Population 48,034 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Morganton
Household size in Morganton
| Period | Morganton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.48 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.48 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.43 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.38 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.10 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Morganton are small: just 2.38 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has dropped from 2.48 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Morganton
| Period | Morganton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.9 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.5 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.3 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.2 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.3 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Morganton skews older: half of its residents are older than 44.2, 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 39.9 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 Morganton
| Period | Morganton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.9% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.8% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.6% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Morganton (10.6%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. The picture is much the same across North Carolina. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged down 1.3 points, in line with the national trend.
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 Morganton
Renters in Morganton
| Period | Morganton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.8% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 29.5% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.2% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.9% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Morganton own their homes; 27.9% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Nearly half of owners (46.7%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southwest. The renter share is down 1.9 points from 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 Morganton
| Period | Morganton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.3% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.0% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.5% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.8% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Morganton is close to the national rate: 10.8% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Vacancy has fallen 2.6 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Morganton
| Period | Morganton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1976 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1981 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +7 | +6 |
The typical home in Morganton was built around 1981, 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. The median year built has moved up from 1975 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the center.
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 Morganton
| Period | Morganton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $604 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $625 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $708 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $945 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$341 | +$528 | +$606 |
The median renter in Morganton pays $945 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $341 a month from 2006–10, a 57% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 27.9% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the southwest 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 Morganton
Bachelor's degrees in Morganton
| Period | Morganton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.2% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.8% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.8% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.2% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.0 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Morganton: 23.2% 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 6.0 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the center and least in the southeast.
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 Morganton
| Period | Morganton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 76.8% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 77.4% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.3% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.0% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.2 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in seven adults in Morganton never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma is up 8.2 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Morganton 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 Morganton
| Period | Morganton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.3% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.2% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.6% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.7 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Morganton runs below the national rate: 3.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 7.7 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).
Morganton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morganton | 2.38 | 44.2 | 10.6% | 27.9% | 10.8% | 1981 | $945 | 23.2% | 85.0% | 3.6% |
| Glen Alpine | 2.82 | 35.6 | 14.5% | 15.4% | 5.8% | 1974 | $871 | 27.6% | 88.9% | 6.1% |
| Oak Hill | 2.39 | 45.6 | 6.8% | 22.0% | 11.6% | 1983 | $872 | 29.5% | 86.2% | 3.7% |
| Drexel | 2.33 | 47.2 | 10.1% | 23.1% | 10.5% | 1971 | $719 | 24.4% | 86.4% | 12.4% |
| Enola | 2.62 | 43.2 | 5.0% | 15.8% | 16.7% | 1988 | $728 | 21.5% | 84.5% | 10.5% |
| Valdese | 2.08 | 49.0 | 9.1% | 25.2% | 7.1% | 1975 | $799 | 28.2% | 92.6% | 4.7% |
| Chesterfield | 2.10 | 65.0 | 5.4% | 5.8% | 7.8% | 1984 | $845 | 24.4% | 92.5% | 4.9% |
| Brindle Town | 2.64 | 45.2 | 3.5% | 11.0% | 13.5% | 1991 | $862 | 20.5% | 82.7% | 7.6% |
| Connelly Springs | 2.26 | 42.6 | 13.9% | 32.3% | 5.8% | 1984 | $921 | 20.4% | 88.1% | 7.5% |
| Gamewell | 2.48 | 40.8 | 11.4% | 31.6% | 14.8% | 1979 | $835 | 12.6% | 82.6% | 4.0% |
| Nebo | 2.43 | 45.1 | 12.3% | 16.8% | 18.4% | 1993 | $897 | 13.7% | 82.9% | 1.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Sherman, TX · Euclid, OH · Everett, MA · Granada Hills, CA · Grand Blanc, MI · Grapevine, TX · Wausau, WI · Upper Arlington, OH · Texas City, TX · Frankfort, KY
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 Morganton. 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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