Census-designated place · North Carolina
Lake Royale, North Carolina
Lake Royale, census-designated place, in Franklin County, North Carolina. Lake Royale had 3,392 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 3,168 (±704). GEOID 3736513.
Residents, 2020 Census
3,392
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 3,168 ±704
Median household income
$107,806
±$32,807 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$280,400
±$38,366 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
$1,390
±$55 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is Lake Royale and what county is it in?
Lake Royale is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Franklin County, North Carolina. It covers 6.5 square miles of land, 521 residents per square mile in 2020.
Lake Royale is in the Raleigh-Cary, NC metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 3 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Lake Royale, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 3,392 residents in Lake Royale, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 3,168 (±704).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Lake Royale is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Lake Royale | Franklin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,168 ±704 | 74,386 | no clear change |
| Households | 1,375 ±257 | 28,529 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.30 ±0.32 | 2.56 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 2,198 ±329 | 31,767 | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Lake Royale?
The median resident of Lake Royale is 47.9 years old; 12.2% are under 18 and 28.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 85.6%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 6.6%.
| Measure | Lake Royale | Franklin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.9 ±10.3 | 41.0 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 12.2% ±5.4 pts | 21.8% | – |
| 65 years and over | 28.2% ±10.2 pts | 17.5% | – |
| Male | 46.4% ±4.8 pts | 49.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.8% ±3.5 pts | 11.2% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 85.6% ±7.8 pts | 60.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 6.6% ±6.7 pts | 22.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 1.1% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.0% ±2.8 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 5.4% ±3.7 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 3.2% ±2.5 pts | 9.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 11.0% ±4.6 pts | 8.1% | – |
| With a disability | 18.1% ±8.4 pts | 16.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.0% ±2.9 pts | 9.2% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.9% ±5.5 pts | 88.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 22.1% ±7.3 pts | 27.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 10.5% ±4.4 pts | 8.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 88.3% ±9.7 pts | 92.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.0% ±1.3 pts | 1.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Lake Royale earn?
Half of Lake Royale's 1,375 households earn less than $107,806 a year (±$32,807), against $74,240 in Franklin County and $72,388 in North Carolina.
| Measure | Lake Royale | Franklin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $107,806 ±$32,807 | $74,240 | – |
| Mean household income | $103,342 ±$21,344 | $92,255 | – |
| Per capita income | $47,727 ±$8,922 | $36,103 | +$12,870 |
| People below the poverty line | 7.3% ±5.9 pts | 11.1% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0% ±10.4 pts | 14.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 4.9% ±5.6 pts | 12.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 92.9% ±6.3 pts | 93.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 91.2% ±6.7 pts | 89.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Lake Royale?
Owners occupy 94.5% of Lake Royale's occupied homes and renters 5.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $280,400 by its owner (±$38,366). The median renter pays $1,390 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Lake Royale | Franklin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $280,400 ±$38,366 | $284,300 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,390 ±$55 | $1,083 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 11.9% ±32.0 pts | 46.5% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,593 ±$314 | $1,622 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 94.5% ±6.0 pts | 78.6% | +22.0 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 5.5% ±6.0 pts | 21.4% | – |
| Housing units | 2,198 ±329 | 31,767 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 4.3% ±5.8 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 37.5% ±49.3 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 71.3% ±10.2 pts | 71.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 25.6% ±10.0 pts | 23.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 3.8% ±2.4 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 20.3% ±8.6 pts | 18.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±1.9 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.8% ±4.6 pts | 3.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Lake Royale work and get to work?
89.0% of Lake Royale's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 36.6 minutes.
| Measure | Lake Royale | Franklin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 61.8% ±10.0 pts | 61.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.3% ±1.0 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 89.0% ±5.8 pts | 76.9% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.2% ±4.3 pts | 9.6% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±2.4 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 5.9% ±3.9 pts | 12.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 36.6 min ±3.8 | 33.3 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Lake Royale?
2 census tracts lie mostly in Lake Royale (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $41,172 (Tract 607.02) to $99,677 (Tract 607.03).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 607.03Franklin County | 2,494 | $99,677 |
| Tract 607.02Franklin County | 2,708 | $41,172 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Lake Royale) · Census block assignment files
How does Lake Royale compare with other places in North Carolina?
Lake Royale ranks 47th of 434 places in North Carolina with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 252nd | 443 |
| Residents per square mile | 351st | 443 |
| Median household income | 47th | 434 |
| Per capita income | 84th | 443 |
| Median home value | 179th | 438 |
| Median gross rent | 83rd | 395 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 286th | 421 |
| Median age | 89th | 442 |
| Owner-occupied share | 20th | 443 |
| Travel time to work | 14th | 439 |
Lake Royale's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare Lake Royale with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Lake Royale?
25 of the 57 figures for Lake Royale on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Lake Royale are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.