67k

2024 Value

± 636

16.4%

1 Year growth

± 17.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Smithfield, NC grew at a rate of 16.4%, from 4.01k employees to 4.67k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Smithfield, NC, are Sales & Related Occupations (659 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (515 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (445 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Smithfield, 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

4.67k

2024 Value

± 636

16.4%

1 Year growth

± 17.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Smithfield, NC grew at a rate of 16.4%, from 4.01k employees to 4.67k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Smithfield, NC, are Retail Trade (839 people), Educational Services (636 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (562 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Smithfield, NC, though some of these residents may live in Smithfield, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$42,241

Median earning men ± $4,942

$39,940

Median earning women ± $9,283

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($71,203), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($64,196), and Construction ($56,500).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($83,798), Other Services Except Public Administration ($71,806), and Public Administration ($56,708).

Education

The student population of Smithfield, NC in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 1,954 male students and 3,417 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Smithfield, NC are White (838 and 61.1%), Hispanic or Latino (314 and 22.9%), Black or African American (159 and 11.6%), and Two or More Races (22 and 1.6%).

The largest universities in Smithfield, NC by number of degrees awarded are Johnston Community College (1,376 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Smithfield, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (314 and 22.8%), Information Technology (163 and 11.8%), and HVAC Maintenance (88 and 6.4%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 5,371 students enrolled in Smithfield, NC, 36.4% men and 63.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,921 records, of which 62.1% were women and 37.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
314 degrees awarded
Other Liberal Arts & Sciences, General Studies, & Humanities
51 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
33 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Smithfield, NC was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 314 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Johnston Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

1,376 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Johnston Community College with 1,376 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 658 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Smithfield, NC, which is 0.916 times less than the 718 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 838 degrees mean that there were 2.67 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 314 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 2024.

Public, 2-year ($324) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,537) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Smithfield, NC was $242,500 in 2024, which is 0.729 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $217,000 to $242,500, a 11.8% increase. The homeownership rate in Smithfield, NC is 58.7%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Smithfield, NC have an average commute time of 24.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Smithfield, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$242,500

Median Property Value 2024

±$19,441

$2,905

Median Property Taxes

±$484

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 Smithfield, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $2k - $3k range.

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

Rent vs Own

58.7%

Homeownership

2024

70.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 58.7% of the housing units in Smithfield, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 49.4%.

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

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$43,270

Median Household Income

± $7,289

4.95k

Number of Households

± 764

In 2024, the median household income of the 4.95k households in Smithfield, NC grew to $43,270 from the previous year's value of $37,827.

The following chart displays the households in Smithfield, 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.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Smithfield, NC is from North Carolina.

0.466

2024 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.467

2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2024, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.466 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.16% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.474. 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 2024

Drove Alone (82.7%)
Carpooled (8.02%)
Worked At Home (6.09%)

In 2024, 82.7% of workers in Smithfield, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.02%) and those who worked at home (6.09%).

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

24.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Smithfield, NC have a shorter commute time (24.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.35% of the workforce in Smithfield, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

27.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Smithfield, NC (3.04k out of 11.1k 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 Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 6 - 11.

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

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Keep Exploring