Vance County, North Carolina
Located in North Carolina, Vance County has a population of 42,322 residents and a median age of 39.9 years, making it the #1,163 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 19.8%. The median home value is $161,500, and the median household income is $50,465, which is 33% below the national median.
Demographics
Vance County has a population of 42,322, making it the #1,163 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.9 years, which is 2.6% above 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 Vance County is $50,465, ranking #2,747 out of 3,222 counties — 32.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 19.8% and unemployment stands at 8.2%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Vance County is $161,500 (-42.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $883/mo and the homeownership rate is 60.1%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Vance County, 17.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 49.0% below the national average, ranking #2,462 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Vance County is 70.1 years. 23.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
19.1% of adults in Vance County smoke , 41.2% are obese , and 16.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 45.0 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Vance County is 24.8 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 10.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 32.3 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
36.7% of children in Vance County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.9 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 35.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Vance County is 64.3%. The mean commute time is 28.4 min, which is 2.9% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Vance County voted Democratic with a margin of 13.4%. The vote was 56.3% Dem / 42.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.8 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Vance County, North Carolina
Vance County, North Carolina has a total population of 42,322, making it the 1,163rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Vance County is 39.9 years, which is 2.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Vance County is $50,465, which ranks #2,747 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 32.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 19.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 8.2%.
The median home value in Vance County is $161,500, 42.7% below the national median. Renters in Vance County pay a median gross rent of $883 per month. The homeownership rate is 60.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Vance County, 17.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 49.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 86.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.4 min.
Vance County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Black (non-Hispanic) at 47.3% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (37.2%) and Hispanic or Latino (9.5%).
All data for Vance 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.