Population 11,174 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Alleghany County
Household size in Alleghany County
| Period | Alleghany County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.09 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.28 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.20 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.15 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.06 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Alleghany County is a place of small households, averaging 2.15 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.09, even as the national average fell. Of North Carolina's 100 counties, only four have smaller households.
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 Alleghany County
| Period | Alleghany County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.1 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 47.5 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 49.7 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 51.2 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.1 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 51.2, Alleghany County is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 46.1 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only five of North Carolina's 100 counties are older.
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 Alleghany County
| Period | Alleghany County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.6% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.7% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.0% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −6.6 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 4.0% of households in Alleghany County, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has fallen 6.6 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. No other North Carolina county has a lower share of single-parent households.
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 Alleghany County
Renters in Alleghany County
| Period | Alleghany County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.0% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.2% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.8% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.6% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a quarter of households in Alleghany County rent their homes (25.6%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 46.2% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the west.
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 Alleghany County
| Period | Alleghany County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.0% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 36.8% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 37.2% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 29.5% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Alleghany County: 29.5% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy has fallen 4.5 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Alleghany County
| Period | Alleghany County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1979 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +7 | +6 |
The typical home in Alleghany County was built around 1980, the same vintage as the country's housing overall. Homes here are older than in North Carolina overall, where the median home dates to 1990. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the center.
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 Alleghany County
| Period | Alleghany County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $609 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $621 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $616 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $721 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$113 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Alleghany County runs $721 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $113 a month since 2006–10, up 18%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 28.0% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the west; the most affordable are in the south.
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 Alleghany County
Bachelor's degrees in Alleghany County
| Period | Alleghany County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.9% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.2% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.8% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.2% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.3 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Alleghany County: 22.2% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 6.3 points, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the east.
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 Alleghany County
| Period | Alleghany County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 71.6% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.5% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 77.4% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.7% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +12.1 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Alleghany County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 12.1 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Alleghany County has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of North Carolina counties.
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 Alleghany County
| Period | Alleghany County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.7% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.1% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.6 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Alleghany County runs below the national rate: 4.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 4.6 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. 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).
Alleghany County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alleghany County | 2.15 | 51.2 | 4.0% | 25.6% | 29.5% | 1980 | $721 | 22.2% | 83.7% | 4.1% |
| Ashe County | 2.20 | 49.6 | 9.0% | 20.6% | 27.3% | 1983 | $894 | 27.0% | 89.1% | 4.5% |
| Surry County | 2.37 | 44.0 | 12.2% | 26.6% | 12.0% | 1979 | $760 | 20.3% | 83.8% | 4.1% |
| Johnson County | 2.33 | 46.2 | 14.4% | 22.5% | 16.3% | 1982 | $741 | 17.4% | 83.0% | 3.8% |
| Stokes County | 2.33 | 47.5 | 7.9% | 20.8% | 9.6% | 1984 | $812 | 18.2% | 91.6% | 3.2% |
| Carter County | 2.30 | 45.0 | 11.0% | 24.8% | 13.3% | 1976 | $755 | 21.1% | 89.9% | 6.1% |
| Sullivan County | 2.34 | 44.8 | 10.9% | 27.9% | 10.3% | 1976 | $911 | 27.3% | 90.2% | 5.2% |
| Rockingham County | 2.36 | 44.3 | 12.0% | 27.9% | 11.1% | 1978 | $836 | 17.6% | 85.6% | 6.1% |
| Washington County | 2.34 | 41.3 | 9.1% | 35.5% | 10.8% | 1984 | $1,008 | 34.9% | 91.3% | 4.7% |
| Danville City | 2.18 | 40.8 | 16.1% | 52.2% | 14.2% | 1962 | $861 | 19.3% | 86.8% | 5.5% |
| Caswell County | 2.42 | 45.9 | 12.2% | 24.8% | 15.2% | 1982 | $719 | 18.3% | 84.6% | 5.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Presque Isle County, MI · Colfax County, NM · Rich County, UT · Kent County, MD · Modoc County, CA · Keweenaw County, MI · Kinney County, TX · Dickey County, ND · Koochiching County, MN · Cook County, MN
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 Alleghany County. 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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