Wilkes County, North Carolina
Located in North Carolina, Wilkes County has a population of 65,935 residents and a median age of 45.7 years, making it the #831 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 16.7%. The median home value is $168,800, and the median household income is $51,721, which is 31% below the national median.
Demographics
Wilkes County has a population of 65,935, making it the #831 most populous county in the US. The median age is 45.7 years, which is 17.5% 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 Wilkes County is $51,721, ranking #2,678 out of 3,222 counties — 31.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 16.7% and unemployment stands at 5.0%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Wilkes County is $168,800 (-40.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $723/mo and the homeownership rate is 73.5%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Wilkes County, 16.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 49.9% below the national average, ranking #2,516 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Wilkes County is 73.7 years. 20.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
18.8% of adults in Wilkes County smoke , 35.2% are obese , and 20.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 32.6 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Wilkes County is 5.7 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 19.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 21.9 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
20.7% of children in Wilkes County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.4 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 29.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Wilkes County is 67.1%. The mean commute time is 28.1 min, which is 1.6% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Wilkes County voted Republican with a margin of 59.6%. The vote was 19.9% Dem / 79.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.0 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Wilkes County, North Carolina
Wilkes County, North Carolina has a total population of 65,935, making it the 831st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Wilkes County is 45.7 years, which is 17.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Wilkes County is $51,721, which ranks #2,678 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 31.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 16.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.0%.
The median home value in Wilkes County is $168,800, 40.1% below the national median. Renters in Wilkes County pay a median gross rent of $723 per month. The homeownership rate is 73.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Wilkes County, 16.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 49.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 89.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.1 min.
Wilkes County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 85.7% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.5%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (3.6%).
All data for Wilkes 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.