City profile · North Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Henderson, NC

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

14,922
Residents
$38,780
Median income
$116,800
Median home
$1,161
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Henderson, NC

Henderson is a city in North Carolina with a population of 14,922 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $38,780 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 21.6%. Typical homes in Henderson are valued around $116,800, and the median resident age is 36.6 years. About 16.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 54.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 7592.4 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 58.2°F with 48.6 inches of precipitation per year and 1.6 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

14,922 residents

Census ACS 2023 — North Carolina

Median Household Income

$38,780 /yr

Poverty 21.6%

Cost of Living Index

94.3 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Henderson compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 7% higher than other cities
Home value 16% pricier than other cities
Median rent 48% pricier than other cities
Safety 1% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Henderson 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 — Henderson, NC Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Henderson, NC. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Henderson, NC — median $38,780/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 Henderson, NC — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 16.2%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 21.6%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 54.2%

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

Population
14,922
Median Income
$38,780
Median Home Value
$116,800
Median Age
36.6
Poverty Rate
21.6%
Labor force participation
54.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
16.2%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
7592.4
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
1791.6
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
5800.8
per 1,000 residents

Climate

Avg Temperature
58.2°F
Annual Precipitation
48.6"
Annual Snowfall
1.6"

Schools

Total Schools
17
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
79.8%
Carpool
9.3%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.7%
Work from Home
8.2%
Other
1.0%

Based on 6,011 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 — Henderson, 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 Henderson, 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 Henderson 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 (Henderson) plus the nearest peer cities in North Carolina, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

NC

Henderson

38.78% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$38,780
Brackets
15
Selected

NC

Davidson

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$1,490
Brackets
15
Selected

NC

Roanoke Rapids

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$1,500
Brackets
15
Selected

NC

Laurinburg

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$1,510
Brackets
15
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NC FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Henderson, NC?

What is the population of Henderson, NC? +

Henderson, NC has a population of 14,922 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

The median household income in Henderson is $38,780 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Henderson? +

Henderson 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 Henderson, NC safe? +

Henderson has a total crime rate of 7592.4 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

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

The median home value in Henderson is $116,800, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Henderson? +

Henderson has an average annual temperature of 58.2°F, 48.6 inches of precipitation, and 1.6 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 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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