Edgecombe County, North Carolina
Located in North Carolina, Edgecombe County has a population of 48,736 residents and a median age of 41.7 years, making it the #1,029 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 21.7%. The median home value is $125,100, and the median household income is $51,265, which is 32% below the national median.
Demographics
Edgecombe County has a population of 48,736, making it the #1,029 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.7 years, which is 7.2% 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 Edgecombe County is $51,265, ranking #2,702 out of 3,222 counties — 31.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 21.7% and unemployment stands at 8.7%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Edgecombe County is $125,100 (-55.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $858/mo and the homeownership rate is 60.8%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Edgecombe County, 17.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 48.0% below the national average, ranking #2,432 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Edgecombe County is 70.5 years. 23.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
18.9% of adults in Edgecombe County smoke , 40.5% are obese , and 15.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 46.8 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Edgecombe County is 17.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 12.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 33.6 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
39.0% of children in Edgecombe County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 11.8 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 30.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Edgecombe County is 64.6%. The mean commute time is 24.9 min, which is 9.9% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Edgecombe County voted Democratic with a margin of 22.7%. The vote was 61% Dem / 38.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.4 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Edgecombe County, North Carolina
Edgecombe County, North Carolina has a total population of 48,736, making it the 1,029th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Edgecombe County is 41.7 years, which is 7.2% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Edgecombe County is $51,265, which ranks #2,702 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 31.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 21.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 8.7%.
The median home value in Edgecombe County is $125,100, 55.6% below the national median. Renters in Edgecombe County pay a median gross rent of $858 per month. The homeownership rate is 60.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Edgecombe County, 17.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 48.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 89.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.9 min.
Edgecombe County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Black (non-Hispanic) at 55.5% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (34.9%) and Hispanic or Latino (6.2%).
All data for Edgecombe 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.