Population 15,278 · 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 Canton: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Canton
Household size in Canton
| Period | Canton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.36 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.34 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.37 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.36 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.00 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Canton are small: just 2.36 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.
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 Canton
| Period | Canton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.2 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.3 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.0 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.8 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.6 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Canton skews older: half of its residents are older than 44.8, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 40.2 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Canton
| Period | Canton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.0% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.4% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.8% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Canton as they are nationally: 11.8%, against 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 1.8 points, 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 Canton
Renters in Canton
| Period | Canton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.7% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.0% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.4% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 24.8% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a quarter of households in Canton rent their homes (24.8%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 46.0% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southeast. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 3.2 points, in line with the national trend.
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 Canton
| Period | Canton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.7% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.5% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 18.5% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.5% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Canton: 17.5% 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 risen 3.8 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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 Canton
| Period | Canton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1968 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1970 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1974 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Canton run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1974 against 1980. The median year built has moved up from 1968 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the center. Only 13 of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people have older homes.
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 Canton
| Period | Canton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $670 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $778 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $754 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $934 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$264 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Canton runs $934 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $264 a month since 2006–10, up 39%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 36.2% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the west; the most affordable are in the east.
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 Canton
Bachelor's degrees in Canton
| Period | Canton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.2% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.3% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.2% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.9% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.8 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Canton have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 21.9%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 7.8 points, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the center.
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 Canton
| Period | Canton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.1% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.3% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 86.8% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.6% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.5 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Canton have finished high school (91.6%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of North Carolina. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 5.5 points, mirroring the country.
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 Canton
| Period | Canton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.5% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.1% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.6% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.5% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Canton is close to the national rate: 5.5% of the labor force, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 1.0 points from 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).
Canton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canton | 2.36 | 44.8 | 11.8% | 24.8% | 17.5% | 1974 | $934 | 21.9% | 91.6% | 5.5% |
| Clyde | 2.49 | 44.6 | 7.5% | 23.0% | 13.0% | 1989 | $1,006 | 27.8% | 92.8% | 0.4% |
| Newfound | 2.50 | 53.4 | 5.3% | 12.3% | 17.8% | 1992 | $1,346 | 34.3% | 95.9% | 2.2% |
| Upper Hominy | 3.31 | 40.7 | 7.3% | 22.8% | 29.9% | 1992 | $1,142 | 14.1% | 81.2% | 8.0% |
| Cruso | 1.99 | 54.0 | 7.6% | 19.3% | 30.6% | 1980 | $1,003 | 29.9% | 94.9% | 14.2% |
| Lake Junaluska | 2.80 | 45.5 | 19.2% | 16.9% | 42.7% | 1964 | $1,078 | 70.6% | 92.5% | 1.1% |
| Stony Fork | 3.17 | 44.3 | 4.2% | 21.4% | 29.7% | 1993 | $1,250 | 21.4% | 95.8% | 0.0% |
| Candler | 2.84 | 42.1 | 12.0% | 27.1% | 19.0% | 1994 | $1,262 | 29.5% | 92.4% | 4.1% |
| Waynesville | 2.22 | 48.1 | 8.5% | 31.9% | 19.4% | 1973 | $1,142 | 31.3% | 89.7% | 3.9% |
| Cove Creek | 2.40 | 55.1 | 13.3% | 15.1% | 26.4% | 1984 | $1,121 | 26.2% | 96.0% | 2.1% |
| Worley | 2.36 | 49.6 | 10.2% | 18.3% | 29.2% | 1989 | $1,228 | 34.3% | 89.0% | 2.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Greenacres, WA · South Charleston, WV · Guntersville, AL · Grosse Pointe Woods, MI · Grimes, IA · South Houston, TX · Grenada, MS · Greenville, PA · Greenville, MI · South River, NJ
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 Canton. 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.