Surry County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Surry 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
-
D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Surry County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 71,374 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 133.1 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.23% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.0 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 29,848 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Surry County declined by 1.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 71,374 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Surry County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.7% of residents. That is 1.2 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 13,358 18.7% -3.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 13,352 18.7% -2.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 15,497 21.7% +1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 14,914 20.9% +3.9 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 51.6% of the people living in Surry County and men 48.4%.
- Women 51.6% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 48.4% North Carolina 48.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Surry County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Surry County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Surry County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,025 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.04% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Surry County is about 24% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Surry County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $207,242 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $761 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.4% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Surry County is about 22.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $761 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Surry County spend about 38 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 158 hours, about 6.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Surry County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.9 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.8 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 158 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,885 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.7% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,724 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,004 | 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 Surry County is 19 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
Surry County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Surry County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.0% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.36 | 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
Surry County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Surry County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.6 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.6% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.6% | 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).
Surry County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Surry County, NC is the largest of the 4 counties compared here, 71,374 residents against a local median of 37,554. Where Surry County, NC breaks from the counties next to it is commute, sitting 27% below the local median of 25.9 min at 18.9 min. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $207,242 against a local median of $164,358, 26% above it. The counties themselves spread 7.0 min on commute, so Surry County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Surry County, NC has the lowest commute of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surry County, NC | 71,374 | $55,025 #3/4 | $207,242 #1/4 | 18.9 min #1/4 |
| Yadkin County, NC | 37,554 | $62,598 | $199,183 | 25.9 min |
| Carroll County, VA | 29,157 | $54,664 | $59,216 | 23.4 min |
| Stokes County, NC | 45,181 | $63,303 | $164,358 | 30.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Surry County, North Carolina.
How many people live in Surry County, North Carolina?
About 71,374 people live in Surry County, North Carolina, in 29,848 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 42.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Surry County, North Carolina mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Surry County, North Carolina has 133 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 1.5 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Surry County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 3.8 times the median household income ($207,242 against $55,025), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $761 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Surry County, North Carolina?
17.0% of adults in Surry 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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