Population 147 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Watson Crossroads
Household size in Watson Crossroads
| Period | Watson Crossroads | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.69 | 2.63 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.53 | 2.70 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.41 | 2.70 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.43 | 2.64 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.27 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Watson Crossroads run small, averaging 2.43 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has dropped from 2.69 in 2006–10, 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 Watson Crossroads
| Period | Watson Crossroads | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.4 | 35.7 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.6 | 36.7 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 32.5 | 38.1 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.3 | 38.4 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +10.9 | +2.7 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Watson Crossroads skews older: half of its residents are older than 46.3, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 Watson Crossroads
| Period | Watson Crossroads | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.6% | 10.9% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.6% | 11.5% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 23.7% | 10.7% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 9.4% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −11.4 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Watson Crossroads: 5.2% of 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 Watson Crossroads
Renters in Watson Crossroads
| Period | Watson Crossroads | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.6% | 32.1% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 44.5% | 33.7% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 35.4% | 34.3% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 33.7% | 33.4% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.9 pts | +1.3 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Watson Crossroads is about as common as it is nationally: 33.7% of households rent, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 55.7% have no mortgage at all, well 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 Watson Crossroads
| Period | Watson Crossroads | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.6% | 9.4% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.1% | 8.6% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.1% | 7.8% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.7% | 7.6% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −6.8 pts | −1.7 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Watson Crossroads than nationally: 5.7%, against 9.6% for the U.S.
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 Watson Crossroads
| Period | Watson Crossroads | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1990 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1992 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1994 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1996 | 1999 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +20 | +9 | +7 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Watson Crossroads is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1996, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The picture is much the same across the Raleigh area.
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 Watson Crossroads
| Period | Watson Crossroads | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $582 | $923 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $734 | $1,018 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $722 | $1,207 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $686 | $1,666 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$104 | +$743 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Watson Crossroads runs $686 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 43.2% 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 Watson Crossroads
Bachelor's degrees in Watson Crossroads
| Period | Watson Crossroads | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 41.7% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.2% | 43.0% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 9.7% | 47.3% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.6% | 51.6% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.4 pts | +9.8 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Watson Crossroads: 17.6% 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 Watson Crossroads
| Period | Watson Crossroads | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 69.4% | 89.9% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.4% | 90.6% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 74.5% | 92.0% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 84.6% | 93.3% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +15.1 pts | +3.4 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in seven adults in Watson Crossroads never finished high school, more than nationally: 84.6% 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 Watson Crossroads
| Period | Watson Crossroads | Raleigh area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.2% | 6.7% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.7% | 7.9% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.8% | 4.2% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.7% | 4.1% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.5 pts | −2.6 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Watson Crossroads has been low: just 2.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below 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).
Watson Crossroads 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watson Crossroads | 2.43 | 46.3 | 5.2% | 33.7% | 5.7% | 1996 | $686 | 17.6% | 84.6% | 2.7% |
| Kenly | 2.60 | 42.3 | 6.7% | 27.4% | 10.0% | 1987 | $824 | 21.4% | 85.1% | 2.3% |
| Buckhorn Crossroads | 2.59 | 42.0 | 11.3% | 17.1% | 14.6% | 1987 | $654 | 30.3% | 87.6% | 0.3% |
| Beulahtown | 2.56 | 47.2 | 3.5% | 17.7% | 9.7% | 1985 | $1,018 | 28.1% | 81.0% | 6.4% |
| Lucama | 2.70 | 39.2 | 10.6% | 31.9% | 10.1% | 1987 | $837 | 17.2% | 80.1% | 4.0% |
| Micro | 3.17 | 37.6 | 17.1% | 44.4% | 5.5% | 1992 | $1,054 | 11.3% | 74.9% | 3.0% |
| Stotts Crossroads | 2.76 | 35.7 | 3.1% | 13.6% | 7.5% | 2004 | $974 | 35.3% | 94.6% | 8.3% |
| Sims | 2.53 | 35.8 | 9.3% | 16.9% | 7.9% | 1993 | $965 | 21.2% | 89.3% | 4.4% |
| Selma | 2.79 | 38.1 | 14.6% | 33.2% | 8.6% | 1992 | $998 | 17.8% | 86.0% | 4.6% |
| Middlesex | 2.78 | 40.2 | 6.2% | 20.3% | 10.3% | 1994 | $848 | 20.2% | 85.5% | 3.6% |
| Fremont | 2.37 | 39.2 | 14.1% | 33.3% | 19.3% | 1978 | $1,016 | 17.4% | 84.7% | 3.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Rockyhock, NC · Marshall, ND · Martin Springs, TN · Marvel, CO · Marysville, IA · Mason, LA · Matson, MO · Rio en Medio, NM · Rios, TX · River Vale, IN
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 Watson Crossroads. 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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