Population 5,193 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Sparta: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Sparta
Household size in Sparta
| Period | Sparta | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.02 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.26 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.22 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.00 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.02 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Sparta is a place of small households, averaging 2.00 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the west. Only five of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people have smaller households.
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 Sparta
| Period | Sparta | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.4 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.5 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 48.1 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 54.2 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.8 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 54.2, Sparta is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 47.4 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people, only 12 are older.
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 Sparta
| Period | Sparta | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.3% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.7% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.9% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −6.5 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Sparta: 4.9% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is down 6.5 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people, only 16 have a lower 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 Sparta
Renters in Sparta
| Period | Sparta | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.0% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.1% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.3% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 31.7% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly a third of households in Sparta rent their homes (31.7%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. More than four in ten owners (44.4%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the south; owners are most common in the west. The renter share is down 1.3 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 Sparta
| Period | Sparta | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.8% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 27.5% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 31.5% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.4% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −6.4 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Sparta: 21.4% 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. Vacancy has fallen 6.4 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than 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 Sparta
| Period | Sparta | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1977 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Sparta 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. Only 30 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 Sparta
| Period | Sparta | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $560 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $585 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $564 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $690 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$130 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Sparta runs $690 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $130 a month from 2006–10, a 23% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 28.3% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Only three of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people have lower rents.
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 Sparta
Bachelor's degrees in Sparta
| Period | Sparta | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.5% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.4% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.6% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.8% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.3 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Sparta have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 22.8%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 8.3 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Sparta
| Period | Sparta | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 71.4% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 77.3% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 79.1% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 84.3% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +12.9 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in six adults in Sparta never finished high school, more than nationally: 84.3% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma is up 12.9 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Sparta 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 Sparta
| Period | Sparta | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.3% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.0% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.1% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.0 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Sparta runs below the national rate: 4.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 6.0 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. 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).
Sparta 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sparta | 2.00 | 54.2 | 4.9% | 31.7% | 21.4% | 1977 | $690 | 22.8% | 84.3% | 4.3% |
| Whitehead | 2.09 | 53.9 | 2.8% | 13.7% | 25.6% | 1976 | $730 | 22.3% | 82.2% | 10.9% |
| Twin Oaks | 2.21 | 47.8 | 3.3% | 23.0% | 37.1% | 1988 | $575 | 21.6% | 83.6% | 0.0% |
| Stratford | 2.32 | 49.5 | 2.7% | 17.8% | 38.9% | 1983 | $790 | 33.3% | 83.2% | 0.0% |
| Glade Valley | 2.14 | 51.2 | 6.3% | 28.1% | 28.0% | 1980 | $773 | 15.9% | 85.1% | 3.5% |
| Peach Bottom | 2.36 | 43.8 | 5.9% | 25.3% | 24.1% | 1987 | $694 | 8.5% | 82.8% | 2.6% |
| Independence | 2.17 | 47.6 | 5.6% | 23.0% | 26.7% | 1978 | $654 | 15.5% | 85.0% | 2.3% |
| Ennice | 2.47 | 43.8 | 2.0% | 13.5% | 36.2% | 1987 | $761 | 18.0% | 78.5% | 2.8% |
| Roaring Gap | 2.14 | 55.6 | 3.1% | 21.8% | 63.7% | 1983 | $772 | 27.7% | 90.2% | 0.7% |
| Piney Creek | 2.26 | 48.7 | 3.0% | 20.3% | 38.0% | 1986 | $680 | 27.3% | 83.4% | 0.0% |
| Laurel Springs | 2.16 | 52.7 | 2.7% | 16.8% | 33.8% | 1982 | $788 | 36.7% | 89.8% | 5.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Eagle Lake, FL · Disputanta, VA · Dittmer, MO · Dresden, TN · Dresher, PA · Dryden, MI · Dryden, NY · Dwight, IL · Eagar, AZ · Eagle Creek, OR
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 Sparta. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.