Stokes County, North Carolina Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Stokes County is located in North Carolina with a total population of 45,139. It is the 55th most populous county out of 100 in North Carolina. The county encompasses 3 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Stokes County is 47.7 years. This is 22% higher than the state median of 39.1 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Stokes County is $62,969. This is 13% lower than the state median of $72,388. It is also 22% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 11.2%. This is 14% lower than the state poverty rate of 13.0%. The unemployment rate is 3.1%. This is 34% lower than the state rate of 4.7%. The median home value is $196,700. Housing costs are 32% lower than the state median of $288,900. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.1x. 79.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 19% higher than the state average of 66.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

Stokes County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 89.0% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 3.8%. The Black or African American population (3.7%) is well below the state average of 20.0%. The Hispanic or Latino population (3.8%) is well below the state average of 11.3%. The Asian population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 3.3%.

Education

18.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 49% lower than the state rate of 35.6%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 91.4%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Stokes County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against North Carolina and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.