Population 127 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Williston
Household size in Williston
| Period | Williston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.30 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.23 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.23 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.68 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.62 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Williston is a place of small households, averaging 1.68 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 2.30, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Williston
| Period | Williston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 51.9 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 52.1 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 52.9 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 58.0 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.1 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Williston skews older: half of its residents are older than 58.0, 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 Williston
| Period | Williston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.3% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.3% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.9% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.7% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.5 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 5.7% of households in Williston, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Williston
Renters in Williston
| Period | Williston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.9% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.5% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 4.9% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 13.5% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Williston is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 13.5% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. About seven in ten owners (70.2%) have paid off their mortgages, 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 Williston
| Period | Williston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.7% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 43.6% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 42.7% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 48.2% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +25.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 48.2% of the housing in Williston, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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 Williston
| Period | Williston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1974 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1992 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +21 | +7 | +6 |
Williston has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1992, versus 1980 nationally. That is in line with the rest of North Carolina.
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 Williston
| Period | Williston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $658 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $715 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $663 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,108 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$450 | +$528 | +$606 |
The median renter in Williston pays $1,108 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 35.5% of household income on rent, 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 Williston
Bachelor's degrees in Williston
| Period | Williston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.8% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.1% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.2% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.0% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +17.2 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Williston than nationally: 28.0% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 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 Williston
| Period | Williston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 68.8% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.7% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.6% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.6% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +14.9 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Williston never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.6% 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 Williston
| Period | Williston | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.1% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.6% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.4% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.7% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | +9.6 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Williston runs well above the national rate: 11.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Williston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williston | 1.68 | 58.0 | 5.7% | 13.5% | 48.2% | 1992 | $1,108 | 28.0% | 83.6% | 11.7% |
| Davis | 1.98 | 56.3 | 5.7% | 24.6% | 37.3% | 1991 | $1,108 | 21.8% | 90.0% | 5.9% |
| Smyrna | 2.06 | 56.7 | 5.7% | 16.3% | 33.8% | 1989 | $1,009 | 26.4% | 94.9% | 4.4% |
| Marshallberg | 2.00 | 56.2 | 5.4% | 8.5% | 34.0% | 1988 | $942 | 30.6% | 95.9% | 5.1% |
| Stacy | 1.86 | 57.0 | 5.7% | 20.0% | 41.8% | 1992 | $1,108 | 24.4% | 87.4% | 8.4% |
| Gloucester | 2.01 | 46.4 | 8.3% | 19.4% | 24.6% | 1987 | $945 | 21.2% | 96.4% | 2.4% |
| Straits | 1.96 | 51.9 | 4.7% | 2.6% | 29.2% | 1992 | $941 | 20.7% | 98.0% | 0.0% |
| Otway | 2.15 | 55.3 | 4.9% | 30.9% | 31.3% | 1991 | $944 | 18.3% | 93.5% | 2.7% |
| Sealevel | 2.30 | 49.5 | 14.4% | 19.1% | 44.5% | 1961 | $1,034 | 22.8% | 92.6% | 1.6% |
| Harkers Island | 2.24 | 50.3 | 3.1% | 10.6% | 60.3% | 1980 | $1,119 | 18.8% | 93.1% | 0.0% |
| Bettie | 2.05 | 59.1 | 3.3% | 12.4% | 13.2% | 1993 | $766 | 20.1% | 86.0% | 4.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Excelsior, AR · Underhill Center, VT · Upham, ND · Fraser, IA · Forest Hill, WV · Five Points, OH · Fitze, TX · Ficklin, GA · Farmville, AR · Fairview, OH
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 Williston. 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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