Population 139,150 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Harnett County
Household size in Harnett County
| Period | Harnett County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.76 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.90 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.88 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.79 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.03 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The typical household in Harnett County holds 2.79 people, slightly more than the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.76, even as the national average fell. Of North Carolina's 100 counties, only four have larger 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 Harnett County
| Period | Harnett County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.8 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.3 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.2 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.0 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.2 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Harnett County is 37.0 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 33.8, mirroring the country. Few North Carolina counties are younger: only seven of 100.
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 Harnett County
| Period | Harnett County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.6% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.6% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.9% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.7 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Harnett County as they are nationally: 10.9%, against 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 4.7 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Harnett County
Renters in Harnett County
| Period | Harnett County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.6% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.9% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.6% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.0% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.7 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Harnett County own their homes; 29.0% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Just over a third of owners (34.4%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 3.7 points, 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 Harnett County
| Period | Harnett County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.1% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.5% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.4% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.3% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.9 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Harnett County as nationally: 9.3%, against 9.6%. The rate is lower than in North Carolina overall (11.4%). Vacancy has fallen 4.9 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Harnett County
| Period | Harnett County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1988 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1990 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1993 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1996 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +7 | +6 |
Harnett County has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1996, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1988 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the east 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 Harnett County
| Period | Harnett County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $780 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $839 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $962 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,190 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$410 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Harnett County runs $1,190 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $410 a month from 2006–10, a 53% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 29.4% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the southwest; 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 Harnett County
Bachelor's degrees in Harnett County
| Period | Harnett County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.4% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.3% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.8% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.2% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.8 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Harnett County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 25.2%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 7.8 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the north 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 Harnett County
| Period | Harnett County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.3% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.1% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.2% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.9% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.6 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Harnett County have finished high school as nationally: 88.9%, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 5.6 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 Harnett County
| Period | Harnett County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.4% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.6% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.4% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.1% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.3 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.1%, unemployment in Harnett County is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 5.3 points, mirroring the country. 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).
Harnett 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harnett County | 2.79 | 37.0 | 10.9% | 29.0% | 9.3% | 1996 | $1,190 | 25.2% | 88.9% | 5.1% |
| Lee County | 2.63 | 39.3 | 16.2% | 32.7% | 8.6% | 1987 | $1,065 | 20.3% | 85.3% | 3.8% |
| Moore County | 2.42 | 44.7 | 7.6% | 23.6% | 12.5% | 1993 | $1,352 | 41.5% | 93.8% | 4.8% |
| Wayne County | 2.48 | 38.7 | 15.4% | 38.5% | 11.3% | 1985 | $1,066 | 22.3% | 86.1% | 6.0% |
| Montgomery County | 2.41 | 44.4 | 12.4% | 25.0% | 24.2% | 1983 | $789 | 19.3% | 85.0% | 3.3% |
| Greene County | 2.67 | 40.8 | 15.4% | 33.5% | 14.4% | 1986 | $823 | 12.1% | 78.9% | 5.0% |
| Lenoir County | 2.37 | 41.5 | 18.3% | 40.8% | 12.5% | 1980 | $850 | 17.2% | 83.1% | 9.1% |
| Stanly County | 2.53 | 41.3 | 11.4% | 25.5% | 11.0% | 1976 | $898 | 19.4% | 88.0% | 4.4% |
| Cabarrus County | 2.85 | 38.2 | 11.3% | 28.8% | 10.6% | 1993 | $1,628 | 38.9% | 92.0% | 4.6% |
| Mecklenburg County | 2.53 | 36.5 | 11.5% | 44.9% | 8.1% | 1995 | $1,767 | 49.0% | 90.4% | 4.2% |
| Gaston County | 2.52 | 40.2 | 13.9% | 33.2% | 8.7% | 1984 | $1,249 | 26.9% | 88.5% | 4.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Tangipahoa Parish, LA · Jackson County, MS · Lebanon County, PA · Livingston Parish, LA · Monroe County, IN · Napa County, CA · Pickens County, SC · Ponce Municipio, PR · Randall County, TX · Strafford County, NH
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 Harnett 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.
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