Harnett County, North Carolina
Located in North Carolina, Harnett County has a population of 139,150 residents and a median age of 35.6 years, making it the #480 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.7%. The median home value is $246,200, and the median household income is $71,287, which is 5% below the national median.
Demographics
Harnett County has a population of 139,150, making it the #480 most populous county in the US. The median age is 35.6 years, which is 8.5% below 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 Harnett County is $71,287, ranking #1,106 out of 3,222 counties — 5.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.7% and unemployment stands at 4.4%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Harnett County is $246,200 (-12.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,112/mo and the homeownership rate is 71.0%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Harnett County, 24.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 27.4% below the national average, ranking #1,300 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Harnett County is 74.5 years. 19.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
16.0% of adults in Harnett County smoke , 39.4% are obese , and 18.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 41.3 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Harnett County is 7.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 14.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 21.4 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
18.3% of children in Harnett County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 18.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Harnett County is 61.4%. The mean commute time is 35.6 min, which is 29.1% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Harnett County voted Republican with a margin of 25.1%. The vote was 36.9% Dem / 62% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.7 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Harnett County, North Carolina
Harnett County, North Carolina has a total population of 139,150, making it the 480th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Harnett County is 35.6 years, which is 8.5% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Harnett County is $71,287, which ranks #1,106 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 5.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.4%.
The median home value in Harnett County is $246,200, 12.7% below the national median. Renters in Harnett County pay a median gross rent of $1,112 per month. The homeownership rate is 71.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Harnett County, 24.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 27.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 90.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 35.6 min.
Harnett County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 58.2% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (19.8%) and Hispanic or Latino (15.1%).
All data for Harnett 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.