Town · North Carolina
Roper, North Carolina
Roper, town, in Washington County, North Carolina. Roper had 471 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.7% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 485 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 384 (±166). GEOID 3757740.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
471
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 485 · ACS 2020-2024: 384 ±166
Median household income
$22,819
±$6,899 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$71,400
±$37,634 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
$643
±$272 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is Roper and what county is it in?
Roper is a town in Washington County, North Carolina. It covers 0.9 square miles of land, 567 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Roper, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 471 people lived in Roper on July 1, 2025, down 2.7% since 2020, while North Carolina grew 7.2%. The 2020 Census counted 485 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 384 (±166).
| Measure | Roper | Washington County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 384 ±166 | 10,812 | −367 |
| Households | 233 ±102 | 4,744 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 1.55 ±0.40 | 2.25 | −1.03 |
| Housing units | 350 ±109 | 6,040 | no clear change |
Roper's population since 2000
From 613 in 2000 to 471 in 2025: down 23.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Roper as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
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 Roper?
The median resident of Roper is 61.5 years old. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 80.7%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 10.2%.
| Measure | Roper | Washington County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 61.5 ±24.3 | 48.8 | – |
| Under 18 years | 15.6% ±12.9 pts | 19.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 44.5% ±18.5 pts | 28.0% | – |
| Male | 48.2% ±14.9 pts | 51.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 6.8% ±12.3 pts | 4.0% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 10.2% ±13.0 pts | 44.5% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 80.7% ±16.4 pts | 47.7% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±10.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±10.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±10.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.3% ±4.6 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±10.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.3% ±2.3 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.3% ±2.3 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.2% ±5.6 pts | 8.7% | – |
| With a disability | 34.9% ±17.5 pts | 26.5% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 17.2% ±10.8 pts | 9.2% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 66.8% ±18.7 pts | 86.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 9.0% ±10.2 pts | 14.8% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 1.2% ±1.8 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.9% ±8.7 pts | 90.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±10.5 pts | 0.6% | – |
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 Roper earn?
Half of Roper's 233 households earn less than $22,819 a year (±$6,899), against $41,813 in Washington County and $72,388 in North Carolina. In 2015-2019 it was $20,672 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 34.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Roper | Washington County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $22,819 ±$6,899 | $41,813 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $23,115 ±$4,813 | $62,368 | – |
| Per capita income | $15,875 ±$3,607 | $28,281 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 34.1% ±15.6 pts | 24.1% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 28.3% ±44.4 pts | 31.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 44.6% ±20.6 pts | 33.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 72.1% ±18.2 pts | 83.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 52.4% ±19.0 pts | 78.2% | – |
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 Roper?
Owners occupy 57.5% of Roper's occupied homes and renters 42.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $71,400 by its owner (±$37,634). The median renter pays $643 a month including utilities, and 87.1% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Roper | Washington County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $71,400 ±$37,634 | $125,900 | – |
| Median gross rent | $643 ±$272 | $743 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 87.1% ±12.3 pts | 33.3% | +36.2 pts |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $835 ±$58 | $1,200 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 57.5% ±17.2 pts | 68.0% | +30.4 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 42.5% ±17.2 pts | 32.0% | – |
| Housing units | 350 ±109 | 6,040 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±25.9 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±33.3 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 70.3% ±12.1 pts | 66.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 14.3% ±9.9 pts | 23.6% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±11.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.1% ±2.7 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 25.7% ±14.0 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 32.2% ±15.6 pts | 14.1% | – |
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 Roper work and get to work?
The average trip to work takes 27.4 minutes.
| Measure | Roper | Washington County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 33.2% ±17.1 pts | 45.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 35.5% ±31.6 pts | 13.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 33.8% ±34.9 pts | 80.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 35.2% ±29.1 pts | 10.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±40.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 2.8% ±5.3 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Worked from home | 15.5% ±18.1 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 27.4 min ±14.1 | 32.4 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 Roper?
No census tract lies mostly in Roper; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9501Washington County | 3,904 | $40,515 |
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 Roper) · Census block assignment files
How does Roper compare with other places in North Carolina?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Roper is the 13,444th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 423rd-most populous of 549 in North Carolina.
Roper is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 423rd | 549 |
Roper's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare Roper 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 Roper?
27 of the 57 figures for Roper 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 Roper 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' public schools in Roper.