Demographics of Rowan County, North Carolina

Rowan County, North Carolina had 155,096 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate: +8,203 since July 2020. Age, income, poverty, housing and origin below come from the American Community Survey, averaged over 2020–2024, each with its margin of error.

Rowan County, in four figures

155,096
Population: July 1, 2025, Vintage 2025 estimate.; +5.6%
Change since July 2020: +8,203 people.; 40.4 ±0.4
Median age: ACS 2020–⁠2024.; $65,725 ±$2,025
Median household income: ACS 2020–⁠2024, in 2024 dollars.

Population, year by year

July 1 estimates from the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025. Each year's change is births less deaths, net moves from abroad and net moves from elsewhere in the country, with the Bureau's small residual. The 2020 row's components run 3 months, from the April census to July 1.

Rowan County, North Carolina's population grew 5.6% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally

The July 1 estimate of Rowan County, North Carolina's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).

U.S. Census Bureau — Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change

About this chart

The figures

Rowan County, North Carolina's population grew 5.6% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally. The July 1 estimate of Rowan County, North Carolina's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).
July 1	Population	Index	United States
2020	146,893	100.0	100.0
2021	147,701	100.6	100.2
2022	149,498	101.8	100.7
2023	151,833	103.4	101.6
2024	153,713	104.6	102.5
2025	155,096	105.6	103.1

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Population of Rowan County, North Carolina on July 1 of each year, Vintage 2025
July 1	Population	Change	Births less deaths	From abroad	From elsewhere in the country
2020	146,893	+10	−60	+2	+33
2021	147,701	+808	−556	+59	+1,250
2022	149,498	+1,797	−564	+312	+2,001
2023	151,833	+2,335	−279	+401	+2,194
2024	153,713	+1,880	−223	+735	+1,362
2025	155,096	+1,383	−216	+390	+1,211

Age, 2020–2024

The median age is 40.4 ±0.4: for men 39.1 ±0.5 and for women 41.5 ±0.4. Shares are of everyone the survey counts, in the Bureau’s sex-by-age table (B01001).

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People in Rowan County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Under 5	8,444 ±143	5.6% ±0.1	5.6% ±<0.1	5.6% ±<0.1
5 to 17	24,784 ±1,011	16.5% ±0.7	16.1% ±0.1	16.3% ±<0.1
18 to 24	13,068 ±781	8.7% ±0.5	9.5% ±0.1	9.1% ±<0.1
25 to 44	37,039 ±998	24.7% ±0.7	26.2% ±0.1	26.9% ±<0.1
45 to 64	39,947 ±938	26.7% ±0.6	25.4% ±0.1	24.8% ±<0.1
65 and over	26,593 ±1,065	17.7% ±0.7	17.2% ±0.1	17.2% ±<0.1

Income and poverty, 2020–2024

Median household income is $65,725 ±$2,025, and income per person $33,667 ±$1,107, in 2024 dollars. The median is $72,388 ±$324 in North Carolina and $80,734 ±$166 in the United States.

Households by income

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Households in Rowan County by income, ACS 2020–2024
Household income	Households	Share	North Carolina	United States
Under $25,000	10,375 ±1,020	17.6% ±1.7	15.8% ±0.2	14.6% ±<0.1
$25,000 to $49,999	11,744 ±988	19.9% ±1.7	19.1% ±0.2	16.7% ±<0.1
$50,000 to $74,999	11,623 ±916	19.7% ±1.5	16.8% ±0.2	15.5% ±<0.1
$75,000 to $99,999	7,644 ±673	13.0% ±1.1	13.0% ±0.1	12.6% ±<0.1
$100,000 to $149,999	9,613 ±820	16.3% ±1.4	16.6% ±0.2	17.5% ±<0.1
$150,000 to $199,999	4,069 ±485	6.9% ±0.8	8.3% ±0.1	9.6% ±<0.1
$200,000 or more	3,831 ±593	6.5% ±1.0	10.4% ±0.1	13.4% ±0.1

Poverty by age

The poverty rate is the share of people whose family income is below the federal threshold for their family’s size, of everyone for whom the Bureau determines it (B17020).

