Greene County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Greene 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.
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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 80% of counties in North Carolina
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 92% of counties in North Carolina
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 3 least educated counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Greene County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,465 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 76.5 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.44% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.7 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,904 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Greene County declined by 0.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 20,465 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Greene County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 23.6% of residents. That is 2.2 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,112 20.1% -1.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,833 23.6% +2.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,332 21.2% +0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,559 17.4% +0.4 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 44.0% of the people living in Greene County and men 56.0%.
- Women 44.0% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 56.0% North Carolina 48.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Greene County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Greene County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Greene County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,621 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.03% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Greene County is about 27% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Greene County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $180,242 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $852 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.5% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Greene County is about 17.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $852 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Greene County spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 184 hours, about 7.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Greene County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.1 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.1 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 184 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,697 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.9% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,770 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,068 | 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 Greene 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
Greene County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Greene County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.4% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.59 | 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
Greene County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Greene County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.1 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.7% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.9% | 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).
Greene County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Greene County, NC is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 20,465 residents against a local median of 79,278. The measure that sets Greene County, NC apart most is median home price: $180,242, 27% above the local median of $142,404.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 22.1 min against a local median of 18.5 min, 19% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 19% above the local median it puts Greene County, NC at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $215,183 on median home price, so Greene County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Greene County, NC has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greene County, NC | 20,465 | $52,621 #4/6 | $180,242 #2/6 | 22.1 min #6/6 |
| Lenoir County, NC | 54,882 | $45,135 | $142,404 | 18.7 min |
| Pitt County, NC | 177,193 | $57,898 | $249,582 | 17.5 min |
| Wilson County, NC | 79,278 | $56,688 | $149,725 | 18.5 min |
| Wayne County, NC | 118,630 | $59,780 | $34,399 | 18.5 min |
| Edgecombe County, NC | 48,736 | $51,050 | $134,077 | 18.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Greene County, North Carolina.
How many people live in Greene County, North Carolina?
About 20,465 people live in Greene County, North Carolina, in 6,904 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 38.7, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Greene County, North Carolina?
Averaged over its land area, Greene County, North Carolina has 77 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Greene County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 3.4 times the median household income ($180,242 against $52,621), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $852 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Greene County, North Carolina have a college degree?
10.4% of adults in Greene County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 10), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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