Population 35,527 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Kinston
Household size in Kinston
| Period | Kinston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.35 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.43 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.33 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.31 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Kinston is a place of small households, averaging 2.31 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has edged down from 2.35 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Kinston has smaller households than the great majority of North Carolina cities.
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 Kinston
| Period | Kinston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.0 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.9 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.1 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.2 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.2 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Kinston is 42.2 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. Residents skew youngest in the northeast and oldest in the center.
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 Kinston
| Period | Kinston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.2% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.4% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 15.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 19.0% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Kinston: 19.0% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share has risen 3.8 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people, only ten have a higher share of single-parent households.
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 Kinston
Renters in Kinston
| Period | Kinston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.2% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 43.4% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 45.4% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 44.7% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.4 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than four in ten households in Kinston rent their homes (44.7%), above the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 55.6% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 3.4 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only 18 of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of renters.
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 Kinston
| Period | Kinston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.0% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.4% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.9% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.6% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Kinston: 12.6% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy has edged up 0.6 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 Kinston
| Period | Kinston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1974 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1973 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1974 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1976 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +7 | +6 |
The typical home in Kinston was built around 1976, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in North Carolina as a whole, where the median home dates to 1990. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the center has the oldest housing. Only 20 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 Kinston
| Period | Kinston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $666 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $674 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $762 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $871 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$205 | +$528 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Kinston costs $871 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $205 a month since 2006–10, up 31%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 32.8% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the northwest and lowest in the southeast.
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 Kinston
Bachelor's degrees in Kinston
| Period | Kinston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.3% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.2% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.7% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.7% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Kinston have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 16.7%, against 35.6% nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the southwest. Kinston has a lower share of college graduates than the great majority of North Carolina cities.
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 Kinston
| Period | Kinston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 76.3% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 81.4% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 79.7% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.4% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.1 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Kinston never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 7.1 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Kinston has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five North Carolina cities.
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 Kinston
| Period | Kinston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 15.1% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.3% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.4% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Kinston: 11.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Only three of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people have higher unemployment. Unemployment is up 0.9 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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).
Kinston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kinston | 2.31 | 42.2 | 19.0% | 44.7% | 12.6% | 1976 | $871 | 16.7% | 83.4% | 11.4% |
| Georgetown | 2.29 | 45.4 | 17.3% | 26.7% | 12.4% | 1987 | $695 | 18.0% | 88.8% | 2.9% |
| Institute | 2.54 | 47.8 | 8.5% | 26.9% | 5.0% | 1993 | $700 | 21.1% | 95.4% | 1.1% |
| Fields | 2.29 | 48.8 | 5.9% | 34.8% | 5.1% | 1988 | $789 | 16.5% | 89.4% | 9.3% |
| Graingers | 2.42 | 39.7 | 20.7% | 19.0% | 14.9% | 1983 | $733 | 15.0% | 86.7% | 5.2% |
| Wise Forks | 2.42 | 43.3 | 2.1% | 23.8% | 16.2% | 1986 | $787 | 18.5% | 90.6% | 0.2% |
| Elm Grove | 2.73 | 39.0 | 19.5% | 25.6% | 5.5% | 1991 | $884 | 16.1% | 79.7% | 1.2% |
| Glenfield | 2.54 | 39.3 | 15.7% | 39.1% | 11.7% | 1984 | $791 | 14.3% | 82.7% | 8.3% |
| Shady Grove | 2.38 | 42.4 | 2.2% | 20.9% | 15.2% | 1990 | $917 | 23.0% | 90.5% | 0.0% |
| Jenny Lind | 2.31 | 43.2 | 9.4% | 40.0% | 5.2% | 1985 | $851 | 13.2% | 78.5% | 7.5% |
| Liddell | 2.18 | 43.5 | 15.8% | 17.2% | 12.8% | 1992 | $1,078 | 14.0% | 88.7% | 1.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: University Place, WA · Farmington, MN · Gaffney, SC · Glendale Heights, IL · Kingston, NY · Leavenworth, KS · Mchenry, IL · South Lyon, MI · Torrington, CT · Trumbull, CT
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 Kinston. 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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