Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC

Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA)

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2024 Population

148,534

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

45.3

0.667% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

16.7%

0.516% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$52,659

1.44% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$176,300

5.76% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

59,142

0.367% 1-year decline

About

9.57% of the households in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, 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.

96.6% of the residents in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC are Wilkes Community College (1,200 degrees awarded in 2023) and Surry Community College (861 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC was $176,300, and the homeownership rate was 73.5%.

Most people in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC was 2 cars per household.

Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC borders Mount Rogers Planning District Commission PUMA, VA, West Piedmont Planning District Commission PUMA, VA, Boone High Country--Watauga, Ashe, Yancey, Avery & Mitchell Counties PUMA, NC, Rockingham & Stokes Counties PUMA, NC, Forsyth County (Outside Winston-Salem City)--Kernersville Town & Clemmons Village PUMA, NC, Davie, Yadkin & Iredell (North) Counties PUMA, NC, and Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC.

United States North Carolina Virginia

Population & Diversity

Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC is home to a population of 149k people, from which 96.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 4.98% of Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC residents were born outside of the country (7.39k people).

In 2024, there were 19.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (124k people) in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 6.4k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 5.12k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary language in households in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC are Spanish (11,399 households), German (468 households), and French (Incl. Cajun) (228 households).

Population & Diversity

Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY

75,310

Women

50.7%

73,165

Men

49.3%

The resident population of United States in 2023 was 148,475 inhabitants, with 49.3% men, and 50.7% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC.

With the upper buttons you can add a filter by race.

Citizenship

96.6%

2024 Citizenship

96.8%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.6% of Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC was 96.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
124k ± 228
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
6.4k ± 1.03k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
5.12k ± 443

10.2%

Hispanic Population

15.1k people

10.2% of the people in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC are hispanic (15.1k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,604 ± 1,456 people
Guatemala
371 ± 472 people
El Salvador
307 ± 430 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC was Mexico, the natal country of 3,604 Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC residents, followed by Guatemala with 371 and El Salvador with 307.

Foreign-Born Population

4.98%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

7.39k people

4.73%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

7.03k people

As of 2024, 4.98% of Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC residents (7.39k 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 Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC was 4.73%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
11,399 households (8.08%)
German
468 households (0.332%)
French (Incl. Cajun)
228 households (0.162%)

9.57% of the households in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is lower than the national average of 22.3%. 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.

In 2024, the most common non-English language spoken in households in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC was Spanish. 8.08% of the households in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
3,034 ± 411
Gulf War (2001-)
1,187 ± 224
Gulf War (1990s)
1,109 ± 257

Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.56 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC.

Economy

The economy of Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC employs 59.1k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC were Construction (4,022 people), Elementary & secondary schools (3,613 people), and Restaurants & Food Services (3,371 people), and the highest paying industries were Industrial & miscellaneous chemicals ($339,318), Investigation & security services ($197,317), and Not specified retail trade ($109,268).

Males in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC have an average income that is 1.22 times higher than the average income of females, which is $48,006. The income inequality in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC (measured using the Gini index) is 0.423, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

27,530

Women

46.5%

31,612

Men

53.5%

The workforce of Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC in 2023 was 59,142 people, with 46.5% woman, and 53.5% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC.

With the upper buttons you can see the distribution of the average salary and add a filter by race.

Occupations

59.1k

2023 Value

−0.367%

1 Year decline

± −0.367%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC declined at a rate of −0.367%, from 59.4k employees to 59.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC, are Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (2,168 people), Other managers (1,619 people), and Cashiers (1,559 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, 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

59.1k

2023 Value

−0.367%

1 Year decline

± −0.367%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC declined at a rate of −0.367%, from 59.4k employees to 59.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC, are Construction (4,022 people), Elementary & secondary schools (3,613 people), and Restaurants & Food Services (3,371 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC, though some of these residents may live in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$41,035

Median earning men ± $1,327

$33,103

Median earning women ± $1,732

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($83,750), Public Administration ($57,361), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($51,303).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($44,795), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($44,191), and Information ($44,096).

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

In 2023, universities in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC awarded 2,061 degrees. The student population of Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 2,119 male students and 3,044 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC are White (1,586 and 77.1%), Hispanic or Latino (303 and 14.7%), Unknown (73 and 3.55%), and Two or More Races (36 and 1.75%).

The largest universities in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC by number of degrees awarded are Wilkes Community College (1,200 and 58.2%) and Surry Community College (861 and 41.8%).

The most popular majors in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (385 and 18.7%), General Business Administration & Management (257 and 12.5%), and Welding Technology (103 and 5%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 5,163 students enrolled in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC, 41% men and 59% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 3,832 records, of which 58.5% were women and 41.5% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
172 degrees awarded
Welding Technology
84 degrees awarded
Automobile Mechanics Technology
63 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years recipients in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC was General Business Administration & Management with 172 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years from schools in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Wilkes Community College
1,200 degrees awarded
Surry Community College
861 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Wilkes Community College with 1,200 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 988 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC, which is 0.921 times less than the 1,073 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,586 degrees mean that there were 5.23 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 303 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 2023.

Public, 2-year ($127) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,274) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Measure

In 2023, 1.31% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.05% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (36.7k), Some college (28.7k), and Secondary Education (22.3k).

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 Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC was $176,300 in 2024, which is 0.53 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $166,700 to $176,300, a 5.76% increase. The homeownership rate in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC is 73.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC have an average commute time of 25.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$176,300

Median Property Value 2024

±$6,138

$45,711

Median Property Taxes

±$1,398

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 Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

73.5%

Homeownership

2024

68.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 73.5% of the housing units in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 73.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, 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.

$52,659

Median Household Income

± $1,798

62.2k

Number of Households

± 1,857

In 2024, the median household income of the 62.2k households in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC grew to $52,659 from the previous year's value of $51,910.

The following chart displays the households in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, 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

0.423

2023 Wage GINI in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC

0.428

2022 Wage GINI in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC

In 2023, the income inequality in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC was 0.423 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.28% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (78.4%)
Carpooled (12.1%)
Worked At Home (8.02%)

In 2024, 78.4% of workers in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (12.1%) and those who worked at home (8.02%).

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

25.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC have a shorter commute time (25.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.94% of the workforce in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

16.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC (24.4k out of 146k 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 55 - 64, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 45 - 54.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

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

89.1% of the population of Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC has health coverage, with 36.4% on employee plans, 19.8% on Medicaid, 16.8% on Medicare, 14.9% on non-group plans, and 1.28% 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% were men and 51% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

1,413 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in North Carolina

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see an average of 1,413 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,413 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.3% under 18 years, 17.8% between 18 and 34 years, 38.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49% were men and 51% were women.

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

Uninsured People

10.9%

Uninsured

36.4%

Employer Coverage

19.8%

Medicaid

16.8%

Medicare

14.9%

Non-Group

1.28%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC declined by 8.44% from 11.9% to 10.9%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.