Population 6,624 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in ZIP 27521
Household size in ZIP 27521
| Period | ZIP 27521 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.48 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.86 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.69 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.54 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in ZIP 27521 has 2.54 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.48, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the northeast.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in ZIP 27521
| Period | ZIP 27521 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.7 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 33.5 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 35.8 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.2 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.5 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
At 39.2, the median age in ZIP 27521 is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has crept up from 38.7, a smaller shift than nationally. Residents skew youngest in the northwest and oldest in the south.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in ZIP 27521
| Period | ZIP 27521 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.8% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.7% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.1% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in ZIP 27521 than nationally: 10.1%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 1.2 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in ZIP 27521
Renters in ZIP 27521
| Period | ZIP 27521 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.1% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.7% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.9% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.2% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly a third of households in ZIP 27521 rent their homes (32.2%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 47.0% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the northwest and least common in the northeast. The renter share is down 4.8 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in ZIP 27521
| Period | ZIP 27521 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.5% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.1% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.0% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.3% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in ZIP 27521 is close to the national rate: 9.3% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is lower than in North Carolina overall (11.4%). Vacancy has fallen 3.2 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in ZIP 27521
| Period | ZIP 27521 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1984 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1984 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1990 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +7 | +6 |
Much of the housing in ZIP 27521 is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1990, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1984 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the south.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in ZIP 27521
| Period | ZIP 27521 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $673 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $712 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $805 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $906 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$233 | +$528 | +$606 |
The median renter in ZIP 27521 pays $906 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $233 a month from 2006–10, a 35% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 33.8% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in ZIP 27521
Bachelor's degrees in ZIP 27521
| Period | ZIP 27521 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.9% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.2% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.5% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.6% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in ZIP 27521: 19.6% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 1.7 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the northeast.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in ZIP 27521
| Period | ZIP 27521 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.1% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.2% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.0% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 78.2% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
More than one in five adults in ZIP 27521 never finished high school, well above the national share: only 78.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Of the 436 North Carolina ZIP codes with 5,000+ people, only nine have a lower share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in ZIP 27521
| Period | ZIP 27521 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.2% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.0% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.2% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.0 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in ZIP 27521 has been low: just 3.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 4.0 points, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
ZIP 27521 compared with nearby ZIP codes
| ZIP code | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZIP 27521 | 2.54 | 39.2 | 10.1% | 32.2% | 9.3% | 1990 | $906 | 19.6% | 78.2% | 3.2% |
| ZIP 27501 | 2.68 | 38.8 | 10.4% | 21.9% | 5.9% | 1997 | $1,074 | 23.7% | 83.6% | 4.0% |
| ZIP 28339 | 2.43 | 45.5 | 9.0% | 28.1% | 10.0% | 1975 | $993 | 14.8% | 87.8% | 2.9% |
| ZIP 27504 | 2.53 | 37.6 | 12.2% | 26.7% | 11.5% | 1994 | $1,189 | 21.8% | 88.1% | 3.2% |
| ZIP 27592 | 2.97 | 39.0 | 11.3% | 14.2% | 5.9% | 2000 | $1,304 | 38.8% | 90.4% | 4.2% |
| ZIP 27546 | 2.69 | 36.7 | 12.3% | 30.8% | 8.9% | 1997 | $1,144 | 28.0% | 88.7% | 4.8% |
| ZIP 27524 | 2.69 | 38.6 | 10.4% | 25.6% | 10.5% | 1994 | $1,041 | 20.5% | 85.0% | 3.1% |
| ZIP 28323 | 2.90 | 35.2 | 21.6% | 23.5% | 14.5% | 2000 | $990 | 21.1% | 91.8% | 4.2% |
| ZIP 27526 | 2.74 | 39.5 | 7.9% | 20.1% | 6.1% | 2004 | $1,595 | 45.1% | 94.4% | 3.1% |
| ZIP 27577 | 2.73 | 39.6 | 9.0% | 27.0% | 9.0% | 1989 | $1,133 | 19.7% | 86.6% | 4.5% |
| ZIP 27505 | 2.90 | 37.0 | 15.0% | 22.3% | 5.2% | 1994 | $1,149 | 17.2% | 88.3% | 5.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Zip codes with similar populations: 78059, TX · 11786, NY · 12582, NY · 17007, PA · 18641, PA · 18947, PA · 22572, VA · 24065, VA · 29835, SC · 74959, OK
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up ZIP 27521. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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