Population 10,270 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Flat Rock
Household size in Flat Rock
| Period | Flat Rock | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.43 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.38 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.35 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.33 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.10 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Flat Rock are small: just 2.33 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 has dropped from 2.43 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Flat Rock
| Period | Flat Rock | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.3 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 47.5 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 52.0 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 53.1 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +7.8 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 53.1, Flat Rock 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 45.3 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people, only 14 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 Flat Rock
| Period | Flat Rock | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.8% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.0% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.5% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Flat Rock than nationally: 9.5%, against 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 2.7 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 Flat Rock
Renters in Flat Rock
| Period | Flat Rock | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.6% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.5% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.2% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 18.1% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 18.1% of households in Flat Rock rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 56.6% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the north; owners are most common in the southwest. The renter share is down 2.5 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 Flat Rock
| Period | Flat Rock | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.5% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.7% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.9% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.3% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.2 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Flat Rock: 14.3% 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 4.2 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 Flat Rock
| Period | Flat Rock | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1985 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1986 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1990 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1990 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +7 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Flat Rock is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1990, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1985 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the west.
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 Flat Rock
| Period | Flat Rock | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $605 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $689 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $983 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,085 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$480 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Flat Rock runs $1,085 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $480 a month from 2006–10, a 79% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 28.8% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the south and lowest 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 Flat Rock
Bachelor's degrees in Flat Rock
| Period | Flat Rock | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.2% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 32.0% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.1% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 38.4% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +12.2 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Nearly four in ten adults 25 and older in Flat Rock (38.4%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 12.2 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest 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 Flat Rock
| Period | Flat Rock | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.4% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.2% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.0% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.4% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.0 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Flat Rock is close to the national rate: 89.4% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 3.0 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Flat Rock
| Period | Flat Rock | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.7% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.6% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.2% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Flat Rock than nationally: unemployment was 4.2%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 3.5 points, in line with the national trend. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Flat Rock 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flat Rock | 2.33 | 53.1 | 9.5% | 18.1% | 14.3% | 1990 | $1,085 | 38.4% | 89.4% | 4.2% |
| East Flat Rock | 2.75 | 33.3 | 22.9% | 37.2% | 2.2% | 1986 | $951 | 15.9% | 80.7% | 8.5% |
| Valley Hill | 2.50 | 48.2 | 5.1% | 15.9% | 12.5% | 1987 | $1,684 | 43.5% | 93.8% | 0.4% |
| Hendersonville | 2.30 | 47.0 | 10.6% | 30.9% | 11.5% | 1986 | $1,219 | 33.9% | 90.1% | 2.9% |
| Laurel Park | 2.27 | 55.6 | 6.5% | 19.7% | 16.2% | 1979 | $1,915 | 57.9% | 96.7% | 4.1% |
| Saluda | 2.23 | 57.0 | 7.5% | 14.1% | 32.4% | 1983 | $1,149 | 42.6% | 95.6% | 7.0% |
| Zirconia | 2.29 | 50.0 | 9.3% | 11.7% | 16.1% | 1993 | $1,027 | 27.8% | 95.6% | 8.0% |
| Upward | 2.30 | 51.0 | 11.4% | 21.1% | 24.6% | 1997 | $842 | 16.7% | 84.4% | 4.4% |
| Etowah | 2.28 | 50.5 | 6.2% | 13.3% | 9.7% | 1990 | $1,419 | 39.2% | 95.1% | 2.5% |
| Lynn | 2.03 | 61.7 | 6.5% | 21.5% | 8.5% | 1980 | $1,068 | 33.0% | 96.9% | 16.3% |
| Horse Shoe | 2.42 | 46.0 | 6.2% | 13.1% | 10.8% | 1989 | $1,567 | 39.4% | 95.1% | 5.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Albion, MI · Bloomingdale, TN · Ambridge, PA · Alpine, UT · Algonac, MI · Alden, NY · Acushnet, MA · Abingdon, MD · North East, PA · North Fair Oaks, CA
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 Flat Rock. 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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