Spruce Pine, NC

Census Place

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2024 Population
2,398
US Senator
Thom Tillis
Republican Party
US Senator
Ted Budd
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
48.6
5.42% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
22.5%
23.7% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$42,098
11.5% 1-year decline
2024 Median Property Value
$207,500
2.57% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
1,065
0.757% 1-year growth

About

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.

93.9% of the residents in Spruce Pine, NC are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Spruce Pine, NC was $207,500, and the homeownership rate was 64.4%.

Most people in Spruce Pine, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Spruce Pine, NC was 2 cars per household.

United StatesNorth CarolinaMitchell County, NCBoone High Country--Watauga, Ashe, Yancey, Avery & Mitchell Counties PUMA, NC

Population & Diversity

Spruce Pine, NC is home to a population of 2.4k people, from which 93.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 8.13% of Spruce Pine, NC residents were born outside of the country (195 people).

In 2024, there were 7.88 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.99k people) in Spruce Pine, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 252 Other (Hispanic) and 89 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

93.9%
2024 Citizenship
94.1%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 93.9% of Spruce Pine, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Spruce Pine, NC was 94.1%, 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.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Spruce Pine, NC
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    1.99k ± 424
  2. Other (Hispanic)
    252 ± 156
  3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    89 ± 65
11.9%
Hispanic Population
285 people

In 2024, there were 7.88 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.99k people) in Spruce Pine, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 252 Other (Hispanic) and 89 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

11.9% of the people in Spruce Pine, NC are hispanic (285 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Spruce Pine, 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

8.13%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
195 people
7.48%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
178 people

As of 2024, 8.13% of Spruce Pine, NC residents (195 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 Spruce Pine, NC was 7.48%, 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.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    45 ± 34
  2. Korea
    11 ± 18
  3. World War II
    10 ± 21

Spruce Pine, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 4.09 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Spruce Pine, NC employs 1.07k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Spruce Pine, NC were Retail Trade (185 people), Manufacturing (177 people), and Educational Services (129 people), and the highest paying industries were Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($74,643), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($72,917), and Public Administration ($54,722).

Employment

Occupations

1.07k
2024 Value
± 231
0.757%
1 Year growth
± 30.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Spruce Pine, NC grew at a rate of 0.757%, from 1.06k employees to 1.07k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Spruce Pine, NC, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (163 people), Construction & Extraction Occupations (104 people), and Material Moving Occupations (101 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Spruce Pine, 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

1.07k
2024 Value
± 231
0.757%
1 Year growth
± 30.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Spruce Pine, NC grew at a rate of 0.757%, from 1.06k employees to 1.07k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Spruce Pine, NC, are Retail Trade (185 people), Manufacturing (177 people), and Educational Services (129 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.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$40,426
Median earning men ± $6,163
$29,769
Median earning women ± $6,992

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($102,738), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($72,917), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($72,813).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($40,104), Other Services Except Public Administration ($30,577), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($29,864).

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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 Spruce Pine, NC was $207,500 in 2024, which is 0.624 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $202,300 to $207,500, a 2.57% increase. The homeownership rate in Spruce Pine, NC is 64.4%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Spruce Pine, NC have an average commute time of 21.7 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

$207,500
Median Property Value 2024
±$40,506
$715
Median Property Taxes
±$171

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.

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Rent vs Own

64.4%
Homeownership
2024
65.5%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 64.4% of the housing units in Spruce Pine, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 66.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Spruce Pine, 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.
$42,098
Median Household Income
± $9,436
1.11k
Number of Households
± 220

In 2024, the median household income of the 1.11k households in Spruce Pine, NC declined from $42,098 from the previous year's value of $47,583.

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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Spruce Pine, 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 (80.6%)
  2. Carpooled (15.5%)
  3. Worked At Home (3.92%)

In 2024, 80.6% 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 (3.92%).

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

21.7 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Spruce Pine, NC have a shorter commute time (21.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.98% 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.

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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.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

22.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Spruce Pine, NC (523 out of 2.32k 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 6 - 11 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Spruce Pine, NC is White, followed by Other 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

82.4% of the population of Spruce Pine, NC has health coverage, with 35.6% on employee plans, 22.4% on Medicaid, 12.7% on Medicare, 11.4% on non-group plans, and 0.172% 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, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 16.4% under 18 years, 21.9% between 18 and 34 years, 42.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

17.6%
Uninsured
35.6%
Employer Coverage
22.4%
Medicaid
12.7%
Medicare
11.4%
Non-Group
0.172%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Spruce Pine, NC grew by 5.82% from 16.6% to 17.6%.

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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