Population 4,481 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Spencer
Household size in Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.61 | 2.60 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.34 | 2.68 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.72 | 2.67 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.36 | 2.62 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.25 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Spencer is a place of small households, averaging 2.36 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.61 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.5 | 36.7 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.3 | 37.8 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.7 | 38.6 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.2 | 38.8 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.7 | +2.0 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Spencer skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.2, against 40.1 nationally.
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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.8% | 12.3% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.6% | 12.7% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 15.8% | 11.5% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.7% | 11.3% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −13.1 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Spencer as they are nationally: 10.7%, against 11.6%.
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 Spencer
Renters in Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.7% | 30.9% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 38.3% | 33.4% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.5% | 34.3% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.9% | 34.1% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −13.9 pts | +3.2 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Spencer own their homes; 27.9% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 27.1% have no mortgage at all, well below 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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.4% | 10.4% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.0% | 10.0% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 20.5% | 8.6% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.4% | 8.3% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −7.0 pts | −2.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 15.4% of the housing in Spencer, 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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1950 | 1986 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1953 | 1987 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1964 | 1989 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1951 | 1994 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +8 | +7 | +6 |
Spencer is a place of older homes: half were built before 1951, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $690 | $875 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $610 | $966 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $910 | $1,127 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,086 | $1,552 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$396 | +$678 | +$528 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Spencer costs $1,086 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 35.7% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Spencer
Bachelor's degrees in Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.0% | 30.6% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.5% | 32.4% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.4% | 35.9% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 29.1% | 40.6% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.2 pts | +10.0 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Spencer than nationally: 29.1% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.9% | 85.8% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 85.3% | 87.3% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 82.3% | 89.2% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.0% | 90.6% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.1 pts | +4.8 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in seven adults in Spencer never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Charlotte area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.2% | 9.1% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 16.3% | 10.8% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.5% | 5.2% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.9% | 4.3% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.3 pts | −4.8 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Spencer: 7.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above 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).
Spencer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer | 2.36 | 42.2 | 10.7% | 27.9% | 15.4% | 1951 | $1,086 | 29.1% | 85.0% | 7.9% |
| East Spencer | 2.06 | 43.3 | 20.1% | 48.0% | 8.9% | 1966 | $758 | 10.9% | 88.4% | 12.7% |
| Salisbury | 2.48 | 41.0 | 14.8% | 33.9% | 10.6% | 1981 | $1,122 | 25.7% | 89.1% | 6.1% |
| Linwood | 2.70 | 40.9 | 10.2% | 16.5% | 8.2% | 1987 | $915 | 18.7% | 91.7% | 2.7% |
| Granite Quarry | 2.81 | 41.3 | 10.2% | 11.8% | 5.3% | 1985 | $926 | 25.7% | 93.6% | 3.3% |
| Southmont | 2.59 | 45.6 | 3.2% | 9.8% | 31.1% | 1992 | $848 | 28.4% | 91.5% | 0.0% |
| Faith | 2.80 | 43.0 | 17.9% | 19.8% | 5.1% | 1980 | $938 | 26.2% | 93.7% | 5.5% |
| Cotton Grove | 2.09 | 49.1 | 8.4% | 9.1% | 10.6% | 1984 | $838 | 9.5% | 80.4% | 19.4% |
| Barber | 2.58 | 55.4 | 10.7% | 10.7% | 21.3% | 1980 | $842 | 19.0% | 88.5% | 5.7% |
| Rockwell | 2.53 | 41.2 | 9.0% | 27.9% | 7.2% | 1987 | $1,028 | 19.9% | 90.3% | 2.4% |
| Woodleaf | 2.30 | 46.1 | 9.2% | 12.1% | 11.0% | 1992 | $867 | 12.4% | 93.9% | 7.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Provincetown, MA · Rainbow, CA · Dalton, PA · Danbury, TX · Ragley, LA · Dannemora, NY · Ragland, AL · Darien, GA · Quincy, CA · Quaker Hill, CT
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 Spencer. 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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