City profile · North Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Dunn, NC

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Dunn — drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

8,512
Residents
$47,310
Median income
$178,900
Median home
$1,161
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Dunn, NC

Dunn is a city in North Carolina with a population of 8,512 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $47,310 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 14.9%. Typical homes in Dunn are valued around $178,900, and the median resident age is 44.4 years. About 21.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 50.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 72 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 1700% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 6011.8 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 62.3°F with 50.1 inches of precipitation per year and 2.1 inches of snowfall.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, North Carolina registers 94.3 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,161 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $215 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 66.7 out of 100 (Moderate).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

8,512 residents

Census ACS 2023 — North Carolina

Median Household Income

$47,310 /yr

Poverty 14.9%

Cost of Living Index

94.3 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Dunn compare to other US cities?

Where Dunn sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 16% higher than other cities
Home value 36% pricier than other cities
Median rent 48% pricier than other cities
Safety 2% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Dunn against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Dunn, NC Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Dunn, NC. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Dunn, NC — median $47,310/yr — Census ACS quintile shares 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%
Household income distribution for Dunn, NC — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 21.4%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 14.9%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 50.5%

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

Population
8,512
Median Income
$47,310
Median Home Value
$178,900
Median Age
44.4
Poverty Rate
14.9%
Labor force participation
50.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
21.4%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
6011.8
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
903.5
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
5108.3
per 1,000 residents

Climate

Avg Temperature
62.3°F
Annual Precipitation
50.1"
Annual Snowfall
2.1"

Schools

Total Schools
7
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) — annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
72
housing units authorized
Single-Family
72
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
8.5
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 4
2020 5
2021 45
2022 20
2023 29
2024 72

Permit volume increased 1700% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
77.0%
Carpool
15.4%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.4%
Work from Home
5.4%
Other
1.8%

Based on 3,454 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for North Carolina — EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$215
estimated/month

Estimates reflect North Carolina state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

North Carolina state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
94.3
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,161/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
66.7 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Dunn, NC Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Dunn, NC — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Dunn compares to nearby North Carolina cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Dunn) plus the nearest peer cities in North Carolina, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

NC

Dunn

47.31% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$47,310
Brackets
9
Selected

NC

Conover

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$850
Brackets
8
Selected

NC

Black Mountain

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$850
Brackets
8
Selected

NC

Ogden

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$840
Brackets
8
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NC FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Dunn, NC?

What is the population of Dunn, NC? +

Dunn, NC has a population of 8,512 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Dunn, NC? +

The median household income in Dunn is $47,310 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Dunn? +

Dunn has a cost of living index of 94.3 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Dunn, NC safe? +

Dunn has a total crime rate of 6011.8 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

What is the median home value in Dunn, NC? +

The median home value in Dunn is $178,900, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Dunn? +

Dunn has an average annual temperature of 62.3°F, 50.1 inches of precipitation, and 2.1 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, 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.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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