Population
722 residents
Census ACS 2023 - North Carolina
City profile · North Carolina · Census ACS 2023
Iron Station, NC
Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Iron Station - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
- 722
- Residents
- $74,597
- Median income
- $1,054
- Median rent (state)
Iron Station - the verdict
Iron Station ranks in the 56th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.
- 56th
- percentile, household income
- 25th
- 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: Iron Station, NC
North Carolina's Iron Station is a small town, with 722 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. The typical household in Iron Station brings in $74,597 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 0.0%. The median resident age is 23.5 years. Educational attainment runs 13.6% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 62.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The city is served by 2 public schools according to NCES Common Core of Data.
Living costs in North Carolina run below the national norm: the state registers 94.3 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,054 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts North Carolina's average monthly utility costs around $215 (state average). The average commute for Iron Station workers runs 17.8 minutes, with 100.0% driving alone and 0.0% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 73.8 out of 100 (High).
Median Household Income
$74,597 /yr
Poverty 0.0%
Cost of Living Index (state)
94.3 (US=100)
Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, North Carolina average
How does Iron Station compare to other US cities?
Where Iron Station sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income 56% higher than other cities
Median rent 25% 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 Iron Station 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
Poverty Rate places Iron Station near the bottom of North Carolina's cities
Among the 746 North Carolina cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, Iron Station ranks #653 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Iron Station only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#198 of 700
72nd percentile in North Carolina
Median Gross Rent
#443 of 746
40th percentile in North Carolina
Poverty Rate
#653 of 746
0th percentile in North Carolina
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#563 of 746
24th percentile in North Carolina
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.
56th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Income distribution context
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 13.6%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL) 0.0%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+) 62.0%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
722
Median Income
$74,597
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
23.5
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Labor force participation
62.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
13.6%
Schools
Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
17.8 minutes
Drive Alone
100.0%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
0.0%
Based on 224 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
Cost of living is a North Carolina state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Iron Station sits in
Cost of Living Index
94.3
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,054/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
73.8 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)
Similar Cities in North Carolina
Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide
Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Iron Station's 722 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).
Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide
Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Iron Station's $74,597 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).
Race & Ethnicity Composition
City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.
How Iron Station compares to nearby North Carolina cities
Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
| City | Population | Median Household Income |
|---|---|---|
| Iron Station (this city) | 722 | $74,597 |
| Bakersville | 718 | $39,091 |
| Taylortown | 728 | $47,969 |
| Conway | 730 | $40,089 |
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NC NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Iron Station, NC?
What is the population of Iron Station, NC? +
722 people live in Iron Station, NC according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Iron Station, NC? +
Median annual household income in Iron Station runs $74,597, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Iron Station? +
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Iron Station; the closest available measure is the North Carolina state average, a cost of living index of 94.3 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within North Carolina vary by metro area.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.
Citation & verification links
Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCitiesEvery 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.