Wilson County, North Carolina
Located in North Carolina, Wilson County has a population of 79,290 residents and a median age of 40.6 years, making it the #734 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 $186,000, and the median household income is $56,423, which is 25% below the national median.
Demographics
Wilson County has a population of 79,290, making it the #734 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.6 years, which is 4.4% 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 Wilson County is $56,423, ranking #2,382 out of 3,222 counties — 24.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 19.8% and unemployment stands at 5.6%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Wilson County is $186,000 (-34.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $953/mo and the homeownership rate is 60.0%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Wilson County, 21.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 35.5% below the national average, ranking #1,694 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Wilson County is 72.6 years. 24.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
20.8% of adults in Wilson County smoke , 39.2% are obese , and 16.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 38.1 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Wilson County is 10.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 13.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 17.9 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
27.0% of children in Wilson County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 9.7 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 24.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Wilson County is 68.0%. The mean commute time is 25.1 min, which is 9.0% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Wilson County voted Democratic with a margin of 0.4%. The vote was 49.8% Dem / 49.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.4 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Wilson County, North Carolina
Wilson County, North Carolina has a total population of 79,290, making it the 734th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Wilson County is 40.6 years, which is 4.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Wilson County is $56,423, which ranks #2,382 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 24.9% 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 5.6%.
The median home value in Wilson County is $186,000, 34.0% below the national median. Renters in Wilson County pay a median gross rent of $953 per month. The homeownership rate is 60.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Wilson County, 21.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 35.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 87.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.1 min.
Wilson County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 44.3% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (38.6%) and Hispanic or Latino (12.4%).
All data for Wilson 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.