Winston-Salem, NC

Census Place

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2023 Population

250,887

0.527% 1-year growth

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

35.6

0.28% 1-year decrease

2023 Poverty Rate

17.9%

2.79% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$57,673

5.99% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$208,200

11.1% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

115,151

0.967% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Winston-Salem, NC had a population of 251k people with a median age of 35.6 and a median household income of $57,673. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Winston-Salem, NC grew from 249,571 to 250,887, a 0.527% increase and its median household income grew from $54,416 to $57,673, a 5.99% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Winston-Salem, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (44%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (31.8%), Other (Hispanic) (6.71%), Two+ (Hispanic) (5.44%), and White (Hispanic) (4.73%).

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.

92.9% 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 2023, the median property value in Winston-Salem, NC was $208,200, and the homeownership rate was 54.6%.

Most people in Winston-Salem, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.8 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 Winston-Salem City (North) PUMA, NC Winston-Salem City (South) PUMA, NC Forsyth County (Outside Winston-Salem City)--Kernersville Town & Clemmons Village PUMA, NC Davidson County PUMA, NC

Population & Diversity

Winston-Salem, NC is home to a population of 251k people, from which 92.9% are citizens. As of 2023, 10.7% of Winston-Salem, NC residents were born outside of the country (26.9k people).

In 2023, there were 1.38 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (110k people) in Winston-Salem, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 79.7k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 16.8k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

92.9%

2023 Citizenship

92.9%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 92.9% of Winston-Salem, NC residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, 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 ± 1.86k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
79.7k ± 1.88k
Other (Hispanic)
16.8k ± 1.66k

17.9%

Hispanic Population

44.9k people

17.9% of the people in Winston-Salem, NC are hispanic (44.9k people).

The following chart shows the 7 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
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

10.7%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

26.9k people

10.4%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

25.9k people

As of 2023, 10.7% of Winston-Salem, NC residents (26.9k 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 Winston-Salem, NC was 10.4%, 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
3,554 ± 472
Gulf War (2001-)
2,009 ± 505
Gulf War (1990s)
1,678 ± 328

Winston-Salem, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.77 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Winston-Salem, NC employs 115k people. The largest industries in Winston-Salem, NC are Health Care & Social Assistance (21,520 people), Manufacturing (12,951 people), and Retail Trade (12,647 people), and the highest paying industries are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($117,692), Finance & Insurance ($69,807), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($67,122).

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

115k

2023 Value

± 3,129

0.967%

1 Year growth

± 3.77%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Winston-Salem, NC grew at a rate of 0.967%, from 114k employees to 115k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Winston-Salem, NC, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (12,749 people), Management Occupations (11,145 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (10,275 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 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

115k

2023 Value

± 3,129

0.967%

1 Year growth

± 3.77%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Winston-Salem, NC grew at a rate of 0.967%, from 114k employees to 115k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Winston-Salem, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (21,520 people), Manufacturing (12,951 people), and Retail Trade (12,647 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

$43,159

Median earning men ± $1,764

$35,467

Median earning women ± $1,108

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($77,913), Public Administration ($65,768), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($56,109).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($55,453), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($54,075), and Wholesale Trade ($54,063).

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%), followed by 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.

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 Winston-Salem, NC was $208,200 in 2023, which is 0.686 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $187,400 to $208,200, a 11.1% increase. The homeownership rate in Winston-Salem, NC is 54.6%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Winston-Salem, NC have an average commute time of 21.8 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.

Median household income in Winston-Salem, NC is $57,673. In 2023, the place with the highest median household income in Winston-Salem, NC was Census Tract 25.02 with a value of $171,705, followed by Census Tract 39.08 and Census Tract 39.06, with respective values of $146,655 and $140,066.

Housing

Property

$208,200

Median Property Value 2023

±$5,953

$54,799

Median Property Taxes

±$2,059

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 $800 - $1,499 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

54.6%

Homeownership

2023

68.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 54.6% of the housing units in Winston-Salem, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 53.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Winston-Salem, 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 25.02
Census Tract 39.08
Census Tract 39.06

In 2023, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Winston-Salem, NC was Census Tract 25.02 with a value of $171,705, followed by Census Tract 39.08 and Census Tract 39.06, with respective values of $146,655 and $140,066.

The following map shows all of the places in Winston-Salem, 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.

$57,673

Median Household Income

± $1,780

100k

Number of Households

± 2,758

In 2023, the median household income of the 100k households in Winston-Salem, NC grew to $57,673 from the previous year's value of $54,416.

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.

0.47

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 (73.2%)
Worked At Home (12.3%)
Carpooled (9.49%)

In 2023, 73.2% of workers in Winston-Salem, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (12.3%) and those who carpooled to work (9.49%).

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

21.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Winston-Salem, NC have a shorter commute time (21.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.03% 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

17.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Winston-Salem, NC (43.2k out of 241k 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 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 6 - 11.

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

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

88.1% of the population of Winston-Salem, NC has health coverage, with 43.4% on employee plans, 20% on Medicaid, 11.5% on Medicare, 12.4% on non-group plans, and 0.848% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Forsyth County, NC see 863 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.7% increase from the previous year (857 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1524 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 282 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

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

863 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Forsyth County, NC

Primary care physicians in Forsyth County, NC see an average of 863 patients per year. This represents a 0.7% increase from the previous year (857 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.8% under 18 years, 23.6% between 18 and 34 years, 36% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 45.2% were men and 54.8% were women.

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

Uninsured People

11.9%

Uninsured

43.4%

Employer Coverage

20%

Medicaid

11.5%

Medicare

12.4%

Non-Group

0.848%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Winston-Salem, NC declined by 0.345% from 11.9% to 11.9%.

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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