Population 71,425 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Surry County
Household size in Surry County
| Period | Surry County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.45 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.47 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.44 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.37 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.08 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Surry County are small: just 2.37 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. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.45, as it has nationally.
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 Surry County
| Period | Surry County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.3 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.8 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.3 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.0 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.7 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Surry County skews older than the country: its median age is 44.0, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 41.3 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the south and oldest in the northwest.
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 Surry County
| Period | Surry County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.0% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.2% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.2% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in Surry County (12.2%), close to the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 2.1 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 Surry County
Renters in Surry County
| Period | Surry County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.7% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.0% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.5% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.6% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a quarter of households in Surry County rent their homes (26.6%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 50.6% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has edged up 0.9 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Surry County
| Period | Surry County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.8% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.8% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.0% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Surry County: 12.0% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. 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 Surry County
| Period | Surry County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Surry County are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1979, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in North Carolina overall, where the median home dates to 1990. The median year built has moved up from 1975 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the west, the oldest in the north.
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 Surry County
| Period | Surry County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $554 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $628 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $650 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $760 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$206 | +$528 | +$606 |
The median renter in Surry County pays $760 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $206 a month from 2006–10, a 37% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 27.3% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the east and lowest in the west.
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 Surry County
Bachelor's degrees in Surry County
| Period | Surry County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.9% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.3% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.1% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.3% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Surry County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 20.3%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 5.3 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast 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 Surry County
| Period | Surry County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 74.4% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 76.1% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 79.7% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.8% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.4 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Surry County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 9.4 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Surry County has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of North Carolina counties.
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 Surry County
| Period | Surry County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.3% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.1% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.2 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Surry County runs below the national rate: 4.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 4.2 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).
Surry County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surry County | 2.37 | 44.0 | 12.2% | 26.6% | 12.0% | 1979 | $760 | 20.3% | 83.8% | 4.1% |
| Stokes County | 2.33 | 47.5 | 7.9% | 20.8% | 9.6% | 1984 | $812 | 18.2% | 91.6% | 3.2% |
| Alleghany County | 2.15 | 51.2 | 4.0% | 25.6% | 29.5% | 1980 | $721 | 22.2% | 83.7% | 4.1% |
| Ashe County | 2.20 | 49.6 | 9.0% | 20.6% | 27.3% | 1983 | $894 | 27.0% | 89.1% | 4.5% |
| Rockingham County | 2.36 | 44.3 | 12.0% | 27.9% | 11.1% | 1978 | $836 | 17.6% | 85.6% | 6.1% |
| Johnson County | 2.33 | 46.2 | 14.4% | 22.5% | 16.3% | 1982 | $741 | 17.4% | 83.0% | 3.8% |
| Danville City | 2.18 | 40.8 | 16.1% | 52.2% | 14.2% | 1962 | $861 | 19.3% | 86.8% | 5.5% |
| Caswell County | 2.42 | 45.9 | 12.2% | 24.8% | 15.2% | 1982 | $719 | 18.3% | 84.6% | 5.1% |
| Carter County | 2.30 | 45.0 | 11.0% | 24.8% | 13.3% | 1976 | $755 | 21.1% | 89.9% | 6.1% |
| Person County | 2.49 | 43.3 | 12.5% | 22.7% | 12.4% | 1983 | $982 | 19.0% | 88.8% | 5.6% |
| Sullivan County | 2.34 | 44.8 | 10.9% | 27.9% | 10.3% | 1976 | $911 | 27.3% | 90.2% | 5.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Walker County, AL · Clearfield County, PA · Clinton County, MI · Clinton County, NY · Grand Forks County, ND · Grays Harbor County, WA · Hancock County, IN · Hancock County, OH · Sullivan County, NY · Trujillo Alto Municipio, PR
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 Surry County. 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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