City profile · North Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Kernersville, NC

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

27,439
Residents
$69,923
Median income
$264,000
Median home
$1,232
Median rent (state)

Kernersville - the verdict

Kernersville ranks in the 49th percentile for household income and the 12th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

49th
percentile, household income
58th
percentile, home value
39th
percentile, median rent
12th
percentile, safety
📝 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: Kernersville, NC

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 27,439 residents in Kernersville, a small city within North Carolina. Kernersville households earn a median of $69,923 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 7.1%. Home values in Kernersville run a median of $264,000, and the median resident age is 38.7 years. Educational attainment runs 36.2% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 63.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 369 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 85% from five years earlier. Kernersville's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 3376.3 incidents per 100,000 residents, above the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Living costs in North Carolina run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts North Carolina at 94.3 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,232 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts North Carolina's average monthly utility costs around $215 (state average). FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 91.5 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

27,439 residents

Census ACS 2023 - North Carolina

Median Household Income

$69,923 /yr

Poverty 7.1%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.3 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, North Carolina average

How does Kernersville compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 49% higher than other cities
Home value 58% pricier than other cities
Median rent 39% pricier than other cities
Safety 12% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to North Carolina alone, Kernersville ranks #130 of 195 North Carolina cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Kernersville's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in North Carolina, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

49thIncome percentile
12thSafety percentile

49th percentile nationally for median household income · 12th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Kernersville's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Kernersville's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 38 Avg. percentile National median
Kernersville's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Kernersville's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$264,000 42nd percentile more affordable than 42% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). This entry sits in this band. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Kernersville $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Kernersville, NC Kernersville, NC's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Kernersville, NC-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Kernersville, NC median $69,923/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern 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%
Kernersville, NC's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Kernersville, NC. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 36.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 7.1%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 63.2%

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

Population
27,439
Median Income
$69,923
Median Home Value
$264,000
Median Age
38.7
Poverty Rate
7.1%
Labor force participation
63.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
36.2%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
3376.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
227.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3148.4
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
12
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
26,000 residents27,000 residents28,000 residents29,000 residents30,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 26,565 residents 29,128 residents ▲ +9.6%
Kernersville's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
369
housing units authorized
Single-Family
369
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
13.4
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 199
2020 251
2021 557
2022 171
2023 399
2024 369

Permit volume increased 85% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
80.8%
Carpool
7.1%
Public Transit
0.6%
Walk
1.3%
Work from Home
9.6%
Other
0.6%

Based on 13,892 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 Kernersville sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.3
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,232/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
91.5 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in North Carolina

Asheboro
27,353 people
Thomasville
27,261 people
Mint Hill
26,954 people
Clayton
28,043 people
Leland
26,307 people
Statesville
29,161 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Kernersville's 27,439 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Millville, NJ
27,432 people
New Lenox, IL
27,456 people
Pearl, MS
27,458 people
Clinton, MS
27,418 people
Neenah, WI
27,409 people
Athens, AL
27,474 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Kernersville's $69,923 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Arroyo Seco, NM
$69,917 median income
Powhatan, VA
$69,917 median income
Coker, AL
$69,931 median income
Mount Dora, FL
$69,931 median income
Laurel, VA
$69,932 median income
Blackhawk, SD
$69,934 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Kernersville, 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 Kernersville, NC - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 69.7% 17.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 11.1% White 69.7% Black or African American 17.3% Asian 2.1% American Indian 0.3% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 5.3% Two or more races 5.2% 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.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Kernersville 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
Kernersville (this city) 27,439 $69,923
Asheboro 27,353 $48,628
Thomasville 27,261 $58,246
Mint Hill 26,954 $99,272
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NC FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Kernersville, NC?

What is the population of Kernersville, NC? +

The population of Kernersville, NC stands at 27,439 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

The median household income in Kernersville is $69,923 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Kernersville? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Kernersville; 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.

Is Kernersville, NC safe? +

Kernersville has a total crime rate of 3376.3 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

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

A typical home in Kernersville is worth $264,000, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, 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.

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 PlainCities Editorial

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Every 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.