Population 74,386 · 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 Franklin County: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Franklin County
Household size in Franklin County
| Period | Franklin County | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.52 | 2.63 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.58 | 2.70 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.56 | 2.70 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.57 | 2.64 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Franklin County run a little small, averaging 2.57 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has crept up from 2.52 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the southwest.
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 Franklin County
| Period | Franklin County | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.0 | 35.7 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.2 | 36.7 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.5 | 38.1 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.9 | 38.4 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.0 | +2.7 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Franklin County skews a little older than the country: its median age is 41.9, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 39.0, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the northwest and oldest in the northeast.
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 Franklin County
| Period | Franklin County | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.6% | 10.9% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.5% | 11.5% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.8% | 10.7% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.9% | 9.4% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in ten households in Franklin County (10.9%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in the wider Raleigh area (9.4%).
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 Franklin County
Renters in Franklin County
| Period | Franklin County | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.2% | 32.1% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.7% | 33.7% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.2% | 34.3% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 21.4% | 33.4% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | +1.3 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Franklin County is largely a place of homeowners: only 21.4% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Nearly four in ten owners (37.3%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. The renter share has edged down 0.8 points since 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 Franklin County
| Period | Franklin County | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 9.4% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.8% | 8.6% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.7% | 7.8% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.7% | 7.6% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −1.7 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Franklin County as nationally: 8.7%, against 9.6%. Vacancy has fallen 2.5 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Franklin County has a lower vacancy rate than at least four in five North Carolina counties.
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 Franklin County
| Period | Franklin County | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1988 | 1990 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1990 | 1992 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1991 | 1994 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1997 | 1999 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +9 | +7 | +6 |
Franklin County has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1997, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1988 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the west, the oldest in the north.
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 Franklin County
| Period | Franklin County | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $697 | $923 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $774 | $1,018 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $877 | $1,207 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,106 | $1,666 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$409 | +$743 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Franklin County runs $1,106 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $409 a month from 2006–10, a 59% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 33.9% 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 south; the most affordable are in the northeast.
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 Franklin County
Bachelor's degrees in Franklin County
| Period | Franklin County | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.8% | 41.7% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.7% | 43.0% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.7% | 47.3% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 27.8% | 51.6% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +12.0 pts | +9.8 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Franklin County than nationally: 27.8% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 12.0 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the northeast.
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 Franklin County
| Period | Franklin County | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 81.4% | 89.9% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 82.4% | 90.6% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 86.7% | 92.0% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.2% | 93.3% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.8 pts | +3.4 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Franklin County is close to the national rate: 89.2% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in the wider Raleigh area (93.3%). The share with a diploma is up 7.8 points from 2006–10, 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 Franklin County
| Period | Franklin County | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.9% | 6.7% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.1% | 7.9% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.9% | 4.2% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.8% | 4.1% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.1 pts | −2.6 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 4.8%, unemployment in Franklin County is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is higher than in the Raleigh area as a whole (4.1%). Unemployment is down 5.1 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).
Franklin County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County | 2.57 | 41.9 | 10.9% | 21.4% | 8.7% | 1997 | $1,106 | 27.8% | 89.2% | 4.8% |
| Nash County | 2.49 | 42.5 | 13.0% | 36.4% | 11.6% | 1985 | $918 | 21.9% | 87.0% | 4.6% |
| Durham County | 2.32 | 38.2 | 11.5% | 44.5% | 8.5% | 1990 | $1,573 | 55.0% | 91.1% | 4.2% |
| Edgecombe County | 2.49 | 41.1 | 18.5% | 39.2% | 17.3% | 1977 | $891 | 17.6% | 84.9% | 8.5% |
| Orange County | 2.49 | 38.7 | 8.2% | 36.2% | 10.3% | 1991 | $1,507 | 62.6% | 93.5% | 3.4% |
| Alamance County | 2.51 | 39.6 | 12.2% | 35.0% | 9.7% | 1986 | $1,093 | 28.6% | 88.2% | 5.2% |
| Bertie County | 2.26 | 47.7 | 10.5% | 27.3% | 22.0% | 1980 | $815 | 18.3% | 81.1% | 7.7% |
| Guilford County | 2.44 | 38.6 | 12.8% | 40.1% | 10.2% | 1984 | $1,268 | 38.9% | 90.7% | 4.7% |
| Chowan County | 2.26 | 48.0 | 15.2% | 29.5% | 13.7% | 1977 | $783 | 24.9% | 89.3% | 3.5% |
| Forsyth County | 2.43 | 39.7 | 12.8% | 36.4% | 9.7% | 1985 | $1,234 | 38.6% | 89.9% | 5.3% |
| Perquimans County | 2.39 | 49.2 | 10.8% | 23.5% | 19.2% | 1989 | $993 | 20.9% | 87.6% | 3.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Walker County, GA · Chaves County, NM · Clay County, MN · Crawford County, AR · Haywood County, NC · Tehama County, CA · Troup County, GA · Union County, OH · Valencia County, NM · Van Zandt County, TX
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 Franklin County. 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.