Stanly County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Stanly 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.
-
B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 72% of counties in North Carolina
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Stanly County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 64,639 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 159.8 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.80% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.0 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 25,233 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Stanly County grew by 9.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 64,639 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Stanly County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.1% of residents. That is 0.6 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 12,737 19.7% -2.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 12,783 19.8% -1.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 13,639 21.1% +0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 12,331 19.1% +2.1 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 50.0% of the people living in Stanly County and men 50.0%.
- Women 50.0% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 50.0% North Carolina 48.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Stanly County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Stanly County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Stanly County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,751 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.08% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Stanly County is about 16% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Stanly County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $296,127 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $861 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.5% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Stanly County is about 28.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $861 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Stanly County spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 191 hours, about 8.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Stanly County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.9 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.9 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 191 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,927 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.8% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 11,162 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,065 | 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 Stanly County is 23 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
Stanly County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Stanly County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.8% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.48 | 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
Stanly County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Stanly County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.8 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.4% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.4% | 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).
Stanly County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Stanly County, NC is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 64,639 residents against a local median of 149,851. Stanly County, NC's median home price, at $296,127, runs 30% above the $227,299 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $297,567 on median home price, so Stanly County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Stanly County, NC has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanly County, NC | 64,639 | $60,751 #4/6 | $296,127 #2/6 | 22.9 min #3/6 |
| Cabarrus County, NC | 236,149 | $88,863 | $227,299 | 25.8 min |
| Montgomery County, NC | 26,004 | $56,435 | $172,580 | 22.7 min |
| Anson County, NC | 22,289 | $48,739 | $122,368 | 27.2 min |
| Rowan County, NC | 149,851 | $65,782 | $250,144 | 22.2 min |
| Union County, NC | 250,888 | $104,427 | $419,934 | 28.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Stanly County, North Carolina.
How big is Stanly County, North Carolina by population?
About 64,639 people live in Stanly County, North Carolina, in 25,233 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 41.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Stanly County, North Carolina mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Stanly County, North Carolina has 160 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 1.8 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Stanly County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 4.9 times the median household income ($296,127 against $60,751), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $861 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Stanly County, North Carolina?
Unemployment in Stanly County, North Carolina is only 4.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Stanly County, North Carolina?
17.8% of adults in Stanly County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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