Wilson County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wilson 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 89% of counties in North Carolina
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Wilson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 79,278 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 212.3 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.35% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.1 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 33,057 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wilson County grew by 3.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 79,278 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wilson County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.8% of residents. That is 0.3 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 16,353 20.6% -1.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 15,232 19.2% -2.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 16,489 20.8% +0.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 15,175 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 52.6% of the people living in Wilson County and men 47.4%.
- Women 52.6% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 47.4% North Carolina 48.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Wilson County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Wilson County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Wilson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,688 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.39% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wilson County is about 22% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Wilson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $149,725 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $952 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 60.0% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Wilson County is about 13.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $952 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Wilson County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 154 hours, about 6.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wilson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.5 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.9 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 154 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,769 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.7% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,419 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,002 | 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 Wilson County is 18 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
Wilson County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Wilson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.6% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.35 | 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
Wilson County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Wilson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.3 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.2% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.0% | 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).
Wilson County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Wilson County, NC is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 79,278 residents against a local median of 96,212. The measure that sets Wilson County, NC apart most is median home price: $149,725, 17% below the local median of $180,242.
The counties themselves spread $209,148 on median home price, so Wilson County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Wilson County, NC has the 4th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson County, NC | 79,278 | $56,688 #4/6 | $149,725 #4/6 | 18.5 min #1/6 |
| Nash County, NC | 96,212 | $64,380 | $182,462 | 20.5 min |
| Greene County, NC | 20,465 | $52,621 | $180,242 | 22.1 min |
| Wayne County, NC | 118,630 | $59,780 | $34,399 | 18.5 min |
| Edgecombe County, NC | 48,736 | $51,050 | $134,077 | 18.9 min |
| Johnston County, NC | 234,262 | $84,644 | $243,547 | 31.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wilson County, North Carolina.
What is the population of Wilson County, North Carolina?
About 79,278 people live in Wilson County, North Carolina, in 33,057 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 41.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Wilson County, North Carolina urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Wilson County, North Carolina has 212 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.5 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Wilson County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 2.6 times the median household income ($149,725 against $56,688), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $952 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Wilson County, North Carolina?
19.6% of adults in Wilson County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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