Burke County, North Carolina
Located in North Carolina, Burke County has a population of 87,795 residents and a median age of 44.9 years, making it the #678 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.6%. The median home value is $185,400, and the median household income is $58,592, which is 22% below the national median.
Demographics
Burke County has a population of 87,795, making it the #678 most populous county in the US. The median age is 44.9 years, which is 15.4% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Burke County is $58,592, ranking #2,216 out of 3,222 counties — 22.0% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.6% and unemployment stands at 4.4%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Burke County is $185,400 (-34.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $884/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.5%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Burke County, 21.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 37.6% below the national average, ranking #1,819 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Burke County is 74.2 years. 18.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.3% of adults in Burke County smoke , 32.0% are obese , and 19.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 51.1 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Burke County is 5.6 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 15.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 17.8 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
24.4% of children in Burke County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.5 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 24.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Burke County is 62.8%. The mean commute time is 25.5 min, which is 7.4% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Burke County voted Republican with a margin of 41.3%. The vote was 29% Dem / 70.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.2 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Burke County, North Carolina
Burke County, North Carolina has a total population of 87,795, making it the 678th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Burke County is 44.9 years, which is 15.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Burke County is $58,592, which ranks #2,216 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 22.0% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.4%.
The median home value in Burke County is $185,400, 34.2% below the national median. Renters in Burke County pay a median gross rent of $884 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Burke County, 21.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 37.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 89.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.5 min.
Burke County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 79.1% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (8.5%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (6.1%).
All data for Burke 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.