Winston-Salem, NC

Census Place

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2024 Population

252,037

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

35.9

0.843% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

17.7%

0.923% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$59,268

2.77% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$233,800

12.3% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

116,265

0.967% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Winston-Salem, 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.

92.6% of the residents in Winston-Salem, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Winston-Salem, NC are Wake Forest University (3,051 degrees awarded in 2023), Forsyth Technical Community College (1,974 degrees), and Winston-Salem State University (1,088 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Winston-Salem, NC was $233,800, and the homeownership rate was 55.6%.

Most people in Winston-Salem, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Winston-Salem, NC was 2 cars per household.

Photo by Susan Smith

United States North Carolina Forsyth County, NC Winston-Salem, NC

Population & Diversity

Winston-Salem, NC is home to a population of 252k people, from which 92.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 11.1% of Winston-Salem, NC residents were born outside of the country (27.9k people).

In 2024, there were 1.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (110k people) in Winston-Salem, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 78.6k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 19.7k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

92.6%

2024 Citizenship

92.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 92.6% of Winston-Salem, NC residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Winston-Salem, NC was 92.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Winston-Salem, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
110k ± 2.13k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
78.6k ± 1.99k
Other (Hispanic)
19.7k ± 2.1k

18.2%

Hispanic Population

45.8k people

18.2% of the people in Winston-Salem, NC are hispanic (45.8k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Winston-Salem, 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
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

11.1%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

27.9k people

10.7%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

26.9k people

As of 2024, 11.1% of Winston-Salem, NC residents (27.9k 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 Winston-Salem, NC was 10.7%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
3,824 ± 491
Gulf War (2001-)
2,261 ± 496
Gulf War (1990s)
1,818 ± 385

Winston-Salem, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.69 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Winston-Salem, NC.

Economy

The economy of Winston-Salem, NC employs 116k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Winston-Salem, NC were Health Care & Social Assistance (22,037 people), Manufacturing (13,406 people), and Educational Services (11,852 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($125,344), Finance & Insurance ($72,754), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($70,122).

Employment

Occupations

116k

2024 Value

± 3,207

0.967%

1 Year growth

± 3.83%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Winston-Salem, NC grew at a rate of 0.967%, from 115k employees to 116k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Winston-Salem, NC, are Management Occupations (12,237 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (12,060 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (8,962 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Winston-Salem, 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

116k

2024 Value

± 3,207

0.967%

1 Year growth

± 3.83%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Winston-Salem, NC grew at a rate of 0.967%, from 115k employees to 116k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Winston-Salem, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (22,037 people), Manufacturing (13,406 people), and Educational Services (11,852 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Winston-Salem, NC, though some of these residents may live in Winston-Salem, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$45,049

Median earning men ± $1,764

$37,361

Median earning women ± $1,577

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($75,330), Public Administration ($65,250), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($57,840).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($61,584), Wholesale Trade ($61,210), and Public Administration ($52,672).

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 Winston-Salem, NC awarded 6,826 degrees. The student population of Winston-Salem, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 9,356 male students and 15,925 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Winston-Salem, NC are White (3,577 and 56.5%), Black or African American (1,470 and 23.2%), Hispanic or Latino (699 and 11%), and Two or More Races (222 and 3.5%).

The largest universities in Winston-Salem, NC by number of degrees awarded are Wake Forest University (3,051 and 44.7%), Forsyth Technical Community College (1,974 and 28.9%), and Winston-Salem State University (1,088 and 15.9%).

The most popular majors in Winston-Salem, NC are General Business Administration & Management (570 and 8.35%), Liberal Arts & Sciences (484 and 7.09%), and Registered Nursing (262 and 3.84%).

The median tuition costs in Winston-Salem, NC are $22,818 for private four year colleges, and $4,949 and $19,144 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Winston-Salem, NC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 40.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 22.1%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 25,281 (37% men and 63% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 25,281 students enrolled in Winston-Salem, NC, 37% men and 63% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 10,828 records, of which 59.9% were women and 40.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Finance
156 degrees awarded
General Psychology
200 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
158 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Winston-Salem, NC was General Finance with 156 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Winston-Salem, NC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Wake Forest University
3,051 degrees awarded
Forsyth Technical Community College
1,974 degrees awarded
Winston-Salem State University
1,088 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Wake Forest University with 3,051 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 2,711 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Winston-Salem, NC, which is 0.659 times less than the 4,115 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 3,577 degrees mean that there were 2.43 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 1,470 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

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($22,818) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($3,157) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,700) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in Winston-Salem, NC was $233,800 in 2024, which is 0.703 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $208,200 to $233,800, a 12.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Winston-Salem, NC is 55.6%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Winston-Salem, NC have an average commute time of 21.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Winston-Salem, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$233,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$5,817

$57,291

Median Property Taxes

±$2,006

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 Winston-Salem, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

55.6%

Homeownership

2024

68.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 55.6% of the housing units in Winston-Salem, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 54.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Winston-Salem, 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.

$59,268

Median Household Income

± $1,883

103k

Number of Households

± 2,915

In 2024, the median household income of the 103k households in Winston-Salem, NC grew to $59,268 from the previous year's value of $57,673.

The following chart displays the households in Winston-Salem, 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 Winston-Salem, 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 (71.7%)
Worked At Home (14.1%)
Carpooled (9.5%)

In 2024, 71.7% of workers in Winston-Salem, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14.1%) and those who carpooled to work (9.5%).

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

21.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Winston-Salem, NC have a shorter commute time (21.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.07% of the workforce in Winston-Salem, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

17.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Winston-Salem, NC (42.9k out of 242k 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 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Winston-Salem, NC is Black, followed by Hispanic and White.

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

88.8% of the population of Winston-Salem, NC has health coverage, with 43.2% on employee plans, 20.4% on Medicaid, 11.6% on Medicare, 12.7% on non-group plans, and 0.88% 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, 46.5% were men and 53.5% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.1% under 18 years, 23.9% between 18 and 34 years, 35.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 15.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.5% were men and 53.5% were women.

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

Uninsured People

11.2%

Uninsured

43.2%

Employer Coverage

20.4%

Medicaid

11.6%

Medicare

12.7%

Non-Group

0.88%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Winston-Salem, NC declined by 5.79% from 11.9% to 11.2%.

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

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