Town · North Carolina
Edenton, North Carolina
Edenton, town, in Chowan County, North Carolina. Edenton had 4,546 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 4,460 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 4,494 (±19). GEOID 3720120.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
4,546
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 4,460 · ACS 2020-2024: 4,494 ±19
Median household income
$38,417
±$10,333 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$274,100
±$53,851 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
$388
±$318 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is Edenton and what county is it in?
Edenton is a town in Chowan County, North Carolina. It covers 5.4 square miles of land, 830 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Edenton, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 4,546 people lived in Edenton on July 1, 2025, up 1.9% since 2020, slower than North Carolina (+7.2%). The 2020 Census counted 4,460 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 4,494 (±19).
| Measure | Edenton | Chowan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 4,494 ±19 | 13,836 | −182 |
| Households | 1,992 ±217 | 6,134 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.13 ±0.24 | 2.21 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 2,579 ±202 | 7,190 | no clear change |
Edenton's population since 2000
From 5,394 in 2000 to 4,546 in 2025: down 15.7%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Edenton as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Edenton?
The median resident of Edenton is 46.7 years old; 19.5% are under 18 and 27.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 59.3%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 39.0%.
| Measure | Edenton | Chowan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.7 ±8.3 | 48.6 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 19.5% ±5.4 pts | 19.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 27.9% ±4.7 pts | 26.1% | – |
| Male | 43.6% ±4.8 pts | 48.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.2% ±0.7 pts | 4.0% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 39.0% ±8.3 pts | 60.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 59.3% ±9.1 pts | 32.4% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.5% ±1.8 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.2% ±0.5 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.0% ±1.4 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 10.8% ±5.2 pts | 10.5% | – |
| With a disability | 22.5% ±6.2 pts | 16.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.5% ±3.4 pts | 8.2% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 89.0% ±6.4 pts | 90.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 23.1% ±8.3 pts | 25.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 9.5% ±5.2 pts | 9.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 78.5% ±9.0 pts | 89.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.7% ±3.0 pts | 1.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Edenton earn?
Half of Edenton's 1,992 households earn less than $38,417 a year (±$10,333), against $53,864 in Chowan County and $72,388 in North Carolina. In 2015-2019 it was $51,237 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 30.0% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Edenton | Chowan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $38,417 ±$10,333 | $53,864 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $57,714 ±$13,146 | $78,897 | – |
| Per capita income | $27,922 ±$5,945 | $35,476 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 30.0% ±8.3 pts | 19.1% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 59.5% ±19.9 pts | 42.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 35.2% ±8.6 pts | 22.2% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.9% ±5.0 pts | 94.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 93.8% ±5.8 pts | 88.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Edenton?
Owners occupy 51.6% of Edenton's occupied homes and renters 48.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $274,100 by its owner (±$53,851).
| Measure | Edenton | Chowan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $274,100 ±$53,851 | $235,800 | +$67,959 |
| Median gross rent | $388 ±$318 | $681 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 40.9% ±17.3 pts | 41.5% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,744 ±$401 | $1,497 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 51.6% ±10.1 pts | 70.5% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 48.4% ±10.1 pts | 29.5% | – |
| Housing units | 2,579 ±202 | 7,190 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 10.7% ±8.5 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±4.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 66.0% ±9.0 pts | 71.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 7.5% ±6.1 pts | 17.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.8% ±2.3 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 23.1% ±7.3 pts | 11.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 18.5% ±7.0 pts | 9.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Edenton work and get to work?
61.5% of Edenton's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 26.4 minutes.
| Measure | Edenton | Chowan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 50.8% ±8.1 pts | 55.9% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.0% ±2.2 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 61.5% ±14.6 pts | 78.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 17.4% ±11.1 pts | 9.6% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 6.5% ±8.2 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 11.9% ±8.5 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 26.4 min ±7.2 | 27.8 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Edenton?
1 census tract lies mostly in Edenton, and 2 more reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9301.01Chowan County | 5,144 | $45,143 |
| Tract 9302.02Chowan County | 2,027 | $65,789 |
| Tract 9301.02Chowan County | 2,096 | $69,657 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Edenton) · Census block assignment files
How does Edenton compare with other places in North Carolina?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Edenton is the 5,173rd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 168th-most populous of 549 in North Carolina.
Edenton ranks 398th of 434 places in North Carolina with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 168th | 549 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 245th | 331 |
| Residents per square mile | 250th | 443 |
| Median household income | 398th | 434 |
| Per capita income | 327th | 443 |
| Median home value | 184th | 438 |
| Poverty rate | 42nd | 341 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 263rd | 421 |
| Median age | 108th | 442 |
| Owner-occupied share | 366th | 443 |
| Travel time to work | 146th | 439 |
Edenton's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare Edenton with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Edenton?
19 of the 57 figures for Edenton on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Edenton are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Edenton.