City profile · North Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Watha, NC

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

244
Residents
$36,042
Median income
$100,000
Median home
$1,161
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Watha, NC

Watha is a city in North Carolina with a population of 244 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $36,042 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 14.9%. Typical homes in Watha are valued around $100,000, and the median resident age is 34.7 years. About 10.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 38.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 3 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 50% from five years earlier.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, North Carolina registers 94.3 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,161 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $215 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Watha report an average commute of 24.1 minutes, with 73.3% driving alone and 18.7% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 66.7 out of 100 (Moderate).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

244 residents

Census ACS 2023 — North Carolina

Median Household Income

$36,042 /yr

Poverty 14.9%

Cost of Living Index

94.3 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Watha compare to other US cities?

Where Watha sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 5% higher than other cities
Home value 10% pricier than other cities
Median rent 48% pricier than other cities

Percentiles compare Watha against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Watha, NC Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Watha, NC. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Watha, NC — median $36,042/yr — Census ACS quintile shares 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%
Household income distribution for Watha, NC — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 10.2%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 14.9%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 38.5%

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

Population
244
Median Income
$36,042
Median Home Value
$100,000
Median Age
34.7
Poverty Rate
14.9%
Labor force participation
38.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
10.2%

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) — annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
3
housing units authorized
Single-Family
3
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
12.3
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 2
2020 2
2021 6
2022 4
2023 3
2024 3

Permit volume increased 50% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
24.1 minutes
Drive Alone
73.3%
Carpool
8.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
18.7%

Based on 75 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

North Carolina state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
94.3
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,161/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
66.7 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Watha, 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 Watha, NC — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% 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.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Watha compares to nearby North Carolina cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Watha) plus the nearest peer cities in North Carolina, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

NC

Watha

36.04% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$36,042
Selected

NC

Elrod

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$20
Selected

NC

Kelford

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$20
Selected

NC

Valle Crucis

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$20
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NC Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Watha, NC?

What is the population of Watha, NC? +

Watha, NC has a population of 244 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Watha, NC? +

The median household income in Watha is $36,042 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Watha? +

Watha has a cost of living index of 94.3 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

What is the median home value in Watha, NC? +

The median home value in Watha is $100,000, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census BPS 2024, 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.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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