Nash County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Nash 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.
-
C
Health Below average
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Nash County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 96,212 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 177.1 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.24% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.5 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 38,797 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Nash County grew by 3.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 96,212 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Nash County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.1% of residents. That is 1.5 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 19,209 20.0% -1.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 19,250 20.0% -1.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 21,236 22.1% +1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 17,337 18.0% +1.0 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 52.2% of the people living in Nash County and men 47.8%.
- Women 52.2% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 47.8% North Carolina 48.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Nash County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Nash County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Nash County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,380 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.94% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Nash County is about 11% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Nash County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $182,462 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $952 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 63.6% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Nash County is about 16.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $952 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Nash County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 171 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Nash County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.5 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.1 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 171 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,308 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.6% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,473 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,103 | 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 Nash County is 21 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
Nash County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Nash County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.8% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.43 | 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
Nash County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Nash County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.4 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.4% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.8% | 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).
Nash County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Nash County, NC is the largest of the 5 counties compared here, 96,212 residents against a local median of 61,578. Nash County, NC's median household income, at $64,380, runs 20% above the $53,869 typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread $28,897 on median household income, so Nash County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Nash County, NC has the 2nd highest median household income of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nash County, NC | 96,212 | $64,380 #2/5 | $182,462 #3/5 | 20.5 min #3/5 |
| Wilson County, NC | 79,278 | $56,688 | $149,725 | 18.5 min |
| Franklin County, NC | 74,421 | $74,339 | $292,591 | 32.3 min |
| Edgecombe County, NC | 48,736 | $51,050 | $134,077 | 18.9 min |
| Halifax County, NC | 47,661 | $45,442 | $266,060 | 20.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Nash County, North Carolina.
What is the population of Nash County, North Carolina?
About 96,212 people live in Nash County, North Carolina, in 38,797 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 43.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Nash County, North Carolina mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Nash County, North Carolina has 177 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.0 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Nash County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 2.8 times the median household income ($182,462 against $64,380), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $952 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Nash County, North Carolina have a college degree?
20.8% of adults in Nash 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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