Burke County, North Carolina

10 cities & places have their primary county here.

Population: 87,863
Median household income: $55,684
Median home value: $170,500

Burke County is a county in North Carolina with a population of 87,863. 10 cities and places have their primary county here. Its median household income of $55,684 runs below the North Carolina figure of $69,904.

From 2019 to 2023, Burke County's population declined 2.3% from 89,968 to 87,863, while its median household income rose 25.0% from $44,557 to $55,684.

White (non-Hispanic) residents are the largest group, 79.3% of the population. 83.4% of workers drive to work alone.

Demographics

ACS 2019–2023

Population: 87,863
Median age: 44.9 yrs
Median household income: $55,684
Median home value: $170,500
Median gross rent: $805
Housing units: 40,058
Homeownership rate: 74.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher: 20.2%
Unemployment rate: 4.8%

Trends

ACS 5-year · 2019–2023

Population

89,96887,863

Median household income

$44,557$55,684

Median home value

$120,700$170,500

Median gross rent

$648$805

Year	Population	Median household income	Median home value	Median gross rent
2019	89,968	$44,557	$120,700	$648
2020	90,148	$43,915	$120,600	$668
2021	87,829	$48,142	$128,300	$715
2022	87,799	$53,732	$155,500	$768
2023	87,863	$55,684	$170,500	$805

Each year is a US Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimate ending that year.

Age distribution

Under 54.8%

5 to 1713.8%

18 to 247.9%

25 to 3412.1%

35 to 4411.5%

45 to 5413.3%

55 to 6415.3%

65 to 7412.2%

75 and over9.1%

	Count	Share
Under 5	4,216	4.8%
5 to 17	12,089	13.8%
18 to 24	6,945	7.9%
25 to 34	10,647	12.1%
35 to 44	10,132	11.5%
45 to 54	11,716	13.3%
55 to 64	13,459	15.3%
65 to 74	10,704	12.2%
75 and over	7,955	9.1%

Race & ethnicity

	Count	Share
White (non-Hispanic)	69,715	79.3%
Black or African American	5,221	5.9%
American Indian & Alaska Native	81	0.1%
Asian	2,941	3.3%
Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander	38	0.0%
Some other race	400	0.5%
Two or more races	2,238	2.5%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	7,229	8.2%

Educational attainment (age 25+)

No high school diploma14.9%

High school graduate33.1%

Some college or associate's31.9%

Bachelor's degree12.8%

Graduate or professional degree7.3%

	Count	Share
No high school diploma	9,613	14.9%
High school graduate	21,385	33.1%
Some college or associate's	20,582	31.9%
Bachelor's degree	8,291	12.8%
Graduate or professional degree	4,742	7.3%

Commute to work

Mean travel time to work: 24 min

Drove alone83.4%

Carpooled9.9%

Public transit0.1%

Walked0.5%

Bicycle0.2%

Worked from home5.4%

Other means0.6%

How workers get to work

	Count	Share
Drove alone	32,667	83.4%
Carpooled	3,861	9.9%
Public transit	37	0.1%
Walked	199	0.5%
Bicycle	63	0.2%
Worked from home	2,106	5.4%
Other means	229	0.6%

Travel time

	Count	Share
Under 15 min	11,187	30.2%
15 to 29 min	15,276	41.2%
30 to 44 min	6,266	16.9%
45 to 59 min	2,252	6.1%
60+ min	2,075	5.6%

Households

Average household size: 2.37
Poverty rate: 17.9% (15,326 of 85,482)

	Count	Share
Family households	24,649	68.7%
Nonfamily households	11,224	31.3%

Housing

Median year structure built: 1980

Occupancy

	Count	Share
Occupied	35,873	89.6%
Vacant	4,185	10.4%

Tenure (of occupied units)

	Count	Share
Owner-occupied	26,823	74.8%
Renter-occupied	9,050	25.2%

1-unit, detached70.7%

1-unit, attached1.0%

2 to 4 units4.5%

5 to 19 units3.8%

20 or more units1.1%

Mobile home & other18.9%

Units in structure

	Count	Share
1-unit, detached	28,316	70.7%
1-unit, attached	397	1.0%
2 to 4 units	1,791	4.5%
5 to 19 units	1,519	3.8%
20 or more units	458	1.1%
Mobile home & other	7,577	18.9%

Geography

County GEOID: 37023
State: North Carolina
Land area: 506 sq mi
Water area: 8 sq mi
Center point: 35.7462, -81.7062