Population 1,469 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Sapphire
Household size in Sapphire
| Period | Sapphire | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.62 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.19 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.07 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.07 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.56 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Sapphire are small: just 2.07 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 2.62 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Sapphire
| Period | Sapphire | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.0 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 52.5 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 56.9 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 59.1 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +20.1 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 59.1, Sapphire is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
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 Sapphire
| Period | Sapphire | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.0% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Sapphire: 7.0% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
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 Sapphire
Renters in Sapphire
| Period | Sapphire | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.8% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.9% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.0% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 16.7% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −8.2 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 16.7% of households in Sapphire rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among owners, 46.5% have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Sapphire
| Period | Sapphire | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 67.9% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 64.6% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 69.3% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 67.4% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Sapphire: 67.4% 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.
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 Sapphire
| Period | Sapphire | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1985 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1991 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1991 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1998 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +13 | +7 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Sapphire is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1998, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole.
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 Sapphire
| Period | Sapphire | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $673 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,022 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $938 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,232 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$559 | +$528 | +$606 |
The median renter in Sapphire pays $1,232 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 31.4% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Sapphire
Bachelor's degrees in Sapphire
| Period | Sapphire | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.8% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 33.3% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.4% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 57.5% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +24.7 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Sapphire is highly educated: nearly six in ten adults 25 and older (57.5%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%.
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 Sapphire
| Period | Sapphire | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.0% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.9% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.7% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.8% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +11.8 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Sapphire is above the national rate: 93.8% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%.
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 Sapphire
| Period | Sapphire | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.6% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.4% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.7% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.9 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Sapphire has been low: just 0.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. 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).
Sapphire 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sapphire | 2.07 | 59.1 | 7.0% | 16.7% | 67.4% | 1998 | $1,232 | 57.5% | 93.8% | 0.7% |
| Cashiers | 1.91 | 60.4 | 6.1% | 16.7% | 73.8% | 1996 | $1,254 | 55.7% | 95.1% | 2.4% |
| Lake Toxaway | 2.55 | 43.8 | 9.4% | 10.2% | 40.6% | 1987 | $991 | 28.5% | 90.9% | 10.5% |
| Reid | 2.49 | 53.4 | 7.2% | 19.1% | 46.7% | 1992 | $1,357 | 47.9% | 93.3% | 3.7% |
| Glenville | 2.40 | 51.0 | 9.6% | 23.3% | 62.4% | 1989 | $1,227 | 39.4% | 93.1% | 4.2% |
| Wolf Mountain | 2.37 | 57.3 | 7.3% | 14.7% | 42.0% | 1984 | $978 | 27.4% | 87.5% | 1.8% |
| Quebec | 2.55 | 33.8 | 18.8% | 24.3% | 24.9% | 1988 | $923 | 21.9% | 89.7% | 2.5% |
| Rosman | 2.39 | 42.8 | 14.8% | 32.1% | 21.1% | 1986 | $1,200 | 31.0% | 90.0% | 0.8% |
| Balsam Grove | 2.67 | 37.3 | 23.5% | 15.4% | 41.8% | 1984 | $880 | 12.2% | 85.0% | 0.0% |
| Tuckasegee | 2.43 | 51.5 | 7.6% | 28.0% | 40.5% | 1984 | $1,081 | 29.4% | 91.8% | 1.0% |
| Highlands | 1.80 | 63.2 | 4.6% | 26.4% | 58.4% | 1986 | $788 | 49.8% | 91.1% | 1.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Head of the Harbor, NY · Rucker, CA · Rollingwood, TX · Rices Landing, PA · Reedsville, OH · Lost Creek, WV · Logantown, KY · Kimper, KY · Kachemak, AK · Jewett, OH
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 Sapphire. 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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