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Poverty rate in Rowan County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	Below poverty	Rate	North Carolina	United States
All ages	23,353 ±2,462	16.0% ±1.7	13.0% ±0.2	12.5% ±0.1
Under 18	7,640 ±1,005	23.3% ±2.8	17.7% ±0.3	16.1% ±0.1
18 to 59	11,684 ±1,303	15.1% ±1.6	12.1% ±0.2	11.6% ±0.1
60 and over	4,029 ±587	11.3% ±1.6	10.9% ±0.2	11.0% ±<0.1

Housing, 2020–2024

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Housing in Rowan County, ACS 2020–2024
Measure	Rowan County	North Carolina	United States
Housing units	64,975 ±53	4,895,668 ±642	143,775,355 ±10,234
Occupied	90.6% ±1.1	87.5% ±0.2	89.9% ±0.1
Vacant	9.4% ±1.1	12.5% ±0.2	10.1% ±0.1
Owner occupied	72.3% ±1.6	66.6% ±0.3	65.2% ±0.3
Renter occupied	27.7% ±1.8	33.4% ±0.2	34.8% ±0.1
Median home value	$238,400 ±$7,874	$288,900 ±$1,086	$332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent	$1,013 ±$35	$1,228 ±$5	$1,413 ±$2
Median year built	1983 ±2	1991 ±1	1980 ±1

Occupied and vacant are shares of all housing units; owner and renter occupied are shares of occupied units. Value and rent are medians in 2024 dollars.

Origin and place of birth, 2020–2024

Hispanic or Latino origin is not a race in the Census Bureau’s tables. Here the people of Hispanic origin, of any race, are one row, and everyone else is counted by race alone (B03002), so the rows add to the whole.

Hispanic origin and race

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People in Rowan County by Hispanic origin and race, ACS 2020–2024
Origin	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Hispanic or Latino	17,788 ±0	11.9% ±<0.1	11.3% ±<0.1	19.3% ±<0.1
White alone, not Hispanic	101,687 ±650	67.8% ±0.4	60.0% ±<0.1	57.4% ±<0.1
Black alone, not Hispanic	23,231 ±622	15.5% ±0.4	20.0% ±0.1	11.9% ±<0.1
Asian alone, not Hispanic	1,200 ±204	0.8% ±0.1	3.3% ±<0.1	5.9% ±<0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	49 to 185	< 0.1% to 0.1%	0.8% ±<0.1	0.5% ±<0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0 to 199	0% to 0.1%	0.1% ±<0.1	0.2% ±<0.1
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	108 to 470	0.1% to 0.3%	0.5% ±<0.1	0.6% ±<0.1
Two or more races, not Hispanic	5,481 ±930	3.7% ±0.6	4.1% ±0.1	4.3% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Place of birth and citizenship

“Born a citizen outside the states” counts people born in Puerto Rico, the island areas, or abroad to American parents. Naturalized citizens and those who are not citizens together make up the people born abroad (B05002).

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People in Rowan County by place of birth and citizenship, ACS 2020–2024
Born	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Born in the state	95,374 ±2,172	63.6% ±1.4	53.6% ±0.2	57.3% ±<0.1
Born in another state	43,880 ±2,155	29.3% ±1.4	35.9% ±0.2	26.9% ±<0.1
Born a citizen outside the states	1,243 ±330	0.8% ±0.2	1.4% ±<0.1	1.7% ±<0.1
Born abroad	9,378 ±887	6.3% ±0.6	9.1% ±0.1	14.1% ±<0.1
Naturalized citizens	2,800 ±713	1.9% ±0.5	3.8% ±0.1	7.4% ±<0.1
Not citizens	6,578 ±950	4.4% ±0.6	5.2% ±0.1	6.8% ±<0.1

Rowan County among the counties of North Carolina

20th of 100 by population, July 2025. Every one is listed on the North Carolina page.

Counties of North Carolina near Rowan County in population, July 2025
County	July 2025	Change since 2020
Alamance County	186,177	+8.5%
Pitt County	182,936	+5.4%
Davidson County	180,182	+6.6%
Brunswick County	174,702	+26.5%
Catawba County	170,172	+5.8%
Rowan County	155,096	+5.6%
Orange County	152,498	+6.1%
Harnett County	150,137	+12.3%
Randolph County	149,516	+3.5%
Henderson County	122,375	+5.0%
Wayne County	122,278	+3.8%

Elsewhere on the site

Sources

Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change — U.S. Census Bureau · U.S. Government work · retrieved September 25, 2026
American Community Survey 5-year estimates — table-based Summary File · U.S. Government work

Data retrieved September 25, 2026