City profile · North Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Atkinson, NC

Atkinson's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

487
Residents
$60,000
Median income
$135,900
Median home
$1,161
Median rent (state)
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See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Atkinson.

Place dossier plate

Sheet NC-ATKINSON-NC · Atkinson, NC 487 pop · income 35th pct

POP-VILLAGE · INC-MID · COL-BELOW · SAFE-UNK · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-LOW · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-VILLAGE 487
  • INC-MID $60,000
  • COL-BELOW 94.3
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-LOWER 35th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Okolona
  • HOME-LOW $135,900
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Okolona, AR (+ $0 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around Atkinson

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Atkinson on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Atkinson on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 487.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $60,000. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Atkinson - the verdict

Atkinson ranks in the 35th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.

35th
percentile, household income
23rd
percentile, home value
48th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Atkinson, NC

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 487 residents in Atkinson, a small town within North Carolina. Atkinson households earn a median of $60,000 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 2.4%. Atkinson's housing stock carries a median value of $135,900, and the median resident age is 33.8 years. About 11.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 61.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Living costs in North Carolina run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, North Carolina scores 94.3 (Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,161 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in North Carolina run around $215, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 66.7 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Moderate).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Atkinson's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from work and mobility to population change to comparison shortlist to housing and income; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Atkinson, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, annual population history. No matched row is reported here for FBI reported-crime rates, local building permits, within-city Census tract profiles, matched public-school count; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

Question 1

What does the journey to work look like in Atkinson?

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 96.0%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. The profile is strongly car-oriented, so a relocation comparison should put trip distance, vehicle access, and household fuel costs ahead of a citywide commute average. The same-state peer links offer a more relevant benchmark than a national label.

Compare commute patterns →

Question 2

Is Atkinson growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +56 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +18.6% change. No comparable local building-permit series is available here, so population change should not be read as a housing-supply measure. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.

See the national growth ranking →

3. Comparison shortlist

Which cities make useful reference points for Atkinson?

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Within North Carolina, the closest population matches are Caswell Beach (486 residents, $125,833 income); Salemburg (486 residents, $74,375 income); Dublin (482 residents). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Arkansas City, AR (487 residents); Lockwood CDP (Amador County), CA (487 residents); Elnora, IN (487 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

4. Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in Atkinson?

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.

The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.3 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 2.4%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Population

487 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$60,000 /yr

Below median income · poverty 2.4% (Low poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.3 (US=100)

Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, North Carolina average

City profile score · Atkinson, NC

50/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Poverty rate A-
2.4%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Cost of living B-
94.3 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Household income F
$60,000

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Bachelor's+ share F
11.6%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Atkinson profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Poverty rate, Cost of living, Household income, Bachelor's+ share. Poverty rateCost of livingHousehold incomeBachelor's+ share 50 C-
Atkinson profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Poverty rate: 83/100 (A-) · 2.4%
  • Cost of living: 67/100 (B-) · 94.3 index
  • Household income: 35/100 (F) · $60,000
  • Bachelor's+ share: 11/100 (F) · 11.6%

How does Atkinson compare to other US cities?

Atkinson measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 35% higher than other cities
Home value 23% pricier than other cities
Median rent 48% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Atkinson against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to North Carolina only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

North Carolina-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Atkinson near the bottom of North Carolina's cities

Among the 746 North Carolina cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Atkinson ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Atkinson only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#336 of 700
52nd percentile in North Carolina
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 746
0th percentile in North Carolina
Median Home Value
#520 of 708
27th percentile in North Carolina
Poverty Rate
#604 of 746
19th percentile in North Carolina
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#610 of 746
18th percentile in North Carolina
How in-state ranks are ordered

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within North Carolina only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

35thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

35th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Atkinson's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$135,900 Among the most affordable more affordable than 77% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Atkinson $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Atkinson's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.3×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#2,789 of 15,516
More affordable than 82% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#2,586 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 2.3×, Atkinson sits in the affordable band: national rank #2,789 of 15,516 and #2,586 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$60,000 Atkinson, NC median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Atkinson, NC Atkinson, NC's median household income ($60,000) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Atkinson, NC-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Atkinson, NC median $60,000/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Atkinson, NC median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Atkinson, NC.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 11.6%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 2.4%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 61.7%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
487
Median Income
$60,000
Median Home Value
$135,900
Median Age
33.8
Poverty Rate
2.4%
Labor force participation
61.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
11.6%

Population Change

PEP vintage

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
280 residents300 residents320 residents340 residents360 residents380 residents 202020212022202320242025 301 residents 357 residents ▲ +18.6%
Atkinson's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 301 residents
2021 310 residents
2022 324 residents
2023 338 residents
2024 346 residents
2025 357 residents

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
96.0%
Carpool
1.5%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
2.5%

Based on 201 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

North Carolina statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $215

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across North Carolina at $215 (electricity about $115 , water and sewer about $45 ).

These are North Carolina statewide averages, not a meter reading for Atkinson. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

North Carolina's BEA cost-of-living index is 94.3 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Atkinson is $1,161/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to North Carolina statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 66.7 / 100 (Moderate).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a North Carolina statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Atkinson sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Atkinson compares to similar-size North Carolina cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
Atkinson (this city) 487 $60,000
Caswell Beach 486 $125,833
Salemburg 486 $74,375
Dublin 482 N/A
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

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