Stokes County, NC

County

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2024 Population

45,139

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

47.7

0.21% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

11.2%

6.68% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$62,969

4.88% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$196,700

5.3% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

20,126

0.249% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Stokes 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.

99.8% of the residents in Stokes County, NC are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Stokes County, NC was $196,700, and the homeownership rate was 79.2%.

Most people in Stokes County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 31.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Stokes County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Stokes County, NC borders Forsyth County, NC, Guilford County, NC, Rockingham County, NC, Surry County, NC, Henry County, VA, and Patrick County, VA.

Photo by Susan Smith

United States North Carolina Winston-Salem, NC

Population & Diversity

Stokes County, NC is home to a population of 45.1k people, from which 99.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.47% of Stokes County, NC residents were born outside of the country (665 people).

In 2024, there were 24.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (40.2k people) in Stokes County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.65k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 1.06k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.8%

2024 Citizenship

99.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.8% of Stokes County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Stokes County, NC was 99.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Stokes County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
40.2k ± 190
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.65k ± 244
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
1.06k ± 253

3.83%

Hispanic Population

1.73k people

3.83% of the people in Stokes County, NC are hispanic (1.73k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Stokes 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

1.47%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

665 people

1.82%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

819 people

As of 2024, 1.47% of Stokes County, NC residents (665 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 Stokes County, NC was 1.82%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,038 ± 255
Gulf War (2001-)
536 ± 161
Gulf War (1990s)
219 ± 103

Stokes County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.94 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Stokes County, NC employs 20.1k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Stokes County, NC were Manufacturing (3,701 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,857 people), and Retail Trade (2,200 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($111,659), Information ($76,500), and Manufacturing ($55,061).

Employment

Occupations

20.1k

2024 Value

± 1,262

0.249%

1 Year growth

± 8.91%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Stokes County, NC grew at a rate of 0.249%, from 20.1k employees to 20.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Stokes County, NC, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,938 people), Production Occupations (1,821 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (1,684 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Stokes 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

20.1k

2024 Value

± 1,262

0.249%

1 Year growth

± 8.91%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Stokes County, NC grew at a rate of 0.249%, from 20.1k employees to 20.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Stokes County, NC, are Manufacturing (3,701 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,857 people), and Retail Trade (2,200 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Stokes County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Stokes County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$52,120

Median earning men ± $4,391

$37,007

Median earning women ± $2,157

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($78,008), Wholesale Trade ($68,750), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($63,750).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Construction ($53,750), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($44,800), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($43,497).

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

83
Construction
67
Other Services (except Public Administration)
55
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

$40.3k
Manufacturing
$35.7k
Retail Trade
$33.6k
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in Stokes County, NC was $196,700 in 2024, which is 0.591 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $186,800 to $196,700, a 5.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Stokes County, NC is 79.2%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Stokes County, NC have an average commute time of 31.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Stokes County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 12.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Stokes County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 1.57%.

Housing

Property

$196,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$8,788

$15,478

Median Property Taxes

±$996

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

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

Rent vs Own

79.2%

Homeownership

2024

67.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 79.2% of the housing units in Stokes County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 78.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Stokes County, 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.

$62,969

Median Household Income

± $2,276

19.5k

Number of Households

± 1,151

In 2024, the median household income of the 19.5k households in Stokes County, NC grew to $62,969 from the previous year's value of $60,039.

The following chart displays the households in Stokes 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 Stokes 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 2024

Drove Alone (83.4%)
Worked At Home (7.71%)
Carpooled (7.38%)

In 2024, 83.4% of workers in Stokes County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (7.71%) and those who carpooled to work (7.38%).

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

31.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Stokes County, NC have a longer commute time (31.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.19% of the workforce in Stokes County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 12.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Stokes County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 1.57%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

11.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Stokes County, NC (4.96k out of 44.4k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Females 65 - 74 and then Females 75+.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Stokes County, NC is White, followed by Two Or More 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 2025, 15.2% of the children was living in poverty in Stokes County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 9.9%.

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 217 in Stokes County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 124 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

92.4% of the population of Stokes County, NC has health coverage, with 41.1% on employee plans, 17.3% on Medicaid, 18% on Medicare, 13.8% on non-group plans, and 2.17% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Stokes County, NC see 3,713 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,713 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 6454 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1339 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

3,713 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Stokes County, NC

Primary care physicians in Stokes County, NC see an average of 3,713 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,713 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.7% under 18 years, 16.6% between 18 and 34 years, 41.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

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

Uninsured People

7.6%

Uninsured

41.1%

Employer Coverage

17.3%

Medicaid

18%

Medicare

13.8%

Non-Group

2.17%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Stokes County, NC declined by 11.4% from 8.58% to 7.6%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 54.5 in Stokes County, NC.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, 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 33.1% in Stokes County, NC.

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