Demographics of Roanoke Rapids city, North Carolina

Roanoke Rapids city, North Carolina had 14,386 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate: −811 since July 2020. Age, income, poverty, housing and origin below come from the survey, averaged over 2020–2024, each with its margin of error.

Roanoke Rapids city, in four figures

14,386
Population: July 1, 2025, Vintage 2025 estimate. The survey’s 2020–⁠2024 figure is 14,856 ±44.; −5.3%
Change since July 2020: −811 people.; 40.3 ±3.7
Median age: ACS 2020–⁠2024.; $53,690 ±$8,635
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.

Roanoke Rapids city, North Carolina's population shrank 5.3% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally

The July 1 estimate of Roanoke Rapids 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

Roanoke Rapids city, North Carolina's population shrank 5.3% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally. The July 1 estimate of Roanoke Rapids 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	15,197	100.0	100.0
2021	15,082	99.2	100.2
2022	14,835	97.6	100.7
2023	14,667	96.5	101.6
2024	14,588	96.0	102.5
2025	14,386	94.7	103.1

Population of Roanoke Rapids city, North Carolina on July 1 of each year, Vintage 2025
July 1	Population	Change
2020	15,197	—
2021	15,082	−115
2022	14,835	−247
2023	14,667	−168
2024	14,588	−79
2025	14,386	−202

Age, 2020–2024

The median age is 40.3 ±3.7: for men 35.6 ±4.9 and for women 42.9 ±4.0. Shares are of everyone the survey counts, in the Bureau’s sex-by-age table (B01001).

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People in Roanoke Rapids city by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Under 5	911 ±238	6.1% ±1.6	5.6% ±<0.1	5.6% ±<0.1
5 to 17	2,729 ±381	18.4% ±2.6	16.1% ±0.1	16.3% ±<0.1
18 to 24	1,333 ±338	9.0% ±2.3	9.5% ±0.1	9.1% ±<0.1
25 to 44	3,315 ±514	22.3% ±3.5	26.2% ±0.1	26.9% ±<0.1
45 to 64	3,643 ±425	24.5% ±2.9	25.4% ±0.1	24.8% ±<0.1
65 and over	2,925 ±400	19.7% ±2.7	17.2% ±0.1	17.2% ±<0.1

Income and poverty, 2020–2024

Median household income is $53,690 ±$8,635, and income per person $30,053 ±$3,166, 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 Roanoke Rapids city by income, ACS 2020–2024
Household income	Households	Share	North Carolina	United States
Under $25,000	1,543 ±353	24.9% ±5.6	15.8% ±0.2	14.6% ±<0.1
$25,000 to $49,999	1,420 ±315	22.9% ±4.9	19.1% ±0.2	16.7% ±<0.1
$50,000 to $74,999	993 ±253	16.0% ±4.0	16.8% ±0.2	15.5% ±<0.1
$75,000 to $99,999	706 ±206	11.4% ±3.3	13.0% ±0.1	12.6% ±<0.1
$100,000 to $149,999	1,043 ±380	16.8% ±6.1	16.6% ±0.2	17.5% ±<0.1
$150,000 to $199,999	247 ±103	4.0% ±1.6	8.3% ±0.1	9.6% ±<0.1
$200,000 or more	242 ±104	3.9% ±1.7	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 Roanoke Rapids city by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	Below poverty	Rate	North Carolina	United States
All ages	2,713 ±605	18.4% ±4.1	13.0% ±0.2	12.5% ±0.1
Under 18	1,021 ±327	28.2% ±8.0	17.7% ±0.3	16.1% ±0.1
18 to 59	1,094 ±303	14.9% ±3.9	12.1% ±0.2	11.6% ±0.1
60 and over	598 ±215	15.9% ±5.4	10.9% ±0.2	11.0% ±<0.1

Housing, 2020–2024

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Housing in Roanoke Rapids city, ACS 2020–2024
Measure	Roanoke Rapids city	North Carolina	United States
Housing units	6,895 ±371	4,895,668 ±642	143,775,355 ±10,234
Occupied	89.8% ±6.8	87.5% ±0.2	89.9% ±0.1
Vacant	10.2% ±3.9	12.5% ±0.2	10.1% ±0.1
Owner occupied	49.9% ±4.4	66.6% ±0.3	65.2% ±0.3
Renter occupied	50.1% ±5.1	33.4% ±0.2	34.8% ±0.1
Median home value	$142,700 ±$12,764	$288,900 ±$1,086	$332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent	$858 ±$55	$1,228 ±$5	$1,413 ±$2
Median year built	1968 ±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 Roanoke Rapids city by Hispanic origin and race, ACS 2020–2024
Origin	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Hispanic or Latino	901 ±334	6.1% ±2.2	11.3% ±<0.1	19.3% ±<0.1
White alone, not Hispanic	7,446 ±600	50.1% ±4.0	60.0% ±<0.1	57.4% ±<0.1
Black alone, not Hispanic	5,499 ±624	37.0% ±4.2	20.0% ±0.1	11.9% ±<0.1
Asian alone, not Hispanic	83 to 255	0.6% to 1.7%	3.3% ±<0.1	5.9% ±<0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0 to 21	0% to 0.1%	0.8% ±<0.1	0.5% ±<0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0 to 53	0% to 0.4%	0.1% ±<0.1	0.2% ±<0.1
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0 to 106	0% to 0.7%	0.5% ±<0.1	0.6% ±<0.1
Two or more races, not Hispanic	774 ±372	5.2% ±2.5	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 Roanoke Rapids city by place of birth and citizenship, ACS 2020–2024
Born	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Born in the state	11,115 ±545	74.8% ±3.7	53.6% ±0.2	57.3% ±<0.1
Born in another state	3,083 ±479	20.8% ±3.2	35.9% ±0.2	26.9% ±<0.1
Born a citizen outside the states	16 to 202	0.1% to 1.4%	1.4% ±<0.1	1.7% ±<0.1
Born abroad	549 ±234	3.7% ±1.6	9.1% ±0.1	14.1% ±<0.1
Naturalized citizens	47 to 193	0.3% to 1.3%	3.8% ±0.1	7.4% ±<0.1
Not citizens	192 to 666	1.3% to 4.5%	5.2% ±0.1	6.8% ±<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%.

Roanoke Rapids city among the places of North Carolina

73rd 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 Roanoke Rapids city in population, ACS 2020–2024
Place	ACS 2020–⁠2024
Belmont city	15,546 ±61
Hendersonville city	15,408 ±29
Eden city	15,356 ±50
Laurinburg city	15,087 ±40
Henderson city	14,885 ±24
Roanoke Rapids city	14,856 ±44
Reidsville city	14,585 ±24
Piney Green CDP	14,078 ±1,500
Anderson Creek CDP	13,927 ±1,030
Lewisville town	13,828 ±31
Weddington town	13,805 ±53

Rankings this appears in

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