Hertford County, North Carolina

NC · FIPS 37091 Democrat

Located in North Carolina, Hertford County has a population of 19,908 residents and a median age of 42.6 years, making it the #1,884 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 22.9%. The median home value is $119,200, and the median household income is $45,537, which is 39% below the national median.

19,908
Population
#1,884 of 3,222
$45,537
Median Income
-39.4% #2,949 of 3,222
42.6 years
Median Age
+9.5% #1,329 of 3,222
22.9%
Poverty Rate
+82.0% #2,897 of 3,222

Demographics

Hertford County has a population of 19,908, making it the #1,884 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.6 years, which is 9.5% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

96.0%
Native Born
4.0%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Hertford County is $45,537, ranking #2,949 out of 3,222 counties — 39.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 22.9% and unemployment stands at 5.9%.

Income#2,949
$45,537
-39.4%
vs nation
8th percentile
Per Capita#2,593
$28,886
-30.0%
vs nation
20th percentile
Poverty#2,897
22.9%
+82.0%
vs nation
10th percentile
Unemployment#2,491
5.9%
+11.4%
vs nation
23th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Hertford County is $119,200 (-57.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $844/mo and the homeownership rate is 67.4%.

Home Value#2,687
$119,200
-57.7%
vs nation
16th percentile
Rent#1,798
$844
-27.4%
vs nation
44th percentile
Homeownership#2,542
67.4%
+4.6%
vs nation
21th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Hertford County, 16.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 50.8% below the national average, ranking #2,572 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
16.6% −50.8% vs nation
Rank #2,572 of 3,222
20th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Hertford County is 72.2 years. 25.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,445
72.2
-3.9%
vs nation
20th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,745
25.2%
+28.8%
vs nation
13th percentile
Diabetes#2,974
15.0%
+34.7%
vs nation
5th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,913
42.9%
+15.0%
vs nation
7th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#685
5.2
-8.2%
vs nation
78th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,786
4.5
+1.6%
vs nation
43th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,109
11.9%
+13.2%
vs nation
33th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,495
30.6%
+16.0%
vs nation
21th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,033
15.6%
+8.3%
vs nation
35th percentile

Substance Use

20.7% of adults in Hertford County smoke , 43.4% are obese , and 16.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 23.0 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,452
20.7%
+15.3%
vs nation
22th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,866
43.4%
+14.5%
vs nation
9th percentile
Excessive Drinking#351
16.0%
-19.6%
vs nation
89th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#757
23.0
-28.9%
vs nation
64th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Hertford County is 18.7 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 9.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 26.8 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,432
18.7
+133.5%
vs nation
7th percentile
Suicide Rate#92
9.4
-52.2%
vs nation
96th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,056
24.9
+39.1%
vs nation
17th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,202
26.8
+32.2%
vs nation
22th percentile

Families & Children

32.0% of children in Hertford County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 13.3 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 17.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,349
13.3
+96.2%
vs nation
1th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,169
17.2
-21.2%
vs nation
61th percentile
Child Poverty#2,932
32.0%
+68.5%
vs nation
7th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Hertford County is 56.7%. The mean commute time is 28.7 min, which is 4.1% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
56.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
28.7 min +4.1% vs nation
Rank #1,106 of 3,222
66th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Hertford County voted Democratic with a margin of 26.8%. The vote was 63.1% Dem / 36.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 7.2 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +26.8%
63.1% 36.3%
Dem 9,819 votes Rep
2020 DEM +34.0%
66.7% 32.7%
Dem 10,634 votes Rep
2016 DEM +37.7%
68.2% 30.5%
Dem 10,100 votes Rep
2012 DEM +44.3%
71.9% 27.6%
Dem 10,872 votes Rep
2008 DEM +41.5%
70.5% 29%
Dem 10,650 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Hertford County, North Carolina

Hertford County, North Carolina has a total population of 19,908, making it the 1,884th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Hertford County is 42.6 years, which is 9.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Hertford County is $45,537, which ranks #2,949 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 39.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 22.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.9%.

The median home value in Hertford County is $119,200, 57.7% below the national median. Renters in Hertford County pay a median gross rent of $844 per month. The homeownership rate is 67.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Hertford County, 16.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 50.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.7 min.

Hertford County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Black (non-Hispanic) at 55.6% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (32.2%) and Hispanic or Latino (6.4%).

All data for Hertford 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.