Population 341 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Heaton
Household size in Heaton
| Period | Heaton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.24 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.23 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.08 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.94 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.70 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Heaton is a place of big households: 2.94 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has climbed from 2.24 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Heaton
| Period | Heaton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.4 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 46.6 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.3 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.2 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.8 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 35.2, Heaton is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young families with children.
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 Heaton
| Period | Heaton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.6% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.6% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.1% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −25.2 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 3.4% of households in Heaton, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Heaton
Renters in Heaton
| Period | Heaton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.5% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 22.0% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.5% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.2% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −13.3 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 22.2% of households in Heaton rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 71.5% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Heaton
| Period | Heaton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.3% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 29.7% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 39.4% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.0% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −6.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Heaton: 19.0% 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.
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 Heaton
| Period | Heaton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1964 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1975 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1973 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +7 | +6 |
Housing in Heaton leans older: the median home dates to 1973, against 1980 nationally.
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 Heaton
| Period | Heaton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $627 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $769 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $763 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $944 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$317 | +$528 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Heaton costs $944 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 46.9% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Heaton
Bachelor's degrees in Heaton
| Period | Heaton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.3% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.0% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.4% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.4% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Heaton have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 14.4%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 Heaton
| Period | Heaton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.0% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 77.7% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.8% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 75.1% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About a quarter of adults in Heaton never finished high school, well above the national share: only 75.1% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% 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 Heaton
| Period | Heaton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.6% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.6% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.4% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.4% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Heaton: 7.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. 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).
Heaton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heaton | 2.94 | 35.2 | 3.4% | 22.2% | 19.0% | 1973 | $944 | 14.4% | 75.1% | 7.4% |
| Elk Park | 2.68 | 40.9 | 6.1% | 21.1% | 23.3% | 1977 | $1,003 | 16.1% | 78.1% | 5.4% |
| Poga | 1.96 | 57.0 | 3.1% | 13.7% | 32.7% | 1982 | $713 | 16.0% | 73.6% | 6.1% |
| Cranberry | 2.26 | 58.1 | 12.2% | 12.5% | 29.7% | 1984 | $676 | 15.6% | 90.0% | 6.1% |
| Beech Mountain | 2.07 | 51.0 | 4.2% | 12.3% | 58.8% | 1983 | $1,016 | 42.2% | 90.6% | 7.0% |
| Roan Mountain | 2.72 | 44.9 | 2.3% | 8.6% | 26.4% | 1983 | $697 | 16.5% | 89.9% | 7.6% |
| Sugar Mountain | 2.16 | 56.0 | 4.3% | 14.6% | 77.1% | 1985 | $1,121 | 57.2% | 97.0% | 3.1% |
| Norwood Hollow | 2.28 | 40.3 | 8.8% | 23.8% | 65.4% | 1988 | $836 | 42.5% | 90.6% | 1.2% |
| Banner Elk | 2.33 | 41.3 | 9.7% | 19.5% | 58.0% | 1988 | $916 | 40.0% | 89.0% | 5.6% |
| Elk Mills | 1.96 | 57.0 | 3.1% | 13.7% | 32.7% | 1982 | $687 | 16.0% | 73.6% | 6.1% |
| Roaring Creek | 2.45 | 43.7 | 6.1% | 16.8% | 30.7% | 1981 | $645 | 24.8% | 89.1% | 4.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Ruggles, PA · Manville, IN · Maple Island, MN · Marion, MN · Martinsburg, IA · Marvin, SD · Marysville, AR · Matanzas Beach, IL · Rosedale, IL · Rosiere, 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 Heaton. 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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