Pender County vs Wilkes County
A side-by-side comparison of Pender County and Wilkes County: population, income, housing, and more.
Pender 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.
Wilkes County has the higher population (65,983 vs 63,475 in Pender County). Pender County has the higher median household income ($76,838 vs $50,438 in Wilkes County). Pender County has the higher median home value ($267,100 vs $161,400 in Wilkes County).
Population, income & housing
| Pender County | Wilkes County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 63,475 | 65,983 |
| Median age | 41.8 yrs | 45.3 yrs |
| Median household income | $76,838 | $50,438 |
| Median home value | $267,100 | $161,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,072 | $715 |
| Housing units | 31,007 | 31,744 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.8% | 73.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.8% | 16.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.0% | 4.9% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Pender County | Wilkes County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 60,399 → 63,475 (+5.1%) | 68,469 → 65,983 (-3.6%) |
| Median household income | $57,240 → $76,838 (+34.2%) | $44,107 → $50,438 (+14.4%) |
| Median home value | $198,700 → $267,100 (+34.4%) | $126,300 → $161,400 (+27.8%) |
| Median gross rent | $919 → $1,072 (+16.6%) | $632 → $715 (+13.1%) |
Pender County
60,39963,475
$57,240$76,838
$198,700$267,100
$919$1,072
Wilkes County
68,46965,983
$44,107$50,438
$126,300$161,400
$632$715
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Pender County | Wilkes County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.5% | 5.0% |
| 5 to 17 | 17.0% | 15.1% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.2% | 7.7% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.6% | 11.1% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.9% | 10.8% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.4% | 13.1% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.4% | 14.6% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.4% | 13.1% |
| 75 and over | 6.7% | 9.6% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Pender County | Wilkes County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 73.9% | 86.1% |
| Black or African American | 12.4% | 3.7% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Asian | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 0.5% | 0.0% |
| Two or more races | 3.9% | 2.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.5% | 7.3% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Pender County | Wilkes County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 9.5% | 18.1% |
| High school graduate | 27.7% | 32.4% |
| Some college or associate's | 33.0% | 32.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 19.7% | 11.6% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 10.1% | 5.1% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Pender County | Wilkes County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 75.7% | 81.1% |
| Carpooled | 11.3% | 9.2% |
| Public transit | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| Walked | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Bicycle | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Worked from home | 11.4% | 8.1% |
| Other means | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Pender County | Wilkes County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 70.2% | 68.0% |
| 1-unit, attached | 1.4% | 0.2% |
| 2 to 4 units | 1.2% | 3.8% |
| 5 to 19 units | 2.1% | 2.5% |
| 20 or more units | 2.0% | 1.8% |
| Mobile home & other | 23.0% | 23.7% |
Poverty & households
| Pender County | Wilkes County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 10.7% | 16.4% |
| Average household size | 2.58 | 2.41 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 31 | 27 |
| Median year structure built | 1997 | 1980 |
Full profiles
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