Demographics of Morganton city, North Carolina

Morganton city, North Carolina had 17,849 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate: +347 since July 2020. Age, income, poverty, housing and origin below come from the survey, averaged over 2020–2024, each with its margin of error.

Morganton city, in four figures

17,849
Population: July 1, 2025, Vintage 2025 estimate. The survey’s 2020–⁠2024 figure is 17,646 ±35.; +2.0%
Change since July 2020: +347 people.; 37.8 ±3.7
Median age: ACS 2020–⁠2024.; $51,355 ±$2,582
Median household income: ACS 2020–⁠2024, in 2024 dollars.

Population, year by year

July 1 estimates from the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025. The Bureau publishes no births, deaths or migration for a place, so the change is the difference between one July estimate and the next.

Morganton city, North Carolina's population grew 2.0% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally

The July 1 estimate of Morganton city, 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).

Source: The Census Bureau

About this chart

The figures

Morganton city, North Carolina's population grew 2.0% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally. The July 1 estimate of Morganton city, 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	17,502	100.0	100.0
2021	17,423	99.5	100.2
2022	17,760	101.5	100.7
2023	17,721	101.3	101.6
2024	17,830	101.9	102.5
2025	17,849	102.0	103.1

Population of Morganton city, North Carolina on July 1 of each year, Vintage 2025
July 1	Population	Change
2020	17,502	—
2021	17,423	−79
2022	17,760	+337
2023	17,721	−39
2024	17,830	+109
2025	17,849	+19

Age, 2020–2024

The median age is 37.8 ±3.7: for men 34.5 ±5.1 and for women 40.9 ±4.9. Shares are of everyone the survey counts, in the Bureau’s sex-by-age table (B01001).

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People in Morganton city by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Under 5	1,384 ±389	7.8% ±2.2	5.6% ±<0.1	5.6% ±<0.1
5 to 17	2,916 ±396	16.5% ±2.2	16.1% ±0.1	16.3% ±<0.1
18 to 24	1,377 ±349	7.8% ±2.0	9.5% ±0.1	9.1% ±<0.1
25 to 44	4,529 ±584	25.7% ±3.3	26.2% ±0.1	26.9% ±<0.1
45 to 64	3,566 ±490	20.2% ±2.8	25.4% ±0.1	24.8% ±<0.1
65 and over	3,874 ±463	22.0% ±2.6	17.2% ±0.1	17.2% ±<0.1

Income and poverty, 2020–2024

Median household income is $51,355 ±$2,582, and income per person $29,317 ±$2,919, 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 Morganton city by income, ACS 2020–2024
Household income	Households	Share	North Carolina	United States
Under $25,000	1,788 ±431	26.0% ±6.1	15.8% ±0.2	14.6% ±<0.1
$25,000 to $49,999	1,418 ±315	20.6% ±4.5	19.1% ±0.2	16.7% ±<0.1
$50,000 to $74,999	1,609 ±338	23.4% ±4.8	16.8% ±0.2	15.5% ±<0.1
$75,000 to $99,999	644 ±158	9.3% ±2.3	13.0% ±0.1	12.6% ±<0.1
$100,000 to $149,999	645 ±173	9.4% ±2.5	16.6% ±0.2	17.5% ±<0.1
$150,000 to $199,999	449 ±139	6.5% ±2.0	8.3% ±0.1	9.6% ±<0.1
$200,000 or more	335 ±107	4.9% ±1.5	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 Morganton city by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	Below poverty	Rate	North Carolina	United States
All ages	4,334 ±835	25.7% ±5.0	13.0% ±0.2	12.5% ±0.1
Under 18	2,004 ±511	47.1% ±9.5	17.7% ±0.3	16.1% ±0.1
18 to 59	1,702 ±458	20.8% ±5.3	12.1% ±0.2	11.6% ±0.1
60 and over	628 ±268	14.3% ±5.9	10.9% ±0.2	11.0% ±<0.1

Housing, 2020–2024

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Housing in Morganton city, ACS 2020–2024
Measure	Morganton city	North Carolina	United States
Housing units	7,547 ±360	4,895,668 ±642	143,775,355 ±10,234
Occupied	91.3% ±6.1	87.5% ±0.2	89.9% ±0.1
Vacant	8.7% ±3.0	12.5% ±0.2	10.1% ±0.1
Owner occupied	54.7% ±4.5	66.6% ±0.3	65.2% ±0.3
Renter occupied	45.3% ±4.5	33.4% ±0.2	34.8% ±0.1
Median home value	$221,700 ±$21,415	$288,900 ±$1,086	$332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent	$944 ±$40	$1,228 ±$5	$1,413 ±$2
Median year built	1976 ±3	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 Morganton city by Hispanic origin and race, ACS 2020–2024
Origin	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Hispanic or Latino	3,982 ±505	22.6% ±2.9	11.3% ±<0.1	19.3% ±<0.1
White alone, not Hispanic	10,301 ±728	58.4% ±4.1	60.0% ±<0.1	57.4% ±<0.1
Black alone, not Hispanic	2,522 ±536	14.3% ±3.0	20.0% ±0.1	11.9% ±<0.1
Asian alone, not Hispanic	64 to 412	0.4% to 2.3%	3.3% ±<0.1	5.9% ±<0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	2 to 120	< 0.1% to 0.7%	0.8% ±<0.1	0.5% ±<0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0 to 21	0% to 0.1%	0.1% ±<0.1	0.2% ±<0.1
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0 to 21	0% to 0.1%	0.5% ±<0.1	0.6% ±<0.1
Two or more races, not Hispanic	542 ±211	3.1% ±1.2	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 Morganton city by place of birth and citizenship, ACS 2020–2024
Born	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Born in the state	11,285 ±737	64.0% ±4.2	53.6% ±0.2	57.3% ±<0.1
Born in another state	4,189 ±720	23.7% ±4.1	35.9% ±0.2	26.9% ±<0.1
Born a citizen outside the states	298 ±136	1.7% ±0.8	1.4% ±<0.1	1.7% ±<0.1
Born abroad	1,874 ±463	10.6% ±2.6	9.1% ±0.1	14.1% ±<0.1
Naturalized citizens	680 ±283	3.9% ±1.6	3.8% ±0.1	7.4% ±<0.1
Not citizens	1,194 ±399	6.8% ±2.3	5.2% ±0.1	6.8% ±<0.1

Morganton city among the places of North Carolina

62nd of 166 places of 5,000 or more by the survey’s 2020–2024 count. Every one is listed on the North Carolina page.

Places of North Carolina near Morganton city in population, ACS 2020–2024
Place	ACS 2020–⁠2024
Pinehurst village	18,256 ±38
Mount Holly city	18,208 ±41
Graham city	18,048 ±35
Hope Mills town	17,939 ±49
Havelock city	17,691 ±30
Morganton city	17,646 ±35
Stallings town	16,886 ±269
Albemarle city	16,762 ±39
Southern Pines town	16,420 ±26
Murraysville CDP	16,339 ±1,342
Davidson town	15,660 ±291

Sources

Census Bureau population estimates — incorporated places and New England towns — 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

Compiled automatically from Census Bureau population estimates — incorporated places and New England towns and American Community Survey 5-year estimates — table-based Summary File by a checked SQL query · Editor: Kian O'Connor · How this site is built

Data retrieved September 25, 2026