Guilford County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Guilford 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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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 85% of counties in North Carolina
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 77% of counties in North Carolina
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 90% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Guilford County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 547,431 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 832.8 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.87% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.9 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 219,406 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Guilford County grew by 18.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 547,431 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Guilford County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 23.5% of residents. That is 1.6 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 128,520 23.5% +1.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 115,125 21.0% -0.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 110,299 20.1% -0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 86,267 15.8% -1.2 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 52.3% of the people living in Guilford County and men 47.7%.
- Women 52.3% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 47.7% North Carolina 48.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Guilford County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Guilford County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Guilford County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,970 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.91% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Guilford County is about 5% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Guilford County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $224,786 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,162 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 60.0% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Guilford County is about 16.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,162 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Guilford County spend about 38 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 157 hours, about 6.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Guilford County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.9 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.8 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 157 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,880 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.9% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 9,889 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,944 | 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 Guilford County is 19 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes 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
Guilford County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Guilford County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.8% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.38 | 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
Guilford County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Guilford County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.2 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.6% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.7% | 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).
Guilford County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Guilford County, NC is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 547,431 residents against a local median of 173,005. Where Guilford County, NC breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 32% above the local median of $170,209 at $224,786.
The counties themselves spread $182,257 on median home price, so Guilford County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Guilford County, NC has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guilford County, NC | 547,431 | $68,970 #1/6 | $224,786 #2/6 | 18.9 min #1/6 |
| Rockingham County, NC | 92,115 | $56,850 | $56,011 | 25.1 min |
| Randolph County, NC | 146,354 | $60,953 | $212,004 | 21.8 min |
| Alamance County, NC | 176,834 | $66,483 | $238,268 | 22.6 min |
| Forsyth County, NC | 389,752 | $67,537 | $170,209 | 20.0 min |
| Davidson County, NC | 173,005 | $65,085 | $113,557 | 21.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Guilford County, North Carolina.
What is the population of Guilford County, North Carolina?
About 547,431 people live in Guilford County, North Carolina, in 219,406 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 38.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
How densely populated is Guilford County, North Carolina?
Averaged over its land area, Guilford County, North Carolina has 833 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 9.6 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Guilford County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 3.3 times the median household income ($224,786 against $68,970), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,162 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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