Population 2,891 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Bethel
Household size in Bethel
| Period | Bethel | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.42 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.46 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.47 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.44 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.02 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Bethel has 2.44 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65.
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 Bethel
| Period | Bethel | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.3 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 47.6 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.5 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.2 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.0 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Bethel skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.2, against 40.1 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 Bethel
| Period | Bethel | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.3% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.5% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.5% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Bethel than nationally: 14.5%, against 11.6%.
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 Bethel
Renters in Bethel
| Period | Bethel | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.8% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 29.3% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.2% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.6% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in Bethel rent their homes (30.6%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 55.5% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has risen 2.8 points since 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Bethel
| Period | Bethel | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.2% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.3% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 19.4% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.8% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.4 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Bethel: 18.8% 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.
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 Bethel
| Period | Bethel | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1976 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Bethel are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1979, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in North Carolina overall, where the median home dates to 1990.
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 Bethel
| Period | Bethel | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $730 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $586 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $723 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $850 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$120 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Bethel runs $850 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 32.8% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Bethel
Bachelor's degrees in Bethel
| Period | Bethel | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.6% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.8% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.1% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.6% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Bethel have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 13.6%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 Bethel
| Period | Bethel | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 72.8% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.6% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 79.8% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.3% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +13.5 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in seven adults in Bethel never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.3% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
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 Bethel
| Period | Bethel | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.3% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 18.1% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.1% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.0 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Bethel runs below the national rate: 4.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. The picture is much the same across North Carolina. 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).
Bethel 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethel | 2.44 | 42.2 | 14.5% | 30.6% | 18.8% | 1979 | $850 | 13.6% | 86.3% | 4.3% |
| Robersonville | 2.22 | 51.6 | 9.1% | 35.5% | 19.6% | 1968 | $716 | 12.7% | 80.7% | 6.8% |
| Everetts | 2.65 | 50.1 | 6.1% | 31.8% | 14.4% | 1979 | $978 | 14.7% | 84.1% | 1.5% |
| Hassell | 1.76 | 55.3 | 6.7% | 48.2% | 7.3% | 1965 | $714 | 14.4% | 77.7% | 6.1% |
| Parmele | 2.55 | 53.3 | 4.2% | 41.3% | 5.8% | 1963 | $785 | 3.0% | 76.7% | 6.3% |
| Hamilton | 2.03 | 57.9 | 11.0% | 20.0% | 21.5% | 1983 | $693 | 9.4% | 86.4% | 4.4% |
| Bear Grass | 2.22 | 39.0 | 1.9% | 25.4% | 4.9% | 1982 | $749 | 16.3% | 89.7% | 0.0% |
| Mayos Crossroads | 2.09 | 46.5 | 12.8% | 28.4% | 7.7% | 1964 | $837 | 11.0% | 88.5% | 9.1% |
| Williamston | 2.28 | 44.0 | 12.5% | 34.0% | 12.7% | 1979 | $774 | 17.2% | 85.4% | 5.5% |
| Oak City | 2.17 | 56.7 | 11.0% | 35.7% | 25.6% | 1973 | $908 | 13.4% | 82.8% | 5.1% |
| Whitehurst | 2.69 | 35.0 | 3.9% | 30.8% | 21.1% | 1978 | $859 | 14.1% | 92.0% | 3.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Rentz, GA · Oak Hill, FL · Ingalls, IN · Bourbon, IN · Bowman, SC · Hughes Springs, TX · Montara, CA · Flat Rock, AL · Rector, AR · Lake Mills, IA
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 Bethel. 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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