Population 64,214 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Rocky Mount
Household size in Rocky Mount
| Period | Rocky Mount | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.42 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.47 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.40 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.38 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Rocky Mount 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. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.42, 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 Rocky Mount
| Period | Rocky Mount | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.1 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.2 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.9 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.2 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.0 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
At 41.2, the median age in Rocky Mount is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The median age has climbed from 39.1 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the east and oldest in the west.
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 Rocky Mount
| Period | Rocky Mount | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.3% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.2% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 18.7% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.2% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Rocky Mount: 16.2% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share has edged down 1.1 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only 32 of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people 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 Rocky Mount
Renters in Rocky Mount
| Period | Rocky Mount | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.6% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 43.1% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 44.8% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 47.2% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.6 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Rocky Mount than nationally: 47.2% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. Among owners, 47.3% have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 4.6 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only 13 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 Rocky Mount
| Period | Rocky Mount | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.8% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.3% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.9% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.9% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Rocky Mount: 13.9% 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. Vacancy is up 1.1 points from 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 Rocky Mount
| Period | Rocky Mount | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1979 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1977 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | −1 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Rocky Mount are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1977, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in North Carolina overall, where the median home dates to 1990. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the center. Only 29 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 Rocky Mount
| Period | Rocky Mount | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $696 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $774 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $808 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $954 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$258 | +$528 | +$606 |
The median renter in Rocky Mount pays $954 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $258 a month from 2006–10, a 37% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 29.4% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the east; the highest are in the north.
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 Rocky Mount
Bachelor's degrees in Rocky Mount
| Period | Rocky Mount | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.9% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.3% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.3% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.6% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Rocky Mount have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 22.6%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 3.7 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the south.
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 Rocky Mount
| Period | Rocky Mount | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 81.1% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.8% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.7% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.0% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.9 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Rocky Mount never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 5.9 points, mirroring the country.
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 Rocky Mount
| Period | Rocky Mount | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.9% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 17.0% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.1% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.9% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.0 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Rocky Mount: 6.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 5.0 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. 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).
Rocky Mount 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Mount | 2.38 | 41.2 | 16.2% | 47.2% | 13.9% | 1977 | $954 | 22.6% | 87.0% | 6.9% |
| Dortches | 2.56 | 46.8 | 9.5% | 20.3% | 16.7% | 1989 | $1,238 | 29.8% | 93.0% | 2.3% |
| Sharpsburg | 2.65 | 34.3 | 37.1% | 40.0% | 18.2% | 1988 | $1,053 | 14.5% | 88.1% | 0.4% |
| Battleboro | 2.57 | 40.3 | 20.5% | 30.3% | 14.8% | 1983 | $979 | 14.3% | 85.9% | 7.7% |
| Drake | 2.51 | 46.0 | 6.1% | 27.1% | 11.7% | 1979 | $865 | 18.6% | 91.1% | 4.4% |
| Red Oak | 2.57 | 48.6 | 4.0% | 7.0% | 4.1% | 1988 | $809 | 35.5% | 93.3% | 1.6% |
| Nashville | 2.56 | 41.2 | 14.9% | 33.5% | 11.5% | 1992 | $865 | 19.4% | 87.2% | 4.7% |
| Mercer | 2.48 | 41.5 | 11.7% | 31.5% | 15.3% | 1991 | $1,183 | 10.2% | 86.4% | 3.1% |
| Elm City | 2.47 | 45.9 | 12.9% | 18.5% | 8.5% | 1987 | $984 | 18.9% | 91.0% | 4.2% |
| Winstead Crossroads | 2.53 | 44.9 | 12.4% | 14.0% | 4.6% | 1991 | $852 | 27.8% | 89.5% | 3.1% |
| Gold Rock | 2.36 | 48.5 | 15.6% | 23.9% | 13.1% | 1973 | $877 | 6.3% | 77.9% | 8.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Burnsville, MN · Coon Rapids, MN · Skokie, IL · Mechanicsville, VA · Midland, MI · Moore, OK · Niagara Falls, NY · Port Orange, FL · Pottstown, PA · Rowlett, TX
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 Rocky Mount. 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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