Sparta, NC

Census Place

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2024 Population
1,928
US Senator
Thom Tillis
Republican Party
US Senator
Ted Budd
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
51
13.6% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
21.5%
1.66% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$42,454
10.1% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$209,600
2.87% 1-year decline
2024 Employed Population
688
4.84% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Sparta, 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.

95.6% of the residents in Sparta, NC are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Sparta, NC was $209,600, and the homeownership rate was 58.2%.

Most people in Sparta, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 15 minutes. The average car ownership in Sparta, NC was 2 cars per household.

United StatesNorth CarolinaAlleghany County, NCWilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC

Population & Diversity

Sparta, NC is home to a population of 1.93k people, from which 95.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 8.14% of Sparta, NC residents were born outside of the country (157 people).

In 2024, there were 7.12 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.3k people) in Sparta, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 182 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 154 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.6%
2024 Citizenship
97.9%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 95.6% of Sparta, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Sparta, NC was 97.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Sparta, 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 Sparta, NC
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    1.3k ± 244
  2. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    182 ± 141
  3. White (Hispanic)
    154 ± 108
16.3%
Hispanic Population
314 people

In 2024, there were 7.12 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.3k people) in Sparta, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 182 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 154 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

16.3% of the people in Sparta, NC are hispanic (314 people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place 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

8.14%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
157 people
4.45%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
87 people

As of 2024, 8.14% of Sparta, NC residents (157 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 Sparta, NC was 4.45%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    49 ± 38
  2. Gulf War (1990s)
    22 ± 26
  3. Gulf War (2001-)
    15 ± 18

Sparta, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.23 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Sparta, NC employs 688 people. In 2024, the largest industries in Sparta, NC were Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (96 people), Retail Trade (95 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (95 people), and the highest paying industries were Transportation & Warehousing ($71,042), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($71,042), and Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation ($46,705).

Employment

Occupations

688
2024 Value
± 165
−4.84%
1 Year decline
± 35%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Sparta, NC declined at a rate of −4.84%, from 723 employees to 688 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Sparta, NC, are Sales & Related Occupations (123 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (104 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (73 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Sparta, 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

688
2024 Value
± 165
−4.84%
1 Year decline
± 35%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Sparta, NC declined at a rate of −4.84%, from 723 employees to 688 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Sparta, NC, are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (96 people), Retail Trade (95 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (95 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Sparta, NC, though some of these residents may live in Sparta, 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

$32,313
Median earning men ± $9,908
$23,604
Median earning women ± $1,598

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($40,417), Manufacturing ($39,688), and Construction ($38,750).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($46,250), Manufacturing ($31,250), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($23,977).

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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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Housing & Living

The median property value in Sparta, NC was $209,600 in 2024, which is 0.63 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $215,800 to $209,600, a 2.87% decrease. The homeownership rate in Sparta, NC is 58.2%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Sparta, NC have an average commute time of 15 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Sparta, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$209,600
Median Property Value 2024
±$53,269
$557
Median Property Taxes
±$160

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

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

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Rent vs Own

58.2%
Homeownership
2024
70.4%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 58.2% of the housing units in Sparta, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 57.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Sparta, 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.
$42,454
Median Household Income
± $9,194
957
Number of Households
± 192

In 2024, the median household income of the 957 households in Sparta, NC grew to $42,454 from the previous year's value of $38,542.

The following chart displays the households in Sparta, 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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Sparta, 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 (55.4%)
  2. Worked At Home (23.7%)
  3. Carpooled (19.9%)

In 2024, 55.4% of workers in Sparta, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (23.7%) and those who carpooled to work (19.9%).

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

15 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Sparta, NC have a shorter commute time (15 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.34% of the workforce in Sparta, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Sparta, 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 Sparta, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Sparta, NC have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

21.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Sparta, NC (394 out of 1.83k 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 45 - 54, followed by Males 65 - 74 and then Males 6 - 11.

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

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Health

79.7% of the population of Sparta, NC has health coverage, with 15.4% on employee plans, 28.8% on Medicaid, 22.6% on Medicare, 11.6% on non-group plans, and 1.37% 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, 47.1% were men and 52.9% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.9% under 18 years, 20% between 18 and 34 years, 31.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 29.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.1% were men and 52.9% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

20.3%
Uninsured
15.4%
Employer Coverage
28.8%
Medicaid
22.6%
Medicare
11.6%
Non-Group
1.37%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Sparta, NC grew by 14.1% from 17.8% to 20.3%.

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

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