Town · North Carolina
Spencer, North Carolina
Spencer, town, in Rowan County, North Carolina. Spencer had 3,450 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 4.1% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 3,308 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 3,349 (±18). GEOID 3763760.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
3,450
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 3,308 · ACS 2020-2024: 3,349 ±18
Median household income
$65,465
±$16,860 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$201,700
±$26,236 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
$1,000
±$200 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is Spencer and what county is it in?
Spencer is a town in Rowan County, North Carolina. It covers 3.4 square miles of land, 974 residents per square mile in 2020.
Spencer is in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 11 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 Spencer, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 3,450 people lived in Spencer on July 1, 2025, up 4.1% since 2020, slower than North Carolina (+7.2%). The 2020 Census counted 3,308 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 3,349 (±18).
| Measure | Spencer | Rowan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,349 ±18 | 149,875 | +119 |
| Households | 1,370 ±159 | 58,899 | +217 |
| Average household size | 2.40 ±0.28 | 2.48 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,632 ±208 | 64,975 | no clear change |
Spencer's population since 2000
From 3,355 in 2000 to 3,450 in 2025: up 2.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Spencer 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 Spencer?
The median resident of Spencer is 44.2 years old; 19.0% are under 18 and 23.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 50.7%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 41.0%.
| Measure | Spencer | Rowan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.2 ±5.9 | 40.4 | +8.9 |
| Under 18 years | 19.0% ±5.7 pts | 22.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 23.4% ±6.8 pts | 17.7% | – |
| Male | 51.5% ±5.8 pts | 49.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.6% ±4.4 pts | 11.9% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 50.7% ±9.5 pts | 67.8% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 41.0% ±9.2 pts | 15.5% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 0.8% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.1% ±2.0 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±0.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.8% ±1.8 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 6.7% ±4.6 pts | 10.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.8% ±4.4 pts | 7.2% | – |
| With a disability | 22.2% ±7.9 pts | 15.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.4% ±5.3 pts | 9.3% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 82.4% ±6.9 pts | 88.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 25.6% ±7.6 pts | 23.3% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 8.9% ±3.9 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 93.0% ±4.5 pts | 89.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.9% ±1.4 pts | 1.3% | – |
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 Spencer earn?
Half of Spencer's 1,370 households earn less than $65,465 a year (±$16,860), against $65,725 in Rowan County and $72,388 in North Carolina. In 2015-2019 it was $65,427 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 11.2% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Spencer | Rowan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,465 ±$16,860 | $65,725 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $82,469 ±$18,390 | $84,650 | – |
| Per capita income | $34,584 ±$6,346 | $33,667 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 11.2% ±6.8 pts | 16.0% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 12.1% ±15.0 pts | 23.3% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 11.9% ±6.1 pts | 16.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.8% ±4.9 pts | 94.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 89.6% ±5.7 pts | 90.2% | – |
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 Spencer?
Owners occupy 72.7% of Spencer's occupied homes and renters 27.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $201,700 by its owner (±$26,236). The median renter pays $1,000 a month including utilities, and 44.9% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Spencer | Rowan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $201,700 ±$26,236 | $238,400 | +$80,477 |
| Median gross rent | $1,000 ±$200 | $1,013 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 44.9% ±20.2 pts | 37.8% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,336 ±$97 | $1,429 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 72.7% ±9.8 pts | 72.3% | +15.5 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 27.3% ±9.8 pts | 27.7% | – |
| Housing units | 1,632 ±208 | 64,975 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 9.4% ±8.2 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±10.1 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 93.1% ±4.8 pts | 71.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 1.3% ±2.5 pts | 15.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.8% ±1.4 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.3% ±0.6 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 34.1% ±9.1 pts | 10.5% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.0% ±1.6 pts | 6.5% | – |
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 Spencer work and get to work?
69.0% of Spencer's workers drive alone and 18.7% work from home. The average trip to work takes 32.0 minutes.
| Measure | Spencer | Rowan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 54.5% ±6.7 pts | 60.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 7.1% ±6.0 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 69.0% ±10.1 pts | 78.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 11.2% ±8.6 pts | 10.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±3.0 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±3.0 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 18.7% ±10.7 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 32.0 min ±9.4 | 26.2 min | +11.7 min |
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 Spencer?
1 census tract lies mostly in Spencer, and 4 more reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 507Rowan County | 3,650 | $65,131 |
| Tract 508Rowan County | 2,808 | $50,451 |
| Tract 509.01Rowan County | 4,256 | $59,123 |
| Tract 505Rowan County | 3,834 | $87,083 |
| Tract 520Rowan County | 2,969 | $42,266 |
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 Spencer) · Census block assignment files
How does Spencer compare with other places in North Carolina?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Spencer is the 5,915th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 203rd-most populous of 549 in North Carolina.
Spencer ranks 206th 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 | 203rd | 549 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 182nd | 331 |
| Residents per square mile | 202nd | 443 |
| Median household income | 206th | 434 |
| Per capita income | 198th | 443 |
| Median home value | 292nd | 438 |
| Median gross rent | 202nd | 395 |
| Poverty rate | 228th | 341 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 220th | 421 |
| Median age | 139th | 442 |
| Owner-occupied share | 182nd | 443 |
| Work from home | 99th | 279 |
| Travel time to work | 44th | 439 |
Spencer's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare Spencer 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 Spencer?
21 of the 57 figures for Spencer 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 Spencer 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 Spencer.