Town · North Carolina
Stem, North Carolina
Stem, town, in Granville County, North Carolina. Stem had 1,023 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.6% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 960 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,249 (±365). GEOID 3764940.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,023
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 960 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,249 ±365
Median household income
$95,625
±$17,192 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$240,500
±$36,045 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
$925
±$167 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is Stem and what county is it in?
Stem is a town in Granville County, North Carolina. It covers 1.2 square miles of land, 775 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 Stem, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,023 people lived in Stem on July 1, 2025, up 2.6% since 2020, slower than North Carolina (+7.2%). The 2020 Census counted 960 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,249 (±365).
| Measure | Stem | Granville County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,249 ±365 | 60,877 | no clear change |
| Households | 427 ±117 | 22,474 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.92 ±0.51 | 2.52 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 476 ±128 | 24,787 | no clear change |
Stem's population since 2000
From 229 in 2000 to 1,023 in 2025: up 346.7%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Stem 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 Stem?
The median resident of Stem is 32.1 years old; 31.5% are under 18 and 8.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 52.4%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 33.8%. 4.5% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Stem | Granville County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.1 ±8.3 | 42.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 31.5% ±11.0 pts | 20.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 8.6% ±4.6 pts | 17.7% | – |
| Male | 47.1% ±4.2 pts | 50.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 8.2% ±6.1 pts | 11.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 52.4% ±13.9 pts | 55.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 33.8% ±16.0 pts | 28.8% | +24.0 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±1.4 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.3 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.3 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.0% ±4.4 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.3 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 4.5% ±2.8 pts | 5.7% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 7.0% ±5.2 pts | 9.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.9% ±3.7 pts | 7.0% | – |
| With a disability | 10.5% ±4.2 pts | 16.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 8.3% ±4.7 pts | 9.3% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.3% ±3.9 pts | 88.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 29.4% ±7.7 pts | 25.2% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 10.7% ±7.1 pts | 8.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.0% ±3.8 pts | 90.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.5% ±1.1 pts | 1.6% | – |
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 Stem earn?
Half of Stem's 427 households earn less than $95,625 a year (±$17,192), against $71,111 in Granville County and $72,388 in North Carolina. In 2015-2019 it was $98,917 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Stem | Granville County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $95,625 ±$17,192 | $71,111 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $103,080 ±$14,970 | $91,105 | – |
| Per capita income | $35,520 ±$7,389 | $34,223 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 3.0% ±2.7 pts | 15.2% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 3.0% ±3.9 pts | 18.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 13.6% ±10.4 pts | 13.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.6% ±5.2 pts | 94.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 95.6% ±5.2 pts | 88.1% | – |
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 Stem?
Owners occupy 97.7% of Stem's occupied homes and renters 2.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $240,500 by its owner (±$36,045). The median renter pays $925 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Stem | Granville County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $240,500 ±$36,045 | $247,700 | +$43,589 |
| Median gross rent | $925 ±$167 | $1,008 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 0.0% ±100.0 pts | 34.9% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,461 ±$106 | $1,546 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 97.7% ±1.8 pts | 77.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 2.3% ±1.8 pts | 22.9% | – |
| Housing units | 476 ±128 | 24,787 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.7% ±4.1 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±100.0 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 97.1% ±3.3 pts | 71.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 1.9% ±3.0 pts | 19.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.7% ±2.8 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 55.0% ±11.7 pts | 12.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 6.1% ±5.0 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.0% ±9.5 pts | 3.6% | – |
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 Stem work and get to work?
75.5% of Stem's workers drive alone and 18.3% work from home. The average trip to work takes 30.6 minutes.
| Measure | Stem | Granville County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 74.4% ±7.3 pts | 54.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.1% ±1.4 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 75.5% ±8.4 pts | 78.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.7% ±4.5 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±6.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±6.5 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 18.3% ±7.6 pts | 13.9% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 30.6 min ±3.8 | 30.8 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 Stem?
No census tract lies mostly in Stem; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9707.01Granville County | 5,432 | $54,063 |
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 Stem) · Census block assignment files
How does Stem compare with other places in North Carolina?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Stem is the 10,169th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 335th-most populous of 549 in North Carolina.
Stem 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 | 335th | 549 |
Stem's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare Stem 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 Stem?
24 of the 57 figures for Stem 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 Stem 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 Stem.