Population 34,676 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Lenoir
Household size in Lenoir
| Period | Lenoir | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.49 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.51 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.43 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.44 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Lenoir run small, averaging 2.44 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.49, in line with the national trend. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the west.
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 Lenoir
| Period | Lenoir | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.2 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.8 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.4 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.8 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.7 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Lenoir skews older: half of its residents are older than 44.8, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 42.2 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Lenoir
| Period | Lenoir | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.6% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.5% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.6% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Lenoir as they are nationally: 12.6%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in North Carolina overall (11.4%). The single-parent share has edged up 1.4 points since 2006–10, 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 Lenoir
Renters in Lenoir
| Period | Lenoir | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.7% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.7% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.1% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.5% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in Lenoir rent their homes (29.5%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 53.4% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the northeast. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 2.9 points, mirroring the country.
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 Lenoir
| Period | Lenoir | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.3% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.9% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.9% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.1% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.2 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Lenoir: 12.1% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy is down 5.2 points from 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 Lenoir
| Period | Lenoir | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1975 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1974 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1975 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +7 | +6 |
Housing in Lenoir leans a little older: the median home dates to 1975, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1972 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the center has the oldest housing. Of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people, only 16 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 Lenoir
| Period | Lenoir | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $590 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $612 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $702 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $760 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$170 | +$528 | +$606 |
The median renter in Lenoir pays $760 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $170 a month since 2006–10, up 29%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 28.0% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the southwest and lowest in the center.
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 Lenoir
Bachelor's degrees in Lenoir
| Period | Lenoir | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.6% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.7% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.2% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.2% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.6 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Lenoir: 19.2% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 6.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the center and least in the southwest.
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 Lenoir
| Period | Lenoir | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 71.6% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 74.3% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.0% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 84.4% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +12.8 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in six adults in Lenoir never finished high school, more than nationally: 84.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma is up 12.8 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Lenoir has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of 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 Lenoir
| Period | Lenoir | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.9% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 15.2% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.2% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −8.7 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Lenoir runs below the national rate: 4.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 8.7 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. 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).
Lenoir 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lenoir | 2.44 | 44.8 | 12.6% | 29.5% | 12.1% | 1975 | $760 | 19.2% | 84.4% | 4.2% |
| Cajahs Mountain | 2.50 | 44.3 | 14.1% | 22.3% | 14.4% | 1975 | $812 | 14.0% | 84.6% | 6.4% |
| Cedar Rock | 2.29 | 43.9 | 7.7% | 23.6% | 14.6% | 1980 | $805 | 34.0% | 89.4% | 3.8% |
| Gamewell | 2.48 | 40.8 | 11.4% | 31.6% | 14.8% | 1979 | $835 | 12.6% | 82.6% | 4.0% |
| Hudson | 2.56 | 42.2 | 16.7% | 22.7% | 10.3% | 1980 | $718 | 18.3% | 84.3% | 5.9% |
| Sawmills | 2.64 | 40.6 | 16.4% | 27.5% | 15.0% | 1984 | $725 | 11.0% | 82.6% | 5.6% |
| Yadkin Valley | 2.19 | 56.1 | 8.9% | 25.6% | 13.4% | 1982 | $880 | 13.5% | 84.3% | 0.0% |
| Granite Falls | 2.52 | 43.6 | 13.9% | 23.2% | 11.5% | 1987 | $898 | 21.4% | 86.6% | 7.8% |
| Collettsville | 2.28 | 47.8 | 24.1% | 9.2% | 31.3% | 1990 | $937 | 16.0% | 89.7% | 7.9% |
| Chesterfield | 2.10 | 65.0 | 5.4% | 5.8% | 7.8% | 1984 | $845 | 24.4% | 92.5% | 4.9% |
| Kings Creek | 2.48 | 58.0 | 7.8% | 4.8% | 16.1% | 1978 | $909 | 16.0% | 84.1% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Bell, CA · North Ridgeville, OH · Sapulpa, OK · San Luis, AZ · Ruskin, FL · Roseburg, OR · Reisterstown, MD · Ramona, CA · Prior Lake, MN · Placerville, 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 Lenoir. 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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