Population 72,022 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Sanford
Household size in Sanford
| Period | Sanford | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.66 | 2.40 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.77 | 2.44 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.77 | 2.43 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.67 | 2.40 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.01 | +0.00 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Sanford average 2.67 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). The typical household here is bigger than in the Chapel Hill area as a whole, where it has 2.40 people.
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 Sanford
| Period | Sanford | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.9 | 36.9 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.2 | 37.7 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.6 | 39.2 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.7 | 39.9 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.9 | +2.9 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
At 39.7, the median age in Sanford 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 36.9 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 Sanford
| Period | Sanford | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.8% | 12.0% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.1% | 12.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.6% | 11.0% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.4% | 10.2% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in Sanford than nationally: 13.4%, against 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged down 1.4 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 Sanford
Renters in Sanford
| Period | Sanford | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.1% | 38.7% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.9% | 39.8% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.7% | 39.3% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 31.3% | 37.8% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | −0.9 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Sanford own their homes; 31.3% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. About four in ten owners (40.0%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the northwest. The renter share has risen 2.2 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Sanford
| Period | Sanford | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.8% | 11.2% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.6% | 9.6% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.3% | 9.8% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.6% | 9.2% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | −2.0 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Sanford is close to the national rate: 8.6% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Vacancy has fallen 3.2 points since 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 Sanford
| Period | Sanford | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1983 | 1983 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1984 | 1984 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1986 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1989 | 1991 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +8 | +7 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Sanford is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1989, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1983 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 Sanford
| Period | Sanford | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $712 | $889 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $838 | $951 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $875 | $1,102 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,125 | $1,501 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$414 | +$612 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Sanford runs $1,125 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $414 a month since 2006–10, up 58%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 30.2% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the southeast 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 Sanford
Bachelor's degrees in Sanford
| Period | Sanford | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.3% | 43.7% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.3% | 45.7% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.9% | 48.5% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.1% | 53.9% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | +10.2 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Sanford have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 23.1%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 3.8 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the center.
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 Sanford
| Period | Sanford | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.1% | 86.9% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.3% | 88.4% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.6% | 89.4% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.3% | 91.5% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +4.7 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Sanford never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.3% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 3.2 points, 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 Sanford
| Period | Sanford | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.4% | 7.8% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 8.6% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.5% | 4.5% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 4.0% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.4 pts | −3.8 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Sanford runs below the national rate: 3.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 6.4 points since 2006–10, as it has 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).
Sanford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanford | 2.67 | 39.7 | 13.4% | 31.3% | 8.6% | 1989 | $1,125 | 23.1% | 85.3% | 3.9% |
| Colon | 2.79 | 31.8 | 9.9% | 69.7% | 15.8% | 2001 | $1,159 | 18.8% | 89.7% | 21.9% |
| Broadway | 2.97 | 36.5 | 15.3% | 22.3% | 4.7% | 1996 | $1,185 | 16.9% | 88.5% | 5.4% |
| Olivia | 2.85 | 27.7 | 29.6% | 22.6% | 5.8% | 1998 | $1,154 | 11.2% | 95.4% | 0.6% |
| Osgood | 2.20 | 47.7 | 4.8% | 14.1% | 10.1% | 1992 | $1,053 | 24.9% | 89.1% | 0.6% |
| Mamers | 2.98 | 33.6 | 21.1% | 30.9% | 3.6% | 1989 | $1,115 | 14.4% | 92.2% | 9.9% |
| Haw Branch | 2.51 | 47.9 | 8.5% | 13.5% | 7.6% | 1995 | $1,148 | 21.2% | 90.5% | 0.0% |
| Gulf | 2.31 | 43.3 | 7.7% | 7.0% | 17.8% | 1983 | $871 | 28.5% | 93.9% | 0.2% |
| Corinth | 2.86 | 34.8 | 22.2% | 29.6% | 18.8% | 1997 | $1,081 | 23.9% | 90.4% | 0.9% |
| Goldston | 2.32 | 51.6 | 8.5% | 4.8% | 19.8% | 1980 | $920 | 13.3% | 83.0% | 0.5% |
| Glendon | 2.77 | 38.3 | 8.0% | 18.9% | 17.0% | 1987 | $1,379 | 28.4% | 92.3% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Hilliard, OH · Salisbury, MD · North Port, FL · Kingsport, TN · Huntington, WV · Huntersville, NC · Haverhill, MA · Great Falls, MT · Fayetteville, GA · East Orange, NJ
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 Sanford. 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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