Spruce Pine, NC

Census Place

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2023 Population

2,381

9.71% 1-year decline

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

46.1

7.46% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

18.2%

15.5% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$47,583

6.7% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$202,300

13.3% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

1,057

3.82% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Spruce Pine, NC had a population of 2.38k people with a median age of 46.1 and a median household income of $47,583. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Spruce Pine, NC declined from 2,637 to 2,381, a −9.71% decrease and its median household income grew from $44,596 to $47,583, a 6.7% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Spruce Pine, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (83.4%), Other (Hispanic) (9.37%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.65%), White (Hispanic) (1.22%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (1.05%).

None of the households in Spruce Pine, 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.

94.1% of the residents in Spruce Pine, NC are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Spruce Pine, NC was $202,300, and the homeownership rate was 66.3%.

Most people in Spruce Pine, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 18.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Spruce Pine, NC was 2 cars per household.

United States North Carolina Mitchell County, NC Boone High Country--Watauga, Ashe, Yancey, Avery & Mitchell Counties PUMA, NC

Population & Diversity

Spruce Pine, NC is home to a population of 2.38k people, from which 94.1% are citizens. As of 2023, 7.48% of Spruce Pine, NC residents were born outside of the country (178 people).

In 2023, there were 8.9 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.99k people) in Spruce Pine, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 223 Other (Hispanic) and 87 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

94.1%

2023 Citizenship

96%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 94.1% of Spruce Pine, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Spruce Pine, NC was 96%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Spruce Pine, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
1.99k ± 338
Other (Hispanic)
223 ± 110
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
87 ± 58.7

11.6%

Hispanic Population

277 people

11.6% of the people in Spruce Pine, NC are hispanic (277 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Spruce Pine, 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
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

7.48%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

178 people

5.88%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

155 people

As of 2023, 7.48% of Spruce Pine, NC residents (178 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 Spruce Pine, NC was 5.88%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
66 ± 55
Korea
21 ± 24
World War II
7 ± 16

Spruce Pine, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.14 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Spruce Pine, NC employs 1.06k people. The largest industries in Spruce Pine, NC are Retail Trade (193 people), Manufacturing (168 people), and Educational Services (115 people), and the highest paying industries are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($110,089), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($100,395), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($94,643).

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

1.06k

2023 Value

± 227

−3.82%

1 Year decline

± 31.8%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Spruce Pine, NC declined at a rate of −3.82%, from 1.1k employees to 1.06k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Spruce Pine, NC, are Material Moving Occupations (140 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (129 people), and Construction & Extraction Occupations (95 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Spruce Pine, 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

1.06k

2023 Value

± 227

−3.82%

1 Year decline

± 31.8%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Spruce Pine, NC declined at a rate of −3.82%, from 1.1k employees to 1.06k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Spruce Pine, NC, are Retail Trade (193 people), Manufacturing (168 people), and Educational Services (115 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Spruce Pine, NC, though some of these residents may live in Spruce Pine, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$40,446

Median earning men ± $9,916

$29,619

Median earning women ± $6,140

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($110,089), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($100,395), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($64,643).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($43,750), Manufacturing ($40,313), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($35,833).

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.

Education

Completions

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.

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 Spruce Pine, NC was $202,300 in 2023, which is 0.667 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $178,600 to $202,300, a 13.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Spruce Pine, NC is 66.3%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Spruce Pine, NC have an average commute time of 18.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Spruce Pine, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$202,300

Median Property Value 2023

±$47,575

$672

Median Property Taxes

±$144

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

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

Rent vs Own

66.3%

Homeownership

2023

61.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 66.3% of the housing units in Spruce Pine, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 67.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Spruce Pine, 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 9504
Census Tract 9503

The following map shows all of the places in Spruce Pine, 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.

$47,583

Median Household Income

± $11,976

1.01k

Number of Households

± 187

In 2023, the median household income of the 1.01k households in Spruce Pine, NC grew to $47,583 from the previous year's value of $44,596.

The following chart displays the households in Spruce Pine, 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 Spruce Pine, 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 (75.2%)
Carpooled (15.5%)
Worked At Home (5.86%)

In 2023, 75.2% of workers in Spruce Pine, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (15.5%) and those who worked at home (5.86%).

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

18.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Spruce Pine, NC have a shorter commute time (18.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 0.918% of the workforce in Spruce Pine, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

18.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Spruce Pine, NC (418 out of 2.3k 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 45 - 54, followed by Males 55 - 64 and then Males < 5.

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

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

83.4% of the population of Spruce Pine, NC has health coverage, with 39% on employee plans, 19.2% on Medicaid, 12.8% on Medicare, 11% on non-group plans, and 1.43% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Mitchell County, NC see 1653 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.601% decrease from the previous year (1663 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1360 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 831 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Mitchell County, NC.

1,653 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Mitchell County, NC

Primary care physicians in Mitchell County, NC see an average of 1,653 patients per year. This represents a 0.601% decrease from the previous year (1,663 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.8% under 18 years, 22.3% between 18 and 34 years, 38.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

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

Uninsured People

16.6%

Uninsured

39%

Employer Coverage

19.2%

Medicaid

12.8%

Medicare

11%

Non-Group

1.43%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Spruce Pine, NC grew by 12.4% from 14.8% to 16.6%.

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

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