Population 8,777 · 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 Valdese: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Valdese
Household size in Valdese
| Period | Valdese | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.36 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.46 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.52 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.08 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.28 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Valdese are small: just 2.08 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 dropped from 2.36, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people, only eight 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 Valdese
| Period | Valdese | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.0 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.4 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.9 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 49.0 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +8.0 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 49.0, Valdese is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 41.0, a much bigger shift than nationally. The youngest areas are in the east, the oldest in the southwest.
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 Valdese
| Period | Valdese | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.3% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.0% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.1% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Valdese than nationally: 9.1%, against 11.6%. Valdese has a lower share of single-parent households than most North Carolina cities.
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 Valdese
Renters in Valdese
| Period | Valdese | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.7% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.5% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.4% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.2% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.5 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Valdese own their homes; 25.2% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 53.8% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the east; owners are most common in the south. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged down 1.5 points, 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 Valdese
| Period | Valdese | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.3% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.6% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.1% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.1% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Valdese: 7.1% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Vacancy has fallen 3.2 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Valdese has a lower vacancy rate than the great majority of North Carolina cities.
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 Valdese
| Period | Valdese | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1972 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1975 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Valdese run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1975 against 1980. The median year built has moved up from 1971 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the north has the oldest housing. Only 17 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 Valdese
| Period | Valdese | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $545 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $527 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $611 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $799 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$254 | +$528 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Valdese costs $799 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $254 a month from 2006–10, a 47% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 24.8% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the south; the highest are in the east.
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 Valdese
Bachelor's degrees in Valdese
| Period | Valdese | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.8% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.0% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.9% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.2% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +12.4 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Nearly three in ten adults 25 and older in Valdese (28.2%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 12.4 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the southwest.
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 Valdese
| Period | Valdese | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.3% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 82.9% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.0% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.6% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +15.3 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Valdese have finished high school (92.6%), above the national rate of 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 15.3 points, a much bigger shift than 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 Valdese
| Period | Valdese | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.4% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.2% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.7% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.7% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.6 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Valdese is close to the national rate: 4.7% of the labor force, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 4.6 points, 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).
Valdese 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valdese | 2.08 | 49.0 | 9.1% | 25.2% | 7.1% | 1975 | $799 | 28.2% | 92.6% | 4.7% |
| Drexel | 2.33 | 47.2 | 10.1% | 23.1% | 10.5% | 1971 | $719 | 24.4% | 86.4% | 12.4% |
| Connelly Springs | 2.26 | 42.6 | 13.9% | 32.3% | 5.8% | 1984 | $921 | 20.4% | 88.1% | 7.5% |
| Connellys Springs | 2.40 | 43.4 | 7.6% | 22.3% | 9.0% | 1983 | $932 | 12.9% | 81.5% | 9.0% |
| Morganton | 2.38 | 44.2 | 10.6% | 27.9% | 10.8% | 1981 | $945 | 23.2% | 85.0% | 3.6% |
| Sawmills | 2.64 | 40.6 | 16.4% | 27.5% | 15.0% | 1984 | $725 | 11.0% | 82.6% | 5.6% |
| Rutherford College | 2.27 | 49.5 | 7.9% | 25.4% | 7.3% | 1977 | $1,013 | 34.2% | 92.7% | 3.7% |
| Cajahs Mountain | 2.50 | 44.3 | 14.1% | 22.3% | 14.4% | 1975 | $812 | 14.0% | 84.6% | 6.4% |
| Gamewell | 2.48 | 40.8 | 11.4% | 31.6% | 14.8% | 1979 | $835 | 12.6% | 82.6% | 4.0% |
| Rhodhiss | 2.66 | 46.6 | 10.8% | 22.7% | 5.9% | 1985 | $897 | 18.3% | 86.2% | 2.6% |
| Enola | 2.62 | 43.2 | 5.0% | 15.8% | 16.7% | 1988 | $728 | 21.5% | 84.5% | 10.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Good Hope, CA · Spencer, IN · Sparta, NJ · Southwick, MA · Southside, AL · Southport, NC · Southborough, MA · Southampton, NY · South Yarmouth, MA · South Huntington, NY
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 Valdese. 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.