Pender County, North Carolina Income Statistics
Pender County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
-
C
Pender County Below averageWealthier than 84% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Pender County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $80,638 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $57,374 | $54,489 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 7.2% | 5.2% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 13.0% | 11.9% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 9.0% | 10.4% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Pender County is about 11% higher than in North Carolina. Income has been growing faster in Pender County (7.2%/yr) than in North Carolina (5.2%/yr).
About 13% of adults in Pender County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, higher than the North Carolina average of 12%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Pender County, North Carolina grew by 86.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $80,638 in 2024. That's an average of about 7.2% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Pender County
| Metric | Pender County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.549 | 0.547 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $74,219 | $63,136 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $52,293 | $52,579 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 29.5% | 16.7% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Pender County, it is 0.549, about the same as North Carolina's 0.547, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there, and about the same as the US's 0.552, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there.
Men's income is about 42% more than women's income in Pender County, North Carolina. Over a 35-year career, a 42% wage gap accumulates to roughly $767,410 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
The income gap between men and women in Pender County, North Carolina has stayed about the same since 2009, at around 30%. Over that period the gap was widest at 31% in 2010, and was narrowest at 18% in 2019. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $9,434 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Pender County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 4.7% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 13.2% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 30 | 21 | 22 |
Approximately 1,518 people are unemployed in Pender County, North Carolina.
The average commute time in Pender County is 30 minutes, longer than the 21 minutes in North Carolina.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Pender County, North Carolina has fallen from 8.0% to 4.7% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 10.8% in 2013.
Pender County, NC Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Pender County, NC is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 65,530 residents against a local median of 152,554. Pender County, NC's income growth, at 7.2%/yr, runs 47% above the 4.9%/yr typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $80,638 against a local median of $68,395, 18% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so Pender County, NC is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The counties themselves sit within 1.1%/yr of each other on income growth, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Pender County, NC, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Pender County, NC has the highest income growth of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pender County, NC | 65,530 | $80,638 #1/6 | 7.2%/yr #1/6 | 4.7% #4/6 | 0.549 #6/6 |
| New Hanover County, NC | 235,214 | $75,172 | 4.9%/yr | 4.5% | 0.536 |
| Duplin County, NC | 49,292 | $55,498 | 5.8%/yr | 5.3% | 0.515 |
| Onslow County, NC | 207,702 | $68,395 | 4.9%/yr | 3.5% | 0.513 |
| Brunswick County, NC | 152,554 | $77,075 | 5.8%/yr | 4.6% | 0.512 |
| Sampson County, NC | 59,467 | $52,596 | 4.7%/yr | 5.2% | 0.538 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Pender County, North Carolina has an overall wealth index grade of C, making it somewhat better than North Carolina, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Pender County, North Carolina.
How Rich Is Pender County, North Carolina?
Pender County has a wealth index grade of C. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a C grade means residents are close to the U.S. average. The median household income is $80,638, about 11% higher than the North Carolina average of $72,438.
How fast is household income rising in Pender County, North Carolina?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Pender County, North Carolina rose 87%, from $43,222 to $80,638. Over the same years, income here outpaced North Carolina as a whole: +87% against +61%.
What was the median household income in Pender County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Pender County, North Carolina was $76,942, up 3% from $74,595 in 2022. The North Carolina median that year was $69,937.
What was the median household income in Pender County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Pender County, North Carolina was $60,061. By 2024 it had risen 34% to $80,638.
What is the Gini coefficient in Pender County, North Carolina?
The Gini coefficient in Pender County is 0.549. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is almost the same as the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed about as equally as in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Pender County, North Carolina?
The income gap between men and women in Pender County, North Carolina has stayed about the same since 2009, at around 30%. Over that period the gap was widest at 31% in 2010, and was narrowest at 18% in 2019. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $9,434 since 2009.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →