State
County
Land Area
132.6 sq mi
Density
1,890.9/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
0.57%
Growth Since 2010
9.21%
Rank in State
Rank in Country
Metro Population
685,766
Winston-Salem is a city located in North Carolina. With a 2020 population of 250,765, it is the 5th largest city in North Carolina (after Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, and Durham) and the 90th largest city in the United States. Winston-Salem is currently growing at a rate of 0.57% annually and its population has increased by 9.21% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 229,617 in 2010. Winston-Salem reached it's highest population of 250,765 in 2021. Spanning over 134 miles, Winston-Salem has a population density of 1,891 people per square mile.
The average household income in Winston-Salem is $71,423 with a poverty rate of 20.72%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $806 per month, and the median house value is $147,900. The median age in Winston-Salem is 35.5 years, 33.8 years for males, and 36.8 years for females. For every 100 females there are 88.5 males.
Winston-Salem is part of the Piedmont Triad region. The city has a long and fascinating history that has led to such nicknames as “Camel City” for its connection with the tobacco industry and “City of Arts and Innovation.” Winston-Salem is the fifth most populous city in the state with recent estimates showing a population of {pop} people.
This city is known for being one of the most religious in the state. Over 54% of residents are affiliated with a religion. The largest religious group is Baptists, which make up almost 16% of the total religious population. Other religions observed in Winston-Salem include Methodist, Catholicism, and Lutheran, to name a few. There are also a minority of residents that follow Eastern religions.
The city’s economy is primarily centered on the health care industry. The Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is Winston-Salem’s biggest employer, providing jobs to over 11,000 people. Novant Health, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, the city and county governments, and Reynolds American are also top employers, providing jobs to thousands of people throughout Winston-Salem.
Winston-Salem has continuously seen growth in its population at almost every 10-year census. The city reached over 100,000 residents at the time of the 1960 census and continued to reflect steady growth before surpassing 200,000 residents by the time of the 2010 census. Though growth has slowed a bit, recent estimates show that the population is up 5.5% since the last census, indicating that the city will soon hit its next milestone of 250,000 residents.
Winston-Salem has an unusual name as the result of a merger between the towns of Salem and Winston. Salem was initially founded in 1753 and was incorporated as a town in 1856. A new city was formed in 1849 that was named Winston. Unlike Salem, Winston was a small town that saw little growth in its earliest years. However, growth soon picked up with the connection through the North Carolina Railroad and the establishment of a tobacco warehouse. By the end of the 1880s, the town had a total of nearly 40 tobacco factories.
The post office referred to the neighboring towns as Winston-Salem, which led to the establishment of a separate post office in the late 19th century. In 1913, the municipalities were merged and incorporated as Winston-Salem. In the 1920s, Winston-Salem’s population had grown so large that it was the largest city in the state.
After the merger, tobacco continued to play a significant role in the area. The Reynolds family operated R. J. Reynolds Tobacco, which employed many of the town’s workers. The Reynolds Building, which served as headquarters for the company, was the tallest building in the country at the time it was built in 1929. The company also purchased land to build 180 houses that it turned around and sold to its workers. Today, the city still remains one of the primary manufacturing centers for Reynolds brand cigarettes.
The city only continued to grow in the years that followed. In the 1930s, the first Krispy Kreme was opened in Winston-Salem, and the city remains home to the company’s corporate headquarters today. Other businesses have made their way into Winