City profile · North Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Elkin, NC

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

4,025
Residents
$60,434
Median income
$187,200
Median home
$1,161
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Elkin, NC

Elkin is a city in North Carolina with a population of 4,025 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $60,434 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 14.8%. Typical homes in Elkin are valued around $187,200, and the median resident age is 41.3 years. About 28.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 56.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 56.0°F with 49.0 inches of precipitation per year and 3.0 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

4,025 residents

Census ACS 2023 — North Carolina

Median Household Income

$60,434 /yr

Poverty 14.8%

Cost of Living Index

94.3 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Elkin compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 36% higher than other cities
Home value 39% pricier than other cities
Median rent 48% pricier than other cities

Percentiles compare Elkin 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 — Elkin, NC Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Elkin, NC. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Elkin, NC — median $60,434/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 Elkin, NC — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 28.0%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 14.8%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 56.2%

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

Population
4,025
Median Income
$60,434
Median Home Value
$187,200
Median Age
41.3
Poverty Rate
14.8%
Labor force participation
56.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
28.0%

Climate

Avg Temperature
56.0°F
Annual Precipitation
49.0"
Annual Snowfall
3.0"

Schools

Total Schools
6
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
72.6%
Carpool
17.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.1%
Work from Home
10.1%

Based on 1,771 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 — Elkin, 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 Elkin, 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 Elkin 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 (Elkin) plus the nearest peer cities in North Carolina, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

NC

Elkin

60.43% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$60,434
Brackets
4
Selected

NC

Stanley

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$400
Brackets
4
Selected

NC

Trent Woods

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$410
Brackets
4
Selected

NC

Forest Oaks

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$410
Brackets
4
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NC NOAA Normals NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Elkin, NC?

What is the population of Elkin, NC? +

Elkin, NC has a population of 4,025 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

The median household income in Elkin is $60,434 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Elkin? +

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

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

The median home value in Elkin is $187,200, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Elkin? +

Elkin has an average annual temperature of 56.0°F, 49.0 inches of precipitation, and 3.0 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

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