Surry County vs Wilkes County
A side-by-side comparison of Surry County and Wilkes County: population, income, housing, and more.
Surry 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.
Surry County has the higher population (71,407 vs 65,983 in Wilkes County). Surry County has the higher median household income ($56,095 vs $50,438 in Wilkes County). Surry County has the higher median home value ($166,400 vs $161,400 in Wilkes County).
Population, income & housing
| Surry County | Wilkes County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 71,407 | 65,983 |
| Median age | 43.7 yrs | 45.3 yrs |
| Median household income | $56,095 | $50,438 |
| Median home value | $166,400 | $161,400 |
| Median gross rent | $741 | $715 |
| Housing units | 33,609 | 31,744 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.3% | 73.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.4% | 16.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 4.9% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Surry County | Wilkes County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 71,971 → 71,407 (-0.8%) | 68,469 → 65,983 (-3.6%) |
| Median household income | $43,597 → $56,095 (+28.7%) | $44,107 → $50,438 (+14.4%) |
| Median home value | $126,900 → $166,400 (+31.1%) | $126,300 → $161,400 (+27.8%) |
| Median gross rent | $628 → $741 (+18.0%) | $632 → $715 (+13.1%) |
Surry County
71,97171,407
$43,597$56,095
$126,900$166,400
$628$741
Wilkes County
68,46965,983
$44,107$50,438
$126,300$161,400
$632$715
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Surry County | Wilkes County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.2% | 5.0% |
| 5 to 17 | 15.9% | 15.1% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.8% | 7.7% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.2% | 11.1% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.3% | 10.8% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.2% | 13.1% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.6% | 14.6% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.0% | 13.1% |
| 75 and over | 8.7% | 9.6% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Surry County | Wilkes County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 81.6% | 86.1% |
| Black or African American | 3.5% | 3.7% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Asian | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 0.2% | 0.0% |
| Two or more races | 1.8% | 2.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 12.1% | 7.3% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Surry County | Wilkes County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 17.4% | 18.1% |
| High school graduate | 28.5% | 32.4% |
| Some college or associate's | 34.7% | 32.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 13.0% | 11.6% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 6.4% | 5.1% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Surry County | Wilkes County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 80.9% | 81.1% |
| Carpooled | 12.1% | 9.2% |
| Public transit | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Walked | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| Bicycle | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Worked from home | 5.5% | 8.1% |
| Other means | 0.4% | 0.3% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Surry County | Wilkes County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 66.4% | 68.0% |
| 1-unit, attached | 1.4% | 0.2% |
| 2 to 4 units | 4.1% | 3.8% |
| 5 to 19 units | 3.4% | 2.5% |
| 20 or more units | 1.9% | 1.8% |
| Mobile home & other | 22.8% | 23.7% |
Poverty & households
| Surry County | Wilkes County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 16.7% | 16.4% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 2.41 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 25 | 27 |
| Median year structure built | 1980 | 1980 |
Full profiles
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