Bertie County, North Carolina

NC · FIPS 37015 Democrat

Located in North Carolina, Bertie County has a population of 17,170 residents and a median age of 46.6 years, making it the #2,027 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 16.1%. The median home value is $98,500, and the median household income is $48,750, which is 35% below the national median.

17,170
Population
#2,027 of 3,222
$48,750
Median Income
-35.1% #2,844 of 3,222
46.6 years
Median Age
+19.8% #527 of 3,222
16.1%
Poverty Rate
+28.1% #2,146 of 3,222

Demographics

Bertie County has a population of 17,170, making it the #2,027 most populous county in the US. The median age is 46.6 years, which is 19.8% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.0%
Native Born
2.0%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Bertie County is $48,750, ranking #2,844 out of 3,222 counties — 35.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 16.1% and unemployment stands at 5.1%.

Income#2,844
$48,750
-35.1%
vs nation
12th percentile
Per Capita#2,617
$28,769
-30.3%
vs nation
19th percentile
Poverty#2,146
16.1%
+28.1%
vs nation
33th percentile
Unemployment#2,071
5.1%
-4.2%
vs nation
36th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Bertie County is $98,500 (-65.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $839/mo and the homeownership rate is 72.7%.

Home Value#3,010
$98,500
-65.1%
vs nation
6th percentile
Rent#1,825
$839
-27.9%
vs nation
43th percentile
Homeownership#1,905
72.7%
+12.9%
vs nation
41th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Bertie County, 19.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 43.6% below the national average, ranking #2,183 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
19.0% −43.6% vs nation
Rank #2,183 of 3,222
32th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Bertie County is 72.0 years. 25.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,513
72.0
-4.3%
vs nation
18th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,767
25.4%
+29.8%
vs nation
12th percentile
Diabetes#2,962
14.9%
+33.8%
vs nation
6th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,999
43.8%
+17.4%
vs nation
5th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#939
5.3
-5.5%
vs nation
70th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,090
4.7
+5.4%
vs nation
34th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,076
11.7%
+11.6%
vs nation
34th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,373
29.9%
+13.3%
vs nation
25th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,154
16.0%
+11.1%
vs nation
32th percentile

Substance Use

21.0% of adults in Bertie County smoke , 43.5% are obese , and 16.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 39.3 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,508
21.0%
+16.9%
vs nation
20th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,874
43.5%
+14.8%
vs nation
9th percentile
Excessive Drinking#388
16.1%
-18.8%
vs nation
88th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,574
39.3
+21.5%
vs nation
26th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Bertie County is 17.6 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 13.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 26.1 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,414
17.6
+120.2%
vs nation
8th percentile
Suicide Rate#482
13.4
-32.1%
vs nation
81th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,626
19.7
+10.2%
vs nation
34th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,156
26.1
+28.6%
vs nation
24th percentile

Families & Children

33.5% of children in Bertie County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 32.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,484
32.3
+48.0%
vs nation
17th percentile
Child Poverty#2,975
33.5%
+76.4%
vs nation
5th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Bertie County is 62.4%. The mean commute time is 27.6 min, which is 0.0% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
62.4% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
27.6 min +0.0% vs nation
Rank #1,348 of 3,222
58th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Bertie County voted Democratic with a margin of 15.7%. The vote was 57.6% Dem / 41.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.9 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +15.7%
57.6% 41.9%
Dem 9,170 votes Rep
2020 DEM +21.6%
60.5% 38.9%
Dem 9,815 votes Rep
2016 DEM +25.1%
62.2% 37.1%
Dem 9,380 votes Rep
2012 DEM +31.9%
65.8% 33.9%
Dem 9,941 votes Rep
2008 DEM +30.6%
65.2% 34.6%
Dem 9,763 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Bertie County, North Carolina

Bertie County, North Carolina has a total population of 17,170, making it the 2,027th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Bertie County is 46.6 years, which is 19.8% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Bertie County is $48,750, which ranks #2,844 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 35.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 16.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.1%.

The median home value in Bertie County is $98,500, 65.1% below the national median. Renters in Bertie County pay a median gross rent of $839 per month. The homeownership rate is 72.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Bertie County, 19.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 43.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 90.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.6 min.

Bertie County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Black (non-Hispanic) at 59.6% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (34.4%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.5%).

All data for Bertie County, North Carolina comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.