General Demographics
- Total Population, 2020
- 17,4711
- Population Change Estimates, 2010-20
- -4,6281
- 2020-30 Population Projection
- -2,2922
- Under 18
- 3,0991
- Age 18+
- 14,3721
- Age 65+
- 5,0941
- Median Age
- 50.33
Race / Ethnicity 1
- White
- 39.12%1
- Black/African American
- 55.23%1
- Native American
- 0.25%1
- Asian/Pacific Islander
- 0.18%1
- Hispanic
- 2.02%1
- Multi-Racial
- 2.77%1
- Other
- 0.44%1
- 1: 2020 Decennial Census
- 2: NC Office of State Budget and Management, State Demographer
- 3: 2021 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
Financial Stability
- Poverty Rate
- 20.8% below poverty level4
- Median Household Income
- $39,7644
- 4: 2021 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
Housing
- Cost-Burdened Households
- 34%5
- Total Occupied
- 7,8016
- Total Vacant
- 2,7696
- 5: NC Housing Coaltion, 2023 County Profiles
- 6: 2020 Decennial Census
Education
- High School Graduation
- 70%7
- Postsecondary Enrollment
- 43%7
- Postsecondary Completion
- 41%7
- 7: myFutureNC, 2022 County Profiles
Employment
- Total Workforce
- 7,1788
- Total Employed
- 6,7318
- Total Unemployed
- 4478
- Average Weekly Wage
- $8169
- 2021 Unemployment Rate
- 7.6%10
- Establishments Change, 2010-20
- -12.31%11
- Avg. Employment Change, 2010-20
- 12.20%11
- Labor Market Alignment
- 86%12
- Top Gap Industries
- Health Science (below bachelor's and bachelor's); Transportation, Distribution & Logistics (below bachelor's); Business Management & Administration (bachelor's)12
- Top In-Demand Jobs
- Registered Nurses; General and Operations Managers; First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers13
- 8: LAUS, 2021 (Retrieved from NC Department of Commerce D4 Data Site)
- 9: QCEW, 2021 (Retrieved from NC Department of Commerce D4 Data Site)
- 10: 2021 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
- 11: NC Department of Commerce
- 12: myFutureNC, 2022 County Profiles
- 13: myFutureNC, 2020 County Profiles
Health
- Uninsured
- 12.1%14
- Covid Cases
- 4,82915
- Covid Deaths
- 8715
- Hospital Beds per 1000 (State of NC)
- 2.0816
- Rate of Substance Use Overdose per 100 Thousand Residents
- 25.717
- Designated as a Health Professional Shortage Area
- Primary, Dental, and Mental/Behavioral Health18
- 14: 2021 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
- 15: Current as of 7/24/2022 as reported by the New York Times
- 16: KFF State Health Facts, 2020
- 17: NCDHHS Opioid and Substance Use Action Plan Data Dashboard, 2022
- 18: NCDHHS, 2022
Broadband
- Households with No Computer in the Home
- 20.2%19
- Households with an Internet Subscription
- 58.8%19
- Households without an Internet Subscription
- 41.2%19
- 19: 2021 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
Infrastructure
- Designation of Water System as Distressed (NC Gov)
- Yes (Jackson, Rich Square, Seaboard)20
**Distressed is defined as a “public water system or wastewater system operated by a local government unit exhibiting signs of failure to identify or address those financial or operating needs necessary to enable that system to become or to remain a local government unit generating sufficient revenues to adequately fund management and operations, personnel, appropriate levels of maintenance, and reinvestment that facilitate the provision of reliable water or wastewater services” per Session Law 2020-79.**
Sources- 20: State Water Infrastructure Authority; Local Government Commission, 2022
Small Business: Statewide Data
Small businesses make up 99.60% of all NC Businesses.21
45.10% of all North Carolinians are small business employees.21
Business Ownership
- Business Ownership - Women
- 44.20%21
- Business Ownership - Veterans
- 8.40%21
- Business Ownership - People of Color
- 25.50%21
Business Creation
- 2019
- 100,30022
- 2020
- 126,60022
- 2021
- 178,30022
Business Revenue
- 2019
- $125,700,00022
- 2020
- $141,400,00022
- 2021
- $159,200,00022
Employment Data
- Less Than 20 Employees
- Largest employment gains by adding 40,060 net jobs (2019)23
- 20-99 Employees
- Employ the largest share of workers23
Agriculture
- Farms
- 46,00024
- Acres of Farmland
- 8,400,00024
- Average Acreage of NC Farms
- 18324
Major Sectors
- Major Business Sectors
- Aerospace and Defense; Automotive, Truck & Heavy Machinery; Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals; Business and Financial Services; Corporate Headquarters; Energy; Food Processing and Manufacturing; Furniture; Information Technology; Plastics and Chemicals; Textiles; Tourism25
- 21: US Small Business Administration, 2021 Small Business Profile
- 22: Office of the Secretary of State, NC, 2021
- 23: US Small Business Administration, 2020 Small Business Profile
- 24: NC Agriculture Stats, NASS, USDA 2020
- 25: Department of Commerce, 2022