Robeson County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Robeson 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 averageLeast healthy county in North Carolina
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D
Income Well below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in North Carolina
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 94% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Robeson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 116,854 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 123.1 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.69% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.5 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 43,082 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Robeson County declined by 8.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 116,854 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Robeson County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.6% of residents. That is 0.7 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 26,386 22.6% +0.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 22,745 19.5% -1.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 23,133 19.8% -0.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 19,721 16.9% -0.1 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 51.9% of the people living in Robeson County and men 48.1%.
- Women 51.9% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 48.1% North Carolina 48.9%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Robeson County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Robeson County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Robeson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $42,419 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.85% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Robeson County is about 41% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Robeson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $94,967 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $805 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.8% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Robeson County is about 9.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $805 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Robeson County spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 179 hours, about 7.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Robeson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.4 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.9 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 179 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,536 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.2% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,347 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 931 | 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 Robeson 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
Robeson County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Robeson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.9% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.63 | 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
Robeson County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Robeson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.3 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 23.4% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 27.5% | 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).
Robeson County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Robeson County, NC is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 116,854 residents against a local median of 33,590. Where Robeson County, NC breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 18% below the local median of $116,419 at $94,967.
The counties themselves spread $139,907 on median home price, so Robeson County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Robeson County, NC has the 5th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robeson County, NC | 116,854 | $42,419 #5/6 | $94,967 #5/6 | 21.4 min #4/6 |
| Dillon County, SC | 27,862 | $46,591 | $57,413 | 21.1 min |
| Hoke County, NC | 53,784 | $64,852 | $197,321 | 27.6 min |
| Scotland County, NC | 33,590 | $45,742 | $109,821 | 18.5 min |
| Cumberland County, NC | 338,542 | $61,555 | $116,419 | 18.7 min |
| Bladen County, NC | 29,571 | $41,756 | $121,527 | 23.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Robeson County, North Carolina.
How big is Robeson County, North Carolina by population?
About 116,854 people live in Robeson County, North Carolina, in 43,082 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 37.5, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Robeson County, North Carolina?
Averaged over its land area, Robeson County, North Carolina has 123 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Robeson County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($94,967 against $42,419), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $805 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Robeson County, North Carolina?
12.9% of adults in Robeson County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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