Johnston County, North Carolina
Located in North Carolina, Johnston County has a population of 234,263 residents and a median age of 38.1 years, making it the #302 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 10.6%. The median home value is $305,600, and the median household income is $83,384, which is 11% above the national median.
Demographics
Johnston County has a population of 234,263, making it the #302 most populous county in the US. The median age is 38.1 years, which is 2.1% 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 Johnston County is $83,384, ranking #472 out of 3,222 counties — 11.0% above the national median. The poverty rate is 10.6% and unemployment stands at 3.8%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Johnston County is $305,600 (+8.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,146/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.1%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Johnston County, 28.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 14.2% below the national average, ranking #842 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Johnston County is 76.5 years. 18.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
15.9% of adults in Johnston County smoke , 36.2% are obese , and 19.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 27.9 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Johnston County is 4.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 13.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 17.3 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
14.1% of children in Johnston County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.7 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 15.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Johnston County is 78.8%. The mean commute time is 35.7 min, which is 29.3% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Johnston County voted Republican with a margin of 21.5%. The vote was 38.7% Dem / 60.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +2.9 toward Democrats .
Vote Share Over Time
About Johnston County, North Carolina
Johnston County, North Carolina has a total population of 234,263, making it the 302nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Johnston County is 38.1 years, which is 2.1% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Johnston County is $83,384, which ranks #472 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 11.0% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 10.6%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.8%.
The median home value in Johnston County is $305,600, 8.4% above the national median. Renters in Johnston County pay a median gross rent of $1,146 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Johnston County, 28.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 14.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 89.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 35.7 min.
Johnston County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 61.4% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (16.8%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (16.7%).
All data for Johnston 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.