Davidson County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Davidson County, NC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Davidson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 173,005 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 305.0 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.66% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.6 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 69,875 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Davidson County grew by 10.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 173,005 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Davidson County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.4% of residents. That is 1.9 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 33,594 19.4% -2.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 34,263 19.8% -1.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 38,823 22.4% +1.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 32,942 19.0% +2.0 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below North Carolina, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.8% of the people living in Davidson County and men 49.2%.
- Women 50.8% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 49.2% North Carolina 48.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Davidson County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Davidson County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Davidson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,085 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.88% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Davidson County is about 10% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Davidson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $113,557 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $901 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.4% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Davidson County is about 10.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $901 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Davidson County spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 179 hours, about 7.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Davidson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.5 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.1 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 179 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,564 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.7% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,757 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,809 | 1,609 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
North Carolina:
Macon County (17.2 min), Watauga County (17.2 min), Dare County (17.4 min).
Slowest:
Gates County (35.9 min), Currituck County (33.9 min), Tyrrell County (33.6 min).
The average commute time in Davidson County is about the same as in North Carolina.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Davidson County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Davidson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.5% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.45 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.5), Wake County (0.4), Durham County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hyde County (0.2), Greene County (0.2), Tyrrell County (0.2).
Health
Davidson County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Davidson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.9 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.9% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.5% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.8), Wake County (0.8), Watauga County (0.8).
Lowest:
Robeson County (0.8), Lenoir County (0.8), Halifax County (0.8).
Davidson County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Davidson County, NC is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 173,005 residents against a local median of 146,354. Davidson County, NC's median home price, at $113,557, runs 55% below the $250,144 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $182,259 on median home price, so Davidson County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Davidson County, NC has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davidson County, NC | 173,005 | $65,085 #4/6 | $113,557 #6/6 | 21.5 min #2/6 |
| Forsyth County, NC | 389,752 | $67,537 | $170,209 | 20.0 min |
| Rowan County, NC | 149,851 | $65,782 | $250,144 | 22.2 min |
| Davie County, NC | 44,122 | $75,112 | $352,469 | 25.1 min |
| Randolph County, NC | 146,354 | $60,953 | $212,004 | 21.8 min |
| Stanly County, NC | 64,639 | $60,751 | $296,127 | 22.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Davidson County, North Carolina.
What is the population of Davidson County, North Carolina?
About 173,005 people live in Davidson County, North Carolina, in 69,875 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 43.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Davidson County, North Carolina mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Davidson County, North Carolina has 305 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 3.5 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Davidson County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 1.7 times the median household income ($113,557 against $65,085), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $901 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Davidson County, North Carolina?
Unemployment in Davidson County, North Carolina is only 4.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Davidson County, North Carolina?
19.5% of adults in Davidson County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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