Population 4,664 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Spindale
Household size in Spindale
| Period | Spindale | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.44 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.25 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.38 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.17 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.27 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Spindale is a place of small households, averaging 2.17 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.44, 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 Spindale
| Period | Spindale | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.7 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.9 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.5 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.7 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +7.0 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 45.7, Spindale 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 Spindale
| Period | Spindale | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.7% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.3% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.5% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Spindale: 15.5% of all 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 Spindale
Renters in Spindale
| Period | Spindale | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.0% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 41.2% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 41.6% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 49.4% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +13.4 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Spindale than nationally: 49.4% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 44.4% have no mortgage at all, 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 Spindale
| Period | Spindale | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.8% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.8% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 23.0% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.7% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −6.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Spindale than nationally: 11.7%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. The picture is much the same across North Carolina.
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 Spindale
| Period | Spindale | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1960 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1962 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1962 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1968 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +7 | +6 |
The housing in Spindale is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1968, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
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 Spindale
| Period | Spindale | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $559 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $645 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $581 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $757 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$197 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Spindale runs $757 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 23.1% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Spindale
Bachelor's degrees in Spindale
| Period | Spindale | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.4% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.6% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.5% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.7% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Spindale: 15.7% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below 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 Spindale
| Period | Spindale | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 73.2% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.4% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 79.6% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 81.2% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.9 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in five adults in Spindale never finished high school, well above the national share: only 81.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% 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 Spindale
| Period | Spindale | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.6% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 20.8% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.1% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.8% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −9.8 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Spindale: 9.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. 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).
Spindale 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spindale | 2.17 | 45.7 | 15.5% | 49.4% | 11.7% | 1968 | $757 | 15.7% | 81.2% | 9.8% |
| Ruth | 2.93 | 49.9 | 11.1% | 24.1% | 9.8% | 1977 | $667 | 18.3% | 87.8% | 1.9% |
| Rutherfordton | 2.52 | 45.2 | 11.4% | 21.8% | 11.9% | 1986 | $796 | 25.7% | 88.2% | 3.9% |
| Forest City | 2.53 | 39.9 | 18.1% | 35.4% | 14.6% | 1974 | $751 | 18.2% | 86.5% | 6.2% |
| Bostic | 2.14 | 52.8 | 5.6% | 18.2% | 16.2% | 1986 | $999 | 19.8% | 88.8% | 5.6% |
| Westminster | 1.89 | 60.9 | 2.2% | 6.5% | 15.5% | 1988 | $1,577 | 14.9% | 84.8% | 9.5% |
| Green Hill | 2.37 | 53.0 | 8.1% | 11.4% | 3.3% | 1994 | $654 | 29.9% | 90.6% | 1.7% |
| Harris | 2.48 | 39.3 | 11.7% | 25.0% | 14.1% | 1988 | $820 | 12.2% | 87.3% | 12.2% |
| Ellenboro | 2.50 | 43.4 | 9.2% | 14.4% | 15.9% | 1983 | $709 | 18.4% | 89.5% | 6.7% |
| Pea Ridge | 2.29 | 41.9 | 14.3% | 32.4% | 18.2% | 1992 | $608 | 16.3% | 85.9% | 4.0% |
| Union Mills | 2.47 | 49.2 | 14.3% | 8.7% | 22.6% | 1989 | $1,028 | 25.4% | 87.0% | 5.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Riceville, TN · Harrington Park, NJ · Scott AFB, IL · New Brockton, AL · Conklin, NY · Harmony, PA · Harmony, NC · McClure, PA · Harlan, KY · Hardinsburg, KY
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 Spindale. 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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