Population 23,003 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Roanoke Rapids
Household size in Roanoke Rapids
| Period | Roanoke Rapids | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.46 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.42 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.40 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.39 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.07 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Roanoke Rapids are small: just 2.39 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 edged down from 2.46 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Roanoke Rapids
| Period | Roanoke Rapids | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.7 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.7 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.1 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.9 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.1 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Roanoke Rapids is 41.9 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 39.7 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the south and oldest in the northwest.
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 Roanoke Rapids
| Period | Roanoke Rapids | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.6% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 20.3% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.7% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in six households in Roanoke Rapids (15.7%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 2.0 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Roanoke Rapids has a higher share of single-parent households than at least four in five North Carolina cities.
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 Roanoke Rapids
Renters in Roanoke Rapids
| Period | Roanoke Rapids | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.4% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 42.1% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 42.8% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 41.1% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is a bit more common in Roanoke Rapids than nationally: 41.1% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. Among homeowners, 47.1% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 1.7 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only 30 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 Roanoke Rapids
| Period | Roanoke Rapids | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.4% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.1% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.5% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Roanoke Rapids: 13.5% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
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 Roanoke Rapids
| Period | Roanoke Rapids | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1970 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1972 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1974 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1974 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +7 | +6 |
Housing in Roanoke Rapids leans older: the median home dates to 1974, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1970 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the center. Only nine 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 Roanoke Rapids
| Period | Roanoke Rapids | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $634 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $737 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $744 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $890 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$256 | +$528 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Roanoke Rapids costs $890 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $256 a month since 2006–10, up 40%, 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. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the southeast; the highest are in the northeast.
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 Roanoke Rapids
Bachelor's degrees in Roanoke Rapids
| Period | Roanoke Rapids | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.0% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.2% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.0% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.8% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.8 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Roanoke Rapids have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 21.8%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 8.8 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the north 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 Roanoke Rapids
| Period | Roanoke Rapids | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 76.8% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 80.8% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.0% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.4% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.6 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Roanoke Rapids never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma is up 10.6 points from 2006–10, as it has 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 Roanoke Rapids
| Period | Roanoke Rapids | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.4% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.4% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.0% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.5% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Roanoke Rapids runs well above the national rate: 7.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Only 29 of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people have higher unemployment. Unemployment is down 4.8 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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).
Roanoke Rapids 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roanoke Rapids | 2.39 | 41.9 | 15.7% | 41.1% | 13.5% | 1974 | $890 | 21.8% | 87.4% | 7.5% |
| Rheasville | 2.27 | 36.6 | 23.3% | 45.6% | 18.7% | 1992 | $1,212 | 6.5% | 82.2% | 15.0% |
| Gaston | 2.05 | 49.3 | 16.0% | 28.9% | 12.4% | 1983 | $780 | 11.3% | 82.0% | 11.1% |
| Weldon | 2.48 | 37.9 | 33.5% | 47.9% | 16.9% | 1962 | $765 | 12.8% | 79.8% | 11.4% |
| Days Crossroads | 2.11 | 42.5 | 22.6% | 36.8% | 20.2% | 1985 | $1,194 | 8.2% | 83.5% | 8.6% |
| Garysburg | 2.02 | 50.0 | 15.0% | 29.2% | 17.4% | 1979 | $812 | 16.3% | 84.0% | 9.1% |
| Barley | 2.20 | 51.3 | 3.4% | 21.6% | 35.9% | 1977 | $1,114 | 19.4% | 77.3% | 0.5% |
| Mud Castle | 1.94 | 47.8 | 16.7% | 29.6% | 17.6% | 1977 | $679 | 17.1% | 92.9% | 7.6% |
| Aurelian Springs | 2.16 | 44.5 | 16.0% | 17.1% | 16.8% | 1985 | $787 | 15.6% | 82.0% | 5.1% |
| Pleasant Hill | 1.94 | 45.2 | 26.4% | 15.8% | 18.0% | 1991 | $685 | 21.4% | 80.2% | 10.5% |
| Halifax | 1.98 | 48.5 | 11.6% | 26.1% | 12.9% | 1983 | $775 | 12.1% | 78.6% | 12.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Catano, PR · Cimarron Hills, CO · Chowchilla, CA · Chippewa Falls, WI · Chantilly, VA · Champlin, MN · Chalfont, PA · Chagrin Falls, OH · Centralia, WA · Central Falls, RI
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 Roanoke Rapids. 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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