County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Wilkes County
- What is the median household income in Wilkes County?
- The median household income in Wilkes County is $50,438 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Wilkes County?
- The poverty rate in Wilkes County is 12.4% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Wilkes County?
- $161,400 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Wilkes County?
- The median gross rent in Wilkes County is $715 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Wilkes County residents have a college degree?
- 16.7% of adults in Wilkes County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
65,983
Median Income
$50,438
Median Home Value
$161,400
Poverty Rate
12.4%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
4.9%
Median Age
45.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$6,331 (+14.4%)
Home Value:
+$35,100 (+27.8%)
Poverty Rate:
-0.4 pp (-3.1%)
Bachelor's+:
+0.9 pp (+5.7%)
Unemployment:
-0.6 pp (-10.9%)
Demographics
Total Population
65,983
Median Age
45.0
Female
50.3%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 7.3%
White (non-Hisp.) 86.1%
Black 3.7%
Asian 0.6%
Two or More 5.4%
Other 2.7%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Korean
0.3%
Chinese
0.2%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
3.6%
Puerto Rican
0.7%
Cuban
0.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$50,438
±$3,044
-$19,466 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$68,239
Median Family Income
$62,018
Poverty Rate
12.4%
+3.0 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
22.8%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
14.7%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
22.9%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
4.5%
$10–15k
5.4%
$15–25k
10.0%
$25–35k
11.3%
$35–50k
18.4%
$50–75k
16.7%
$75–100k
13.7%
$100–150k
14.0%
$150–200k
4.3%
$200k+
1.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
31,744
Owner-Occupied
73.9%
Renter-Occupied
26.1%
Vacancy Rate
15.0%
Median Home Value
$161,400
-$98,000 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$715
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
15.9%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
33.9%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
11.1%
$50–100k
14.1%
$100–200k
21.2%
$200–300k
19.2%
$300–500k
11.4%
$500k–$1M
5.1%
$1M+
0.4%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
17.1%
$500–1k
63.8%
$1–1.5k
14.7%
$1.5–2k
2.3%
$2–2.5k
2.0%
$3.5k+
0.1%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
5.9%
1 vehicle
27.2%
2 vehicles
34.8%
3+
32.1%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
68.0%
Single-fam. att.
0.2%
2–4 units
2.0%
5–19 units
1.4%
20+ units
1.8%
Mobile home
23.5%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
6.5%
1940–1969
4.9%
1970–1999
18.2%
2000–2009
11.0%
2010+
4.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
81.9%
Bachelor's or Higher
16.7%
-18.0 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
5.1%
Some College / Associate
21.1%
Less Than High School
5.6%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
55.9%
Unemployment Rate
4.9%
+0.1 pp vs. state
Work from Home
8.1%
Self-Employed
7.2%
Government Workers
13.6%
Private For-Profit
78.8%
Industry
Edu/Health
21.4%
Manufacturing
16.9%
Retail
14.2%
Construction
8.1%
Arts/Entmt.
7.4%
Transportation
7.0%
Prof. Services
6.6%
Public Admin
3.6%
Finance
2.6%
Agriculture
2.2%
Wholesale
2.1%
Information
1.4%
Occupation
Management
28.6%
Production
23.7%
Food Prep
19.0%
Sales
18.2%
Construction
10.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
26.8 min
Drove Alone
81.1%
Carpool
9.2%
Public Transit
0.2%
Work from Home
8.1%
Walked
1.1%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
26,975
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
50.8%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
17.0%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
5.0%
5–9
5.2%
10–14
6.0%
15–19
5.8%
20–24
5.7%
25–34
11.1%
35–44
10.8%
45–54
13.1%
55–64
7.6%
65–74
6.9%
75–84
13.1%
85+
6.5%
Under 18: 20.0%
Working age (18–64): 80.0%
65 and over: 22.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
3.3%
Naturalized Citizen
28.1%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
2.7%
Foreign-Born Origin
Latin America
68.3%
Asia
19.7%
Europe
9.6%
Africa
1.9%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
6.4%
With a Disability
18.2%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
88.6%
Uninsured
11.4%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
86.4%
Has a Computer
89.7%
Same House 1 Year Ago
94.5%
Moved from Abroad
0.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Wilkes County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Wilkes County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Other flows - South | 222 | 382 |
| Surry County | 106 | 231 |
| Yadkin County | 62 | 119 |
| Other flows - West | 54 | 97 |
| Iredell County | 48 | 83 |
| Forsyth County | 46 | 82 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 39 | 83 |
| Ashe County | 38 | 70 |
| Mecklenburg County | 38 | 62 |
| Watauga County | 37 | 69 |