Town · North Carolina
Smithfield, North Carolina
Smithfield, town, in Johnston County, North Carolina. Smithfield had 13,114 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 16.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 11,292 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 12,116 (±25). GEOID 3762520.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
13,114
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 11,292 · ACS 2020-2024: 12,116 ±25
Median household income
$43,270
±$7,289 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$242,500
±$19,441 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
$658
±$309 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is Smithfield and what county is it in?
Smithfield is a town in Johnston County, North Carolina. It covers 12.7 square miles of land, 889 residents per square mile in 2020.
Smithfield 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 Smithfield, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 13,114 people lived in Smithfield on July 1, 2025, up 16.0% since 2020, faster than North Carolina (+7.2%). The 2020 Census counted 11,292 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 12,116 (±25).
| Measure | Smithfield | Johnston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 12,116 ±25 | 234,263 | −284 |
| Households | 4,951 ±484 | 85,591 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.33 ±0.23 | 2.72 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 5,617 ±503 | 91,218 | no clear change |
Smithfield's population since 2000
From 11,510 in 2000 to 13,114 in 2025: up 13.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Smithfield 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 Smithfield?
The median resident of Smithfield is 44.9 years old; 22.7% are under 18 and 20.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 59.5%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 23.1%. 7.9% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Smithfield | Johnston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.9 ±5.0 | 38.1 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 22.7% ±5.1 pts | 24.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 20.4% ±3.5 pts | 13.7% | – |
| Male | 48.7% ±3.6 pts | 49.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 13.8% ±5.2 pts | 16.8% | −7.3 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 59.5% ±8.6 pts | 61.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 23.1% ±7.2 pts | 16.7% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.9% ±1.7 pts | 0.8% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.2 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.4% ±1.0 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 7.9% ±3.7 pts | 8.3% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 12.3% ±4.8 pts | 15.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.0% ±2.4 pts | 7.4% | – |
| With a disability | 22.7% ±4.5 pts | 13.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 10.0% ±3.6 pts | 10.4% | −7.3 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 83.0% ±4.2 pts | 90.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 26.7% ±6.3 pts | 28.9% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 8.9% ±3.0 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 93.0% ±1.7 pts | 90.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.7% ±0.6 pts | 2.3% | – |
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 Smithfield earn?
Half of Smithfield's 4,951 households earn less than $43,270 a year (±$7,289), against $83,384 in Johnston County and $72,388 in North Carolina. In 2015-2019 it was $44,717 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 27.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Smithfield | Johnston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $43,270 ±$7,289 | $83,384 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $72,450 ±$12,955 | $103,515 | – |
| Per capita income | $30,986 ±$4,387 | $38,897 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 27.3% ±6.2 pts | 10.6% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 39.6% ±13.1 pts | 15.3% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 21.2% ±5.1 pts | 11.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 92.0% ±3.6 pts | 95.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 83.1% ±4.9 pts | 89.4% | – |
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 Smithfield?
Owners occupy 58.7% of Smithfield's occupied homes and renters 41.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $242,500 by its owner (±$19,441). The median renter pays $658 a month including utilities, and 51.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Smithfield | Johnston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $242,500 ±$19,441 | $305,600 | +$67,495 |
| Median gross rent | $658 ±$309 | $1,146 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 51.7% ±15.2 pts | 37.1% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,521 ±$147 | $1,665 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 58.7% ±8.1 pts | 76.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 41.3% ±8.1 pts | 23.9% | – |
| Housing units | 5,617 ±503 | 91,218 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.0% ±3.3 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 2.8% ±3.5 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 63.2% ±7.1 pts | 75.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 5.1% ±3.4 pts | 12.9% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.5% ±1.8 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 5.7% ±3.5 pts | 21.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 7.4% ±2.6 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 10.5% ±3.9 pts | 3.7% | – |
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 Smithfield work and get to work?
82.7% of Smithfield's workers drive alone and 6.1% work from home. The average trip to work takes 24.1 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 7.2%.
| Measure | Smithfield | Johnston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 52.0% ±4.9 pts | 66.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 7.2% ±4.0 pts | 3.8% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 82.7% ±4.6 pts | 75.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 8.0% ±3.6 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 2.9% ±2.6 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 6.1% ±2.5 pts | 14.7% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.1 min ±3.5 | 32.2 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 Smithfield?
2 census tracts lie mostly in Smithfield, and 5 more reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 408Johnston County | 4,390 | $52,500 |
| Tract 407Johnston County | 3,900 | $44,129 |
| Tract 409.04Johnston County | 4,932 | $88,041 |
| Tract 406Johnston County | 4,210 | $55,725 |
| Tract 409.05Johnston County | 5,795 | $90,444 |
| Tract 412.06Johnston County | 3,977 | $65,795 |
| Tract 412.04Johnston County | 2,399 | $76,563 |
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 Smithfield) · Census block assignment files
How does Smithfield compare with other places in North Carolina?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Smithfield is the 2,650th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 78th-most populous of 549 in North Carolina.
Smithfield ranks 364th of 434 places in North Carolina with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 78th | 549 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 36th | 331 |
| Residents per square mile | 225th | 443 |
| Median household income | 364th | 434 |
| Per capita income | 262nd | 443 |
| Median home value | 222nd | 438 |
| Median gross rent | 369th | 395 |
| Poverty rate | 57th | 341 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 207th | 421 |
| Median age | 132nd | 442 |
| Owner-occupied share | 297th | 443 |
| Work from home | 256th | 279 |
| Travel time to work | 220th | 439 |
Smithfield's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare Smithfield 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 Smithfield?
12 of the 57 figures for Smithfield 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 Smithfield 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 Smithfield.