Northampton County, North Carolina

NC · FIPS 37131 Democrat

Located in North Carolina, Northampton County has a population of 16,931 residents and a median age of 52.0 years, making it the #2,041 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 21.1%. The median home value is $114,500, and the median household income is $50,086, which is 33% below the national median.

16,931
Population
#2,041 of 3,222
$50,086
Median Income
-33.4% #2,766 of 3,222
52.0 years
Median Age
+33.7% #139 of 3,222
21.1%
Poverty Rate
+67.5% #2,770 of 3,222

Demographics

Northampton County has a population of 16,931, making it the #2,041 most populous county in the US. The median age is 52.0 years, which is 33.7% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.7%
Native Born
1.3%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Northampton County is $50,086, ranking #2,766 out of 3,222 counties — 33.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 21.1% and unemployment stands at 8.1%.

Income#2,766
$50,086
-33.4%
vs nation
14th percentile
Per Capita#1,975
$32,746
-20.6%
vs nation
39th percentile
Poverty#2,770
21.1%
+67.5%
vs nation
14th percentile
Unemployment#2,959
8.1%
+53.0%
vs nation
8th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Northampton County is $114,500 (-59.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $758/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.6%.

Home Value#2,776
$114,500
-59.4%
vs nation
14th percentile
Rent#2,428
$758
-34.8%
vs nation
24th percentile
Homeownership#1,601
74.6%
+15.8%
vs nation
50th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Northampton County, 17.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 46.9% below the national average, ranking #2,370 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
17.9% −46.9% vs nation
Rank #2,370 of 3,222
26th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Northampton County is 72.0 years. 22.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,498
72.0
-4.2%
vs nation
19th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,333
22.5%
+15.0%
vs nation
26th percentile
Diabetes#2,779
13.9%
+24.9%
vs nation
12th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,323
40.1%
+7.5%
vs nation
26th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#804
5.3
-7.0%
vs nation
75th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,912
4.6
+3.2%
vs nation
39th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,730
10.2%
-3.1%
vs nation
45th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,862
27.3%
+3.5%
vs nation
41th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,738
14.7%
+2.0%
vs nation
45th percentile

Substance Use

18.2% of adults in Northampton County smoke , 40.3% are obese , and 16.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 26.4 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,742
18.2%
+1.4%
vs nation
45th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,154
40.3%
+6.3%
vs nation
32th percentile
Excessive Drinking#433
16.3%
-17.8%
vs nation
86th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#968
26.4
-18.3%
vs nation
54th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Northampton County is 15.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 23.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 30.3 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,377
15.9
+98.9%
vs nation
10th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,972
23.6
+19.4%
vs nation
23th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,270
30.4
+70.0%
vs nation
8th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,418
30.3
+49.6%
vs nation
14th percentile

Families & Children

31.8% of children in Northampton County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 27.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,161
27.5
+26.1%
vs nation
28th percentile
Child Poverty#2,921
31.8%
+67.4%
vs nation
7th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Northampton County is 63.0%. The mean commute time is 30.8 min, which is 11.5% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
63.0% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
30.8 min +11.5% vs nation
Rank #757 of 3,222
77th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Northampton County voted Democratic with a margin of 14.5%. The vote was 57% Dem / 42.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.0 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +14.5%
57% 42.5%
Dem 9,197 votes Rep
2020 DEM +20.5%
60% 39.5%
Dem 10,109 votes Rep
2016 DEM +26.2%
62.6% 36.4%
Dem 9,761 votes Rep
2012 DEM +34.9%
67.3% 32.4%
Dem 10,719 votes Rep
2008 DEM +30.4%
65% 34.6%
Dem 10,618 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Northampton County, North Carolina

Northampton County, North Carolina has a total population of 16,931, making it the 2,041st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Northampton County is 52.0 years, which is 33.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Northampton County is $50,086, which ranks #2,766 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 33.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 21.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 8.1%.

The median home value in Northampton County is $114,500, 59.4% below the national median. Renters in Northampton County pay a median gross rent of $758 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Northampton County, 17.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 46.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 30.8 min.

Northampton County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Black (non-Hispanic) at 54.4% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (39.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).

All data for Northampton 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.