Sampson County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Sampson 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 averageLess healthy than 85% of counties in North Carolina
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 91% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Sampson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 59,467 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 62.7 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.84% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.4 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 21,606 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Sampson County declined by 5.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 59,467 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Sampson County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.6% of residents. That is about the same share as North Carolina.
- Gen Z 13–28 12,224 20.6% -1.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 11,577 19.5% -1.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 12,252 20.6% on par
- Boomers 61–79 10,818 18.2% +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 50.2% of the people living in Sampson County and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 49.8% North Carolina 48.9%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Sampson County
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Economy
Sampson County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Sampson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,596 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.68% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Sampson County is about 27% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Sampson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $187,677 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $834 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.8% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Sampson County is about 18.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $834 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Sampson County spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 187 hours, about 7.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Sampson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.5 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.0 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 187 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,812 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.9% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,218 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 847 | 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 Sampson County is about the same as 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
Sampson County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Sampson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.9% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.69 | 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
Sampson County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Sampson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.7 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.7% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.9% | 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).
Sampson County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Sampson County, NC is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 59,467 residents against a local median of 118,630. The measure that sets Sampson County, NC apart most is median home price: $187,677, 61% above the local median of $116,419.
The counties themselves spread $209,148 on median home price, so Sampson County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Sampson County, NC has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sampson County, NC | 59,467 | $52,596 #5/6 | $187,677 #2/6 | 22.5 min #3/6 |
| Bladen County, NC | 29,571 | $41,756 | $121,527 | 23.7 min |
| Duplin County, NC | 49,292 | $55,498 | $96,951 | 23.0 min |
| Cumberland County, NC | 338,542 | $61,555 | $116,419 | 18.7 min |
| Wayne County, NC | 118,630 | $59,780 | $34,399 | 18.5 min |
| Johnston County, NC | 234,262 | $84,644 | $243,547 | 31.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Sampson County, North Carolina.
How many people live in Sampson County, North Carolina?
About 59,467 people live in Sampson County, North Carolina, in 21,606 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 38.4, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Sampson County, North Carolina?
Averaged over its land area, Sampson County, North Carolina has 63 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Sampson County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 3.6 times the median household income ($187,677 against $52,596), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $834 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Sampson County, North Carolina?
13.9% of adults in Sampson 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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