Census tract · Rowan County
Census Tract 503, Rowan County, North Carolina
Census Tract 503, GEOID 37159050300, in Rowan County, North Carolina, entirely within Salisbury. 3,933 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±549); the 2020 Census counted 3,609.
Residents, 2020-2024
3,933
±549 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 3,609
Median household income
$58,938
±$3,558 (90% margin)
Rowan County: $65,725
Median home value
$242,900
±$28,083 (90% margin)
Rowan County: $238,400
Median gross rent
$996
±$116 (90% margin)
Rowan County: $1,013
Where is Census Tract 503?
Census Tract 503 is one of 31 census tracts in Rowan County, North Carolina. It covers 1.20 square miles of land, 3,005 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 37159050300, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Salisbury | 100% |
5 census tracts border Census Tract 503: Tract 502.02 ($53,423), Tract 504 ($45,516), Tract 512.02 ($79,635), Tract 512.04 ($78,750) and Tract 520 ($42,266). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 503?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 503's population at 3,933 (±549) in 1,903 households; the 2020 Census counted 3,609 residents and 1,804 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 503 | Salisbury |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,933 ±549 | 35,825 |
| Households | 1,903 ±314 | 14,043 |
| Average household size | 2.05 ±0.21 | 2.30 |
| Housing units | 2,230 ±298 | 15,637 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 503?
The median resident of Census Tract 503 is 40.9 years old; 13.6% are under 18 and 17.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 56.2%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 25.0%.
| Measure | Tract 503 | Salisbury |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.9 ±7.3 | 36.5 |
| Under 18 years | 13.6% ±5.1 pts | 21.9% |
| 65 years and over | 17.9% ±4.3 pts | 17.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7.6% ±5.8 pts | 11.5% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 56.2% ±9.4 pts | 49.1% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 25.0% ±7.6 pts | 35.0% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.8 pts | 1.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.4 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 8.8% ±6.4 pts | 3.0% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.6% ±2.4 pts | 0.3% |
| Born outside the United States | 5.3% ±5.5 pts | 6.4% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 7.1% ±6.1 pts | 11.4% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.7% ±2.6 pts | 6.6% |
| With a disability | 28.2% ±6.6 pts | 16.0% |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.3% ±3.9 pts | 7.7% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 88.1% ±6.1 pts | 87.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 29.2% ±7.1 pts | 29.9% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 10.0% ±4.8 pts | 12.1% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 83.5% ±7.4 pts | 86.4% |
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 Census Tract 503 earn?
Half of the 1,903 households in Census Tract 503 earn less than $58,938 a year (±$3,558), against $65,725 across Rowan County: 24th highest of the county's 31 tracts with a reliable estimate. 25.0% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 503 | Salisbury |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,938 ±$3,558 | $53,716 |
| Mean household income | $65,641 ±$12,724 | $78,180 |
| Per capita income | $32,062 ±$5,361 | $32,043 |
| People below the poverty line | 25.0% ±9.6 pts | 26.3% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 21.4% ±21.1 pts | 42.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 29.0% ±10.2 pts | 23.6% |
| Households with a computer | 82.9% ±10.1 pts | 93.9% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 79.9% ±10.2 pts | 86.9% |
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 Census Tract 503?
Owners occupy 42.0% of Census Tract 503's occupied homes and renters 58.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $242,900 by its owner (±$28,083). The median renter pays $996 a month including utilities, and 47.2% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 503 | Salisbury |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $242,900 ±$28,083 | $242,500 |
| Median gross rent | $996 ±$116 | $1,071 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 47.2% ±18.8 pts | 44.6% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,233 ±$141 | $1,500 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 42.0% ±11.0 pts | 51.8% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 58.0% ±11.0 pts | 48.2% |
| Housing units | 2,230 ±298 | 15,637 |
| Single-family detached homes | 58.1% ±9.1 pts | 62.2% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±1.9 pts | 2.8% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 1.8% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.5% ±1.7 pts | 9.1% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 33.9% ±10.4 pts | 14.1% |
| Households with no vehicle | 15.6% ±10.0 pts | 13.4% |
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 Census Tract 503 get to work?
65.8% of Census Tract 503's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 18.9 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 503 | Salisbury |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 53.9% ±8.1 pts | 55.2% |
| Unemployment rate | 0.8% ±0.9 pts | 5.8% |
| Drove alone to work | 65.8% ±12.0 pts | 72.2% |
| Carpooled | 12.2% ±11.6 pts | 11.7% |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 1.9% |
| Walked | 1.8% ±2.3 pts | 1.8% |
| Worked from home | 8.5% ±5.9 pts | 8.7% |
| Mean travel time to work | 18.9 min ±2.6 | 21.8 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
How does Census Tract 503 compare with the other tracts in Rowan County?
Among Rowan County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 503 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Rowan County | In Salisbury |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 18th of 31 | 7th of 13 |
| Residents per square mile | 1st of 31 | 1st of 13 |
| Median household income | 24th of 31 | 8th of 13 |
| Per capita income | 21st of 31 | 8th of 13 |
| Median home value | 14th of 31 | 7th of 13 |
| Median gross rent | 15th of 29 | 9th of 12 |
| Poverty rate | 5th of 28 | 5th of 11 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 5th of 30 | 4th of 13 |
| Median age | 16th of 31 | 7th of 13 |
| Owner-occupied share | 29th of 31 | 11th of 13 |
The tracts next to it on Rowan County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 513.02 | 21st | $60,923±$8,961 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 509.01 | 22nd | $59,123±$12,943 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 516 | 23rd | $59,070±$15,346 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 503 | 24th | $58,938±$3,558 |
| Tract 502.01 | 25th | $58,108±$11,789 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 502.02 | 26th | $53,423±$15,084 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 517 | 27th | $52,960±$9,270 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 503?
3 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 503 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.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). 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 · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections