Population 4,604 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Bostic
Household size in Bostic
| Period | Bostic | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.41 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.41 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.41 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.14 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.27 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Bostic are small: just 2.14 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.41, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change. Only 16 of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people 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 Bostic
| Period | Bostic | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.2 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.8 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.9 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 52.8 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +10.6 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 52.8, Bostic is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The youngest areas are in the southwest, the oldest in the northwest. Only 17 of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people 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 Bostic
| Period | Bostic | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.0% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.5% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.8% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.6% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −6.4 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Bostic: 5.6% of households, against 11.6% nationally. Only 27 of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people have 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 Bostic
Renters in Bostic
| Period | Bostic | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.4% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 21.4% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.3% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 18.2% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −7.2 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Bostic is largely a place of homeowners: only 18.2% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 61.7% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the southwest and least common in the northwest.
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 Bostic
| Period | Bostic | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.4% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.7% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 22.1% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.2% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 16.2% of the housing in Bostic, 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 Bostic
| Period | Bostic | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1980 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1986 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +7 | +6 |
The housing in Bostic is younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1986, against 1980 nationally. Still, homes here are older than in North Carolina overall, where the median home dates to 1990. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the southwest 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 Bostic
| Period | Bostic | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $586 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $667 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $689 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $999 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$413 | +$528 | +$606 |
The median renter in Bostic pays $999 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 27.2% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the southeast; the highest 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 Bostic
Bachelor's degrees in Bostic
| Period | Bostic | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.1% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.9% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.8% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.4 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Bostic: 19.8% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. Bostic has a lower share of college graduates than most North Carolina cities.
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 Bostic
| Period | Bostic | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 81.4% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.7% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.1% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.8% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.4 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Bostic have finished high school as nationally: 88.8%, against 89.3%.
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 Bostic
| Period | Bostic | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.4% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.4% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.4% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.6% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.8 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.6%, unemployment in Bostic is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is higher than in North Carolina overall (4.8%). 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).
Bostic 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bostic | 2.14 | 52.8 | 5.6% | 18.2% | 16.2% | 1986 | $999 | 19.8% | 88.8% | 5.6% |
| Hollis | 2.65 | 44.5 | 8.9% | 6.4% | 22.2% | 1992 | $753 | 27.0% | 84.8% | 1.4% |
| Westminster | 1.89 | 60.9 | 2.2% | 6.5% | 15.5% | 1988 | $1,577 | 14.9% | 84.8% | 9.5% |
| Ellenboro | 2.50 | 43.4 | 9.2% | 14.4% | 15.9% | 1983 | $709 | 18.4% | 89.5% | 6.7% |
| Spindale | 2.17 | 45.7 | 15.5% | 49.4% | 11.7% | 1968 | $757 | 15.7% | 81.2% | 9.8% |
| Forest City | 2.53 | 39.9 | 18.1% | 35.4% | 14.6% | 1974 | $751 | 18.2% | 86.5% | 6.2% |
| Ruth | 2.93 | 49.9 | 11.1% | 24.1% | 9.8% | 1977 | $667 | 18.3% | 87.8% | 1.9% |
| Washburn | 1.99 | 52.9 | 13.5% | 24.2% | 17.0% | 1984 | $846 | 29.8% | 84.6% | 15.4% |
| Rutherfordton | 2.52 | 45.2 | 11.4% | 21.8% | 11.9% | 1986 | $796 | 25.7% | 88.2% | 3.9% |
| Polkville | 2.49 | 54.0 | 6.3% | 13.3% | 24.4% | 1986 | $714 | 25.1% | 94.9% | 4.1% |
| Union Mills | 2.47 | 49.2 | 14.3% | 8.7% | 22.6% | 1989 | $1,028 | 25.4% | 87.0% | 5.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: St. Maries, ID · Corral City, TX · Stanton, KY · Lamar, MO · Cosby, TN · Stanley, VA · Stanardsville, VA · St. Stephen, SC · St. Matthews, SC · Lancaster, WI
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 Bostic. 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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