Population 11,460 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Wilkesboro
Household size in Wilkesboro
| Period | Wilkesboro | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.30 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.33 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.27 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.41 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.11 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Wilkesboro run small, averaging 2.41 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has climbed from 2.30 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
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 Wilkesboro
| Period | Wilkesboro | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.4 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.8 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.9 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.3 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.9 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 45.3, Wilkesboro 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 43.4, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the south.
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 Wilkesboro
| Period | Wilkesboro | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.5% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.5% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.0% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.4 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in Wilkesboro (12.0%), close to the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 3.4 points from 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 Wilkesboro
Renters in Wilkesboro
| Period | Wilkesboro | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.4% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.1% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.4% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 33.2% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a third of households in Wilkesboro rent their homes (33.2%), close to the national share of 34.8%. More than four in ten owners (44.7%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the southeast. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 3.8 points, in line with the national trend.
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 Wilkesboro
| Period | Wilkesboro | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.4% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.1% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.2% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.5% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in Wilkesboro than nationally: 12.5%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. North Carolina as a whole looks much the same.
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 Wilkesboro
| Period | Wilkesboro | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +0 | +7 | +6 |
The typical home in Wilkesboro was built around 1979, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in North Carolina as a whole, where the median home dates to 1990. The newest homes are mostly in the south, the oldest in the center.
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 Wilkesboro
| Period | Wilkesboro | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $524 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $641 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $651 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $769 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$245 | +$528 | +$606 |
The median renter in Wilkesboro pays $769 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $245 a month since 2006–10, up 47%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 31.6% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the southeast and lowest in the northwest.
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 Wilkesboro
Bachelor's degrees in Wilkesboro
| Period | Wilkesboro | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.1% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.3% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.4% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.7% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Wilkesboro have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 20.7%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has edged up 0.6 points, a smaller shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the northeast.
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 Wilkesboro
| Period | Wilkesboro | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 75.1% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 76.1% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 82.7% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 82.7% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.6 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Wilkesboro never finished high school, well above the national share: only 82.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 7.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people, only 29 have a lower share of high school graduates.
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 Wilkesboro
| Period | Wilkesboro | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.3% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.9% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.6% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.1% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.2 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Wilkesboro has been low: just 3.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 5.2 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).
Wilkesboro 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilkesboro | 2.41 | 45.3 | 12.0% | 33.2% | 12.5% | 1979 | $769 | 20.7% | 82.7% | 3.1% |
| Cricket | 2.42 | 35.9 | 9.5% | 48.4% | 7.2% | 1979 | $645 | 28.7% | 79.0% | 5.6% |
| Moravian Falls | 2.48 | 47.2 | 11.0% | 23.2% | 23.1% | 1983 | $740 | 26.2% | 89.0% | 2.6% |
| North Wilkesboro | 2.41 | 42.4 | 14.2% | 31.8% | 12.3% | 1976 | $730 | 17.3% | 80.0% | 7.4% |
| Millers Creek | 2.47 | 46.2 | 11.6% | 23.2% | 17.2% | 1978 | $763 | 12.5% | 84.3% | 6.8% |
| Purlear | 2.49 | 48.8 | 9.1% | 16.6% | 21.7% | 1982 | $624 | 18.2% | 83.0% | 8.3% |
| Hays | 2.37 | 46.7 | 9.4% | 18.1% | 14.7% | 1986 | $680 | 10.7% | 80.4% | 3.3% |
| Boomer | 2.63 | 46.9 | 17.4% | 19.0% | 25.1% | 1978 | $786 | 7.4% | 81.9% | 3.3% |
| Wilbar | 2.29 | 55.9 | 12.3% | 14.6% | 31.0% | 1989 | $685 | 13.7% | 83.3% | 3.1% |
| Windy Gap | 2.51 | 46.4 | 11.1% | 18.6% | 10.2% | 1978 | $943 | 21.5% | 78.3% | 3.6% |
| McGrady | 2.30 | 56.1 | 15.1% | 25.5% | 11.2% | 1984 | $603 | 9.9% | 81.4% | 4.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Monticello, AR · Miller Place, NY · Millersville, PA · Milton-Freewater, OR · Milton, PA · Mims, FL · Mineola, TX · Mohnton, PA · Monett, MO · Monmouth, IL
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 Wilkesboro. 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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