Jones County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Jones 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 averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in North Carolina
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 81% of counties in North Carolina
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 93% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Jones County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 9,300 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 19.6 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.99% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.6 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,131 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Jones County declined by 8.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 9,300 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Jones County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.0% of residents. That is 2.4 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,666 17.9% -3.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,621 17.4% -4.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,136 23.0% +2.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,119 22.8% +5.8 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 50.7% of the people living in Jones County and men 49.3%.
- Women 50.7% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 49.3% North Carolina 48.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Jones County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Jones County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Jones County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,628 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 7.39% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Jones County is about 18% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Jones County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $534,189 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $746 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.4% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Jones County is about 59.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $746 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Jones County spend about 53 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 221 hours, about 9.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Jones County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 26.5 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 53.1 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 221 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,853 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.0% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,141 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,361 | 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 Jones County is 27 minutes, longer 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
Jones County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Jones County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.0% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.23 | 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
Jones County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Jones County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.1 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.6% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.0% | 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).
Jones County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Jones County, NC is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 9,300 residents against a local median of 102,613. The measure that sets Jones County, NC apart most is median home price: $534,189, 196% above the local median of $180,242.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 26.5 min against a local median of 18.7 min, 42% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 42% above the local median it puts Jones County, NC at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $249,141 on median home price, so Jones County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Jones County, NC has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jones County, NC | 9,300 | $59,628 #3/6 | $534,189 #1/6 | 26.5 min #6/6 |
| Craven County, NC | 102,613 | $65,003 | $78,096 | 17.8 min |
| Onslow County, NC | 207,702 | $68,395 | $327,237 | 20.1 min |
| Lenoir County, NC | 54,882 | $45,135 | $142,404 | 18.7 min |
| Greene County, NC | 20,465 | $52,621 | $180,242 | 22.1 min |
| Pitt County, NC | 177,193 | $57,898 | $249,582 | 17.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Jones County, North Carolina.
What is the population of Jones County, North Carolina?
About 9,300 people live in Jones County, North Carolina, in 4,131 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 48.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
Is Jones County, North Carolina urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Jones County, North Carolina has 20 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 23% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Jones County, North Carolina an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 9.0 times the median household income ($534,189 against $59,628), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $746 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Jones County, North Carolina have a college degree?
15.0% of adults in Jones County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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