Population 79,290 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Wilson County
Household size in Wilson County
| Period | Wilson County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.46 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.49 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.51 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.40 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Wilson County are small: just 2.40 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 2.46, mirroring the country.
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 Wilson County
| Period | Wilson County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.3 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.1 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.2 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.5 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.3 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Wilson County are younger than 41.5 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 39.3 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the west, the oldest in the north.
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 Wilson County
| Period | Wilson County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.1% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.9% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 15.8% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.5% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in seven households in Wilson County (13.5%), a bit above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 1.6 points, as it has 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 Wilson County
Renters in Wilson County
| Period | Wilson County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.2% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 40.0% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.9% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 40.0% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is a bit more common in Wilson County than nationally: 40.0% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. Among owners, 43.4% have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has risen 1.7 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Of North Carolina's 100 counties, only six have a higher share of renters.
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 Wilson County
| Period | Wilson County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.1% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.3% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Wilson County than nationally: 11.3%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy has edged up 1.5 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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 Wilson County
| Period | Wilson County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1981 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1981 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1986 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +7 | +6 |
The housing in Wilson County is a little younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1986, against 1980 nationally. Still, homes here are older than in North Carolina as a whole, where the median home dates to 1990. The median year built has moved up from 1981 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the west, 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 Wilson County
| Period | Wilson County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $727 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $749 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $785 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $988 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$261 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Wilson County runs $988 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $261 a month from 2006–10, a 36% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 29.0% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the north; the most affordable are in the southwest.
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 Wilson County
Bachelor's degrees in Wilson County
| Period | Wilson County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.0% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.2% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.8% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.3% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Wilson County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 21.3%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 3.3 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the east.
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 Wilson County
| Period | Wilson County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.9% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 78.9% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 80.1% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.0% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.1 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in seven adults in Wilson County never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 7.1 points, as it has 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 Wilson County
| Period | Wilson County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.1% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.1% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.0% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.8% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.2 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Wilson County is close to the national rate: 5.8% of the labor force, against 5.4%. The rate is higher than in North Carolina as a whole (4.8%). Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 5.2 points, mirroring the country.
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).
Wilson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson County | 2.40 | 41.5 | 13.5% | 40.0% | 11.3% | 1986 | $988 | 21.3% | 85.0% | 5.8% |
| Wake County | 2.62 | 38.3 | 9.1% | 35.9% | 7.7% | 1999 | $1,758 | 57.6% | 94.0% | 4.1% |
| Martin County | 2.30 | 45.5 | 11.6% | 33.2% | 13.6% | 1978 | $770 | 16.9% | 85.1% | 5.7% |
| Chatham County | 2.48 | 47.2 | 7.5% | 19.4% | 8.3% | 1997 | $1,436 | 49.9% | 91.0% | 3.1% |
| Washington County | 2.32 | 50.8 | 22.9% | 32.0% | 19.5% | 1975 | $772 | 13.2% | 85.4% | 15.6% |
| Tyrrell County | 1.95 | 48.2 | 10.5% | 22.2% | 30.4% | 1974 | $762 | 14.8% | 83.8% | 3.2% |
| Randolph County | 2.58 | 41.3 | 11.2% | 27.5% | 9.4% | 1985 | $915 | 17.9% | 84.3% | 3.4% |
| Davidson County | 2.49 | 42.7 | 11.7% | 25.6% | 9.5% | 1985 | $980 | 21.5% | 88.4% | 4.3% |
| Rowan County | 2.52 | 41.4 | 12.7% | 27.7% | 9.9% | 1981 | $1,054 | 23.0% | 89.0% | 5.2% |
| Iredell County | 2.62 | 40.9 | 10.5% | 28.1% | 9.3% | 1994 | $1,373 | 35.2% | 91.8% | 4.2% |
| Alexander County | 2.48 | 45.1 | 10.7% | 19.3% | 14.4% | 1985 | $774 | 16.9% | 85.7% | 4.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Buchanan County, MO · Cullman County, AL · Dougherty County, GA · Elmore County, AL · Crawford County, PA · Umatilla County, OR · Cape Girardeau County, MO · Caldwell County, NC · Burke County, NC · Bulloch County, GA
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 Wilson 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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