Franklin County vs Wilkes County
A side-by-side comparison of Franklin County and Wilkes County: population, income, housing, and more.
Franklin County and Wilkes County are counties in North Carolina. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Franklin County has the higher population (71,962 vs 65,983 in Wilkes County). Franklin County has the higher median household income ($71,386 vs $50,438 in Wilkes County). Franklin County has the higher median home value ($240,900 vs $161,400 in Wilkes County).
Population, income & housing
| Franklin County | Wilkes County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 71,962 | 65,983 |
| Median age | 40.9 yrs | 45.3 yrs |
| Median household income | $71,386 | $50,438 |
| Median home value | $240,900 | $161,400 |
| Median gross rent | $988 | $715 |
| Housing units | 30,790 | 31,744 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.1% | 73.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.4% | 16.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% | 4.9% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Franklin County | Wilkes County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 66,362 → 71,962 (+8.4%) | 68,469 → 65,983 (-3.6%) |
| Median household income | $55,193 → $71,386 (+29.3%) | $44,107 → $50,438 (+14.4%) |
| Median home value | $150,400 → $240,900 (+60.2%) | $126,300 → $161,400 (+27.8%) |
| Median gross rent | $829 → $988 (+19.2%) | $632 → $715 (+13.1%) |
Franklin County
66,36271,962
$55,193$71,386
$150,400$240,900
$829$988
Wilkes County
68,46965,983
$44,107$50,438
$126,300$161,400
$632$715
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Franklin County | Wilkes County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.6% | 5.0% |
| 5 to 17 | 16.3% | 15.1% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.2% | 7.7% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.2% | 11.1% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.6% | 10.8% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.6% | 13.1% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.6% | 14.6% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.7% | 13.1% |
| 75 and over | 6.4% | 9.6% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Franklin County | Wilkes County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 61.1% | 86.1% |
| Black or African American | 22.9% | 3.7% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Asian | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 0.3% | 0.0% |
| Two or more races | 4.1% | 2.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10.6% | 7.3% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Franklin County | Wilkes County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 12.3% | 18.1% |
| High school graduate | 29.3% | 32.4% |
| Some college or associate's | 33.9% | 32.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 16.9% | 11.6% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 7.5% | 5.1% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Franklin County | Wilkes County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 79.6% | 81.1% |
| Carpooled | 8.9% | 9.2% |
| Public transit | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Walked | 0.5% | 1.1% |
| Bicycle | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Worked from home | 10.3% | 8.1% |
| Other means | 0.5% | 0.3% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Franklin County | Wilkes County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 71.7% | 68.0% |
| 1-unit, attached | 0.6% | 0.2% |
| 2 to 4 units | 1.6% | 3.8% |
| 5 to 19 units | 1.8% | 2.5% |
| 20 or more units | 0.9% | 1.8% |
| Mobile home & other | 23.5% | 23.7% |
Poverty & households
| Franklin County | Wilkes County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 10.1% | 16.4% |
| Average household size | 2.57 | 2.41 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 34 | 27 |
| Median year structure built | 1995 | 1980 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
21- Largest by population — counties in North Carolina
- Most densely populated — counties in North Carolina
- Highest median household income — counties in North Carolina
- Highest median home value — counties in North Carolina
- Most affordable home values — counties in North Carolina
- Highest median gross rent — counties in North Carolina
- Cheapest median gross rent — counties in North Carolina
- Oldest by median age — counties in North Carolina
- Youngest by median age — counties in North Carolina
- Most college-educated — counties in North Carolina
- Highest poverty rate — counties in North Carolina
- Lowest poverty rate — counties in North Carolina
- Highest homeownership rate — counties in North Carolina
- Lowest homeownership rate — counties in North Carolina
- Longest commutes — counties in North Carolina
- Shortest commutes — counties in North Carolina
- Largest households — counties in North Carolina
- Newest housing — counties in North Carolina
- Oldest housing — counties in North Carolina
- Fastest-growing (2019–2023) — counties in North Carolina
- Fastest-shrinking (2019–2023) — counties in North Carolina