Population 13,507 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Bessemer City: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Bessemer City
Household size in Bessemer City
| Period | Bessemer City | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.67 | 2.60 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.64 | 2.68 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.69 | 2.67 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.59 | 2.62 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.08 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
At 2.59 people per household, Bessemer City sits close to the national average of 2.65. Household size has edged down from 2.67 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the southeast.
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 Bessemer City
| Period | Bessemer City | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.5 | 36.7 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.6 | 37.8 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.4 | 38.6 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.6 | 38.8 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.0 | +2.0 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Bessemer City are younger than 41.6 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is older than in the wider Charlotte area, where the median age is 38.8. The median age has climbed from 38.5 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Bessemer City
| Period | Bessemer City | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.7% | 12.3% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.5% | 12.7% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.9% | 11.5% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.1% | 11.3% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in seven households in Bessemer City (14.1%), above the national share of 11.6%. Bessemer City has a higher share of single-parent households than most North Carolina cities.
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 Bessemer City
Renters in Bessemer City
| Period | Bessemer City | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.8% | 30.9% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.1% | 33.4% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.7% | 34.3% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.2% | 34.1% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | +3.2 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a quarter of households in Bessemer City rent their homes (27.2%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Nearly half of owners (47.7%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the southwest and least common in the northwest. The renter share is down 3.5 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 Bessemer City
| Period | Bessemer City | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.1% | 10.4% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.4% | 10.0% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.3% | 8.6% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.9% | 8.3% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −2.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Bessemer City than nationally: 11.9%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Since 2006–10, vacancy has edged down 1.2 points, 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 Bessemer City
| Period | Bessemer City | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1986 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1987 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1989 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1994 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +8 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Bessemer City are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980. Homes here are older than in the Charlotte area as a whole, where the median home dates to 1994. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the center has the oldest housing.
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 Bessemer City
| Period | Bessemer City | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $599 | $875 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $653 | $966 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $752 | $1,127 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $923 | $1,552 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$324 | +$678 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Bessemer City runs $923 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $324 a month since 2006–10, up 54%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 32.4% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the center; the most affordable are in the northwest.
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 Bessemer City
Bachelor's degrees in Bessemer City
| Period | Bessemer City | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.2% | 30.6% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.5% | 32.4% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 9.8% | 35.9% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.8% | 40.6% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.6 pts | +10.0 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Bessemer City have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 14.8%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 6.6 points, in line with the national trend. Of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people, only 26 have a lower share of college graduates.
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 Bessemer City
| Period | Bessemer City | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 75.2% | 85.8% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 76.1% | 87.3% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 80.4% | 89.2% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 79.9% | 90.6% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +4.8 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in five adults in Bessemer City never finished high school, well above the national share: only 79.9% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 4.7 points, in line with the national trend. Only ten of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people 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 Bessemer City
| Period | Bessemer City | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.8% | 9.1% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 15.4% | 10.8% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.3% | 5.2% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.0% | 4.3% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.7 pts | −4.8 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Bessemer City is close to the national rate: 6.0% of the labor force, against 5.4%. The rate is higher than in the Charlotte area as a whole (4.3%). Unemployment is down 7.7 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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).
Bessemer City compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bessemer City | 2.59 | 41.6 | 14.1% | 27.2% | 11.9% | 1980 | $923 | 14.8% | 79.9% | 6.0% |
| Mountain View | 2.55 | 39.7 | 20.2% | 40.5% | 6.5% | 1974 | $803 | 15.3% | 82.6% | 15.2% |
| Dallas | 2.55 | 42.1 | 12.1% | 24.4% | 8.2% | 1993 | $919 | 19.1% | 86.8% | 2.2% |
| Kings Mountain | 2.73 | 41.2 | 14.0% | 25.9% | 9.5% | 1984 | $1,010 | 18.2% | 86.2% | 5.9% |
| High Shoals | 2.48 | 37.6 | 16.7% | 42.3% | 14.5% | 1987 | $1,028 | 15.8% | 94.6% | 1.2% |
| Gastonia | 2.54 | 39.0 | 17.1% | 41.0% | 9.6% | 1980 | $1,218 | 24.0% | 87.8% | 5.5% |
| Cherryville | 2.55 | 44.3 | 12.4% | 25.8% | 12.7% | 1978 | $965 | 19.7% | 87.0% | 3.6% |
| Crouse | 2.57 | 44.2 | 9.6% | 13.0% | 6.8% | 1992 | $984 | 17.0% | 86.8% | 3.5% |
| Ranlo | 2.75 | 35.7 | 15.0% | 39.9% | 5.1% | 1991 | $1,507 | 20.8% | 91.2% | 6.7% |
| Waco | 2.58 | 41.5 | 14.4% | 30.4% | 16.2% | 1985 | $1,044 | 11.8% | 79.8% | 3.6% |
| Johnstown | 2.67 | 36.3 | 22.5% | 35.0% | 5.4% | 1974 | $740 | 11.1% | 82.8% | 3.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Tega Cay, SC · Skiatook, OK · Smithville, MO · Solana Beach, CA · St. Albans, VT · St. Johns, MI · St. Peter, MN · Starke, FL · Statham, GA · Stevensville, MD
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 Bessemer City. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.