Town · North Carolina
Star, North Carolina
Star, town, in Montgomery County, North Carolina. Star had 824 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 806 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,282 (±405). GEOID 3764580.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
824
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 806 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,282 ±405
Median household income
$38,125
±$12,439 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$136,300
±$20,338 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
$642
±$181 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is Star and what county is it in?
Star is a town in Montgomery County, North Carolina. It covers 1.3 square miles of land, 624 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 Star, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 824 people lived in Star on July 1, 2025, up 1.0% since 2020, slower than North Carolina (+7.2%). The 2020 Census counted 806 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,282 (±405).
| Measure | Star | Montgomery County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,282 ±405 | 26,007 | +526 |
| Households | 325 ±111 | 10,643 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 3.71 ±0.78 | 2.37 | +1.16 |
| Housing units | 371 ±113 | 14,998 | no clear change |
Star's population since 2000
From 807 in 2000 to 824 in 2025: up 2.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Star 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 Star?
The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 41.7%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 32.7%. 13.5% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Star | Montgomery County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.8 ±26.4 | 44.0 | – |
| Under 18 years | 35.6% ±8.6 pts | 20.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 18.2% ±11.0 pts | 22.3% | – |
| Male | 42.4% ±9.0 pts | 48.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 23.4% ±10.4 pts | 15.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 41.7% ±15.1 pts | 62.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 32.7% ±11.9 pts | 16.0% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.3 pts | 1.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.3 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.2% ±2.2 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.3 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 13.5% ±7.4 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 45.9% ±14.5 pts | 15.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.5% ±2.7 pts | 6.3% | – |
| With a disability | 37.2% ±8.3 pts | 19.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.5% ±6.0 pts | 12.5% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 68.2% ±9.7 pts | 83.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 8.6% ±4.9 pts | 19.2% | −12.0 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.0% ±2.7 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.5% ±4.6 pts | 90.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.3% ±0.6 pts | 1.2% | – |
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 Star earn?
Half of Star's 325 households earn less than $38,125 a year (±$12,439), against $57,766 in Montgomery County and $72,388 in North Carolina. In 2015-2019 it was $41,890 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 22.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Star | Montgomery County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $38,125 ±$12,439 | $57,766 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $57,272 ±$12,234 | $78,269 | – |
| Per capita income | $15,747 ±$4,286 | $31,156 | −$8,493 |
| People below the poverty line | 22.7% ±14.3 pts | 15.4% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 12.3% ±13.6 pts | 20.3% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 32.3% ±18.4 pts | 18.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 66.2% ±17.7 pts | 92.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 64.0% ±16.2 pts | 82.7% | – |
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 Star?
Owners occupy 47.4% of Star's occupied homes and renters 52.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $136,300 by its owner (±$20,338). The median renter pays $642 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Star | Montgomery County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $136,300 ±$20,338 | $161,700 | +$38,214 |
| Median gross rent | $642 ±$181 | $766 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 29.5% ±26.9 pts | 34.6% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,240 ±$202 | $1,383 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 47.4% ±14.8 pts | 75.0% | −27.0 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 52.6% ±14.8 pts | 25.0% | – |
| Housing units | 371 ±113 | 14,998 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 4.3% ±6.3 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.8% ±9.5 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 74.9% ±16.4 pts | 64.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 5.9% ±4.8 pts | 29.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±10.8 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.1% ±1.8 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 16.4% ±8.6 pts | 8.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.3% ±4.8 pts | 4.8% | – |
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 Star work and get to work?
85.3% of Star's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 19.6 minutes.
| Measure | Star | Montgomery County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 45.6% ±10.9 pts | 53.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% ±5.2 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 85.3% ±8.9 pts | 84.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 7.1% ±7.3 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±11.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 2.4% ±3.8 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 1.5% ±2.5 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 19.6 min ±4.2 | 27.1 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 Star?
No census tract lies mostly in Star; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9601.02Montgomery County | 5,551 | $45,982 |
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 Star) · Census block assignment files
How does Star compare with other places in North Carolina?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Star is the 11,103rd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 358th-most populous of 549 in North Carolina.
Star 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 | 358th | 549 |
Star's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare Star 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 Star?
23 of the 57 figures for Star 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 Star 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 Star.