City profile · North Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Knightdale, NC

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

19,532
Residents
$91,638
Median income
$331,900
Median home
$1,750
Median rent (state)

Knightdale - the verdict

Nationally, Knightdale sits in the 72nd percentile for household income and the 15th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

72nd
percentile, household income
69th
percentile, home value
71st
percentile, median rent
15th
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: Knightdale, NC

North Carolina's Knightdale is a small town, with 19,532 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $91,638 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 5.5%. Home values in Knightdale run a median of $331,900, and the median resident age is 34.0 years. About 44.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 72.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 617 residential building permits were authorized in Knightdale (Building Boom), up 344% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Knightdale's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 3118.2 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, above the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Living costs in North Carolina run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, North Carolina scores 94.3 (Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,750 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts North Carolina's average monthly utility costs around $215 (state average). Natural-hazard exposure scores 95.5 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

19,532 residents

Census ACS 2023 - North Carolina

Median Household Income

$91,638 /yr

Poverty 5.5%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.3 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, North Carolina average

How does Knightdale compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 72% higher than other cities
Home value 69% pricier than other cities
Median rent 71% pricier than other cities
Safety 15% safer than other cities

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

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at North Carolina, Knightdale ranks #113 of 195 North Carolina cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

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 Knightdale'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.

72ndIncome percentile
15thSafety percentile

72nd percentile nationally for median household income · 15th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Knightdale's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Knightdale'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 39 Avg. percentile National median
Knightdale'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 Knightdale's home value compares nationally

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

$331,900 31st percentile more affordable than 31% 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%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Knightdale $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 - Knightdale, NC Knightdale, NC's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Knightdale, 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 Knightdale, NC median $91,638/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%
Knightdale, 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 Knightdale, NC. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 44.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 5.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 72.9%

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

Population
19,532
Median Income
$91,638
Median Home Value
$331,900
Median Age
34.0
Poverty Rate
5.5%
Labor force participation
72.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
44.2%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
3118.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
194.6
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2923.6
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
5
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
18,000 residents20,000 residents22,000 residents24,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 19,501 residents 23,144 residents ▲ +18.7%
Knightdale's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
617
housing units authorized
Single-Family
617
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
31.6
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 139
2020 128
2021 152
2022 405
2023 656
2024 617

Permit volume increased 344% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
74.0%
Carpool
5.9%
Public Transit
0.4%
Walk
0.5%
Work from Home
18.2%
Other
1.0%

Based on 10,708 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 Knightdale sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.3
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,750/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
95.5 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in North Carolina

Boone
19,534 people
Kinston
19,576 people
Lexington
19,691 people
Lumberton
19,220 people
Harrisburg
19,203 people
Mebane
18,899 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Knightdale's 19,532 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Sweetwater, FL
19,544 people
Bradfordville, FL
19,548 people
Boerne, TX
19,509 people
Evergreen Park, IL
19,498 people
Springboro, OH
19,577 people
Cedar Mill, OR
19,482 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Knightdale's $91,638 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

La Salle, CO
$91,635 median income
Rancho Calaveras, CA
$91,629 median income
Weston, MO
$91,625 median income
Harriston, VA
$91,625 median income
Roche Harbor, WA
$91,625 median income
Northdale, FL
$91,656 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Knightdale, 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 Knightdale, NC - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 36.3% 46.3% 8.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 9.7% White 36.3% Black or African American 46.3% Asian 3.6% American Indian 0.2% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 5.3% Two or more races 8.3% 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.

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

How Knightdale 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
Knightdale (this city) 19,532 $91,638
Boone 19,534 $28,633
Kinston 19,576 $35,250
Lexington 19,691 $41,775
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NC FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Knightdale, NC?

What is the population of Knightdale, NC? +

Knightdale, NC has a population of 19,532 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

The median household income in Knightdale is $91,638 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Knightdale? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Knightdale; 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 Knightdale, NC safe? +

Knightdale has a total crime rate of 3118.2 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 Knightdale, NC? +

The median home value in Knightdale is $331,900, 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.