Pamlico County, North Carolina

NC · FIPS 37137 Republican

Located in North Carolina, Pamlico County has a population of 12,390 residents and a median age of 54.1 years, making it the #2,328 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.2%. The median home value is $216,800, and the median household income is $59,717, which is 21% below the national median.

12,390
Population
#2,328 of 3,222
$59,717
Median Income
-20.5% #2,108 of 3,222
54.1 years
Median Age
+39.1% #80 of 3,222
15.2%
Poverty Rate
+20.2% #1,969 of 3,222

Demographics

Pamlico County has a population of 12,390, making it the #2,328 most populous county in the US. The median age is 54.1 years, which is 39.1% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.1%
Native Born
2.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Pamlico County is $59,717, ranking #2,108 out of 3,222 counties — 20.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.2% and unemployment stands at 5.1%.

Income#2,108
$59,717
-20.5%
vs nation
35th percentile
Per Capita#1,624
$34,815
-15.6%
vs nation
50th percentile
Poverty#1,969
15.2%
+20.2%
vs nation
39th percentile
Unemployment#2,085
5.1%
-3.8%
vs nation
35th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Pamlico County is $216,800 (-23.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $752/mo and the homeownership rate is 82.9%.

Home Value#1,229
$216,800
-23.1%
vs nation
62th percentile
Rent#2,466
$752
-35.3%
vs nation
23th percentile
Homeownership#266
82.9%
+28.7%
vs nation
92th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Pamlico County, 25.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 24.6% below the national average, ranking #1,173 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
25.4% −24.6% vs nation
Rank #1,173 of 3,222
64th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Pamlico County is 73.8 years. 18.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,010
73.8
-1.9%
vs nation
34th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,402
18.2%
-7.0%
vs nation
55th percentile
Diabetes#1,635
10.9%
-2.1%
vs nation
48th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#879
34.7%
-7.0%
vs nation
72th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#490
5.0
-10.9%
vs nation
84th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,133
4.2
-6.2%
vs nation
64th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,225
12.5%
+19.2%
vs nation
29th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,113
24.1%
-8.7%
vs nation
65th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,871
15.1%
+4.8%
vs nation
41th percentile

Substance Use

17.2% of adults in Pamlico County smoke , 36.6% are obese , and 19.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 90.8 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,368
17.2%
-4.2%
vs nation
57th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,052
36.6%
-3.4%
vs nation
67th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,361
19.4%
-2.2%
vs nation
57th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#2,079
90.8
+180.8%
vs nation
2th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 19.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 20.4 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,456
19.3
-2.4%
vs nation
43th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,126
15.9
-11.0%
vs nation
54th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,625
20.4
+0.6%
vs nation
42th percentile

Families & Children

25.4% of children in Pamlico County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 18.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,287
18.3
-16.4%
vs nation
57th percentile
Child Poverty#2,541
25.4%
+33.7%
vs nation
19th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Pamlico County is 72.3%. The mean commute time is 28.0 min, which is 1.3% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
72.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
28.0 min +1.3% vs nation
Rank #1,273 of 3,222
61th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Pamlico County voted Republican with a margin of 32.1%. The vote was 33.6% Dem / 65.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.2 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +32.1%
33.6% 65.7%
Dem 7,961 votes Rep
2020 REP +27.9%
35.6% 63.5%
Dem 7,631 votes Rep
2016 REP +26.6%
35.8% 62.4%
Dem 6,772 votes Rep
2012 REP +20.9%
39.2% 60.1%
Dem 6,712 votes Rep
2008 REP +14.7%
42.3% 57%
Dem 6,712 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Pamlico County, North Carolina

Pamlico County, North Carolina has a total population of 12,390, making it the 2,328th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Pamlico County is 54.1 years, which is 39.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Pamlico County is $59,717, which ranks #2,108 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 20.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.1%.

The median home value in Pamlico County is $216,800, 23.1% below the national median. Renters in Pamlico County pay a median gross rent of $752 per month. The homeownership rate is 82.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Pamlico County, 25.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 24.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.0 min.

Pamlico County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 73.4% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (16.1%) and Hispanic or Latino (4.8%).

All data for Pamlico 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.