Census tract · Rowan County
Census Tract 517, Rowan County, North Carolina
Census Tract 517, GEOID 37159051700, in Rowan County, North Carolina, mostly within China Grove (56% of its census blocks). 8,073 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±833); the 2020 Census counted 8,170.
Residents, 2020-2024
8,073
±833 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 8,170
Median household income
$52,960
±$9,270 (90% margin)
Rowan County: $65,725
Median home value
$227,200
±$20,428 (90% margin)
Rowan County: $238,400
Median gross rent
$1,145
±$304 (90% margin)
Rowan County: $1,013
Where is Census Tract 517?
Census Tract 517 is one of 31 census tracts in Rowan County, North Carolina. It covers 17.12 square miles of land, 477 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 37159051700, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| China Grove | 56% |
| Landis | 2% |
5 census tracts border Census Tract 517: Tract 511.02 ($74,274), Tract 512.01 ($73,295), Tract 514 ($75,714), Tract 516 ($59,070) and Tract 518.02 ($85,125). 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 517?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 517's population at 8,073 (±833) in 3,114 households; the 2020 Census counted 8,170 residents and 3,433 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 517 | China Grove |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 8,073 ±833 | 4,530 |
| Households | 3,114 ±319 | 1,881 |
| Average household size | 2.58 ±0.23 | 2.39 |
| Housing units | 3,368 ±360 | 2,016 |
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 517?
The median resident of Census Tract 517 is 35.7 years old; 24.5% are under 18 and 16.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 69.4%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 24.0%. 12.0% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 517 | China Grove |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.7 ±5.2 | 39.2 |
| Under 18 years | 24.5% ±4.0 pts | 22.0% |
| 65 years and over | 16.7% ±4.6 pts | 15.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 24.0% ±8.4 pts | 22.4% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 69.4% ±8.4 pts | 72.9% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 3.4% ±2.5 pts | 3.5% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.0% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.2% ±3.5 pts | 1.2% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.0% |
| Born outside the United States | 12.0% ±6.4 pts | 11.9% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 21.5% ±8.5 pts | 23.6% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.3% ±2.7 pts | 5.9% |
| With a disability | 13.1% ±4.2 pts | 19.6% |
| No health insurance coverage | 10.5% ±4.7 pts | 8.4% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 84.7% ±7.2 pts | 82.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 18.6% ±4.9 pts | 12.3% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.4% ±2.7 pts | 4.0% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.3% ±3.8 pts | 93.6% |
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 Census Tract 517 earn?
Half of the 3,114 households in Census Tract 517 earn less than $52,960 a year (±$9,270), against $65,725 across Rowan County: 27th highest of the county's 31 tracts with a reliable estimate. 14.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 517 | China Grove |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,960 ±$9,270 | $54,083 |
| Mean household income | $70,031 ±$8,971 | $66,454 |
| Per capita income | $27,423 ±$3,396 | $27,449 |
| People below the poverty line | 14.3% ±7.8 pts | 17.2% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 21.8% ±16.7 pts | 20.0% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 15.2% ±8.1 pts | 26.1% |
| Households with a computer | 99.0% ±1.3 pts | 98.4% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 93.6% ±4.4 pts | 95.6% |
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 517?
Owners occupy 74.6% of Census Tract 517's occupied homes and renters 25.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $227,200 by its owner (±$20,428). The median renter pays $1,145 a month including utilities, and 62.1% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 517 | China Grove |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $227,200 ±$20,428 | $225,800 |
| Median gross rent | $1,145 ±$304 | $993 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 62.1% ±19.2 pts | 79.8% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,381 ±$121 | $1,420 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 74.6% ±8.1 pts | 65.3% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 25.4% ±8.1 pts | 34.7% |
| Housing units | 3,368 ±360 | 2,016 |
| Single-family detached homes | 81.2% ±6.3 pts | 77.5% |
| Mobile homes | 13.1% ±5.9 pts | 9.0% |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.9% ±3.2 pts | 4.8% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.5% ±1.3 pts | 1.6% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 12.3% ±6.1 pts | 16.0% |
| Households with no vehicle | 8.4% ±7.3 pts | 12.8% |
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 Census Tract 517 get to work?
80.6% of Census Tract 517's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 26.0 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 517 | China Grove |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 58.8% ±6.5 pts | 55.2% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% ±4.2 pts | 6.0% |
| Drove alone to work | 80.6% ±7.4 pts | 84.6% |
| Carpooled | 13.3% ±6.9 pts | 8.0% |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 0.0% |
| Walked | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 0.0% |
| Worked from home | 5.4% ±3.7 pts | 7.4% |
| Mean travel time to work | 26.0 min ±3.6 | 29.4 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 517 compare with the other tracts in Rowan County?
Among Rowan County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 517 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Rowan County |
|---|---|
| Population | 2nd of 31 |
| Residents per square mile | 16th of 31 |
| Median household income | 27th of 31 |
| Per capita income | 29th of 31 |
| Median home value | 21st of 31 |
| Median gross rent | 8th of 29 |
| Poverty rate | 18th of 28 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22nd of 30 |
| Median age | 27th of 31 |
| Owner-occupied share | 16th of 31 |
The tracts next to it on Rowan County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 503 | 24th | $58,938±$3,558 · within the margin of this tract |
| 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 |
| Tract 513.03 | 28th | $50,570±$10,248 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 508 | 29th | $50,451±$7,132 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 504 | 30th | $45,516±$26,633 · 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 517?
3 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 517 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