City profile · North Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Silver Lake, NC

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

6,242
Residents
$73,277
Median income
$287,500
Median home
$1,659
Median rent (state)

Silver Lake - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Silver Lake lands in the 54th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

54th
percentile, household income
63rd
percentile, home value
66th
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: Silver Lake, NC

6,242 people live in Silver Lake, North Carolina - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Silver Lake households earn a median of $73,277 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 7.9%. Silver Lake's housing stock carries a median value of $287,500, and the median resident age is 42.6 years. About 31.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 65.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

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. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,659 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts North Carolina's average monthly utility costs around $215 (state average). Natural-hazard exposure scores 96.1 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

6,242 residents

Census ACS 2023 - North Carolina

Median Household Income

$73,277 /yr

Poverty 7.9%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.3 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, North Carolina average

How does Silver Lake compare to other US cities?

Silver Lake measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 54% higher than other cities
Home value 63% pricier than other cities
Median rent 66% 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 Silver Lake 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

Median Gross Rent places Silver Lake toward the top of North Carolina's cities

Among the 746 North Carolina cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Silver Lake ranks #94 - the 85th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Silver Lake only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#212 of 700
70th percentile in North Carolina
Median Gross Rent
#94 of 746
85th percentile in North Carolina
Median Home Value
#176 of 708
75th percentile in North Carolina
Poverty Rate
#411 of 746
45th percentile in North Carolina
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#221 of 746
70th 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.

54thIncome percentile

54th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Silver Lake's home value compares nationally

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

$287,500 37th percentile more affordable than 37% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Silver Lake $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 - Silver Lake, NC Silver Lake, NC's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Silver Lake, 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 Silver Lake, NC median $73,277/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%
Silver Lake, 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 Silver Lake, NC. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 31.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 7.9%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 65.0%

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

Population
6,242
Median Income
$73,277
Median Home Value
$287,500
Median Age
42.6
Poverty Rate
7.9%
Labor force participation
65.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
31.0%

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
80.2%
Carpool
7.2%
Public Transit
0.9%
Walk
1.0%
Work from Home
10.3%

Based on 3,293 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 Silver Lake sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.3
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,659/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
96.1 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in North Carolina

Boiling Spring Lakes
6,206 people
Cherryville
6,154 people
Briar Chapel
6,084 people
Swannanoa
6,043 people
East Flat Rock
6,468 people
Dallas
6,012 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Silver Lake's 6,242 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Princeton, KY
6,242 people
Crystal City, TX
6,241 people
Salton, CA
6,244 people
Rochester, IN
6,244 people
Willows, CA
6,239 people
Sidney, MT
6,235 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Silver Lake's $73,277 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Mount Vernon, WA
$73,277 median income
Paola, KS
$73,281 median income
Okanogan, WA
$73,273 median income
Flat Rock, MI
$73,288 median income
LaCoste, TX
$73,289 median income
Comstock Northwest, MI
$73,290 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Silver Lake, 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 Silver Lake, NC - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 74.4% 11.9% 10.7% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 20.4% White 74.4% Black or African American 3.1% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 11.9% Two or more races 10.7% 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 Silver Lake 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
Silver Lake (this city) 6,242 $73,277
Boiling Spring Lakes 6,206 $59,750
Cherryville 6,154 $58,701
Briar Chapel 6,084 $154,583
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NC OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Silver Lake, NC?

What is the population of Silver Lake, NC? +

Silver Lake, NC counts 6,242 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Silver Lake, NC? +

In Silver Lake, the typical household earns $73,277 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Silver Lake? +

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

What is the median home value in Silver Lake, NC? +

The median home value in Silver Lake is $287,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

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

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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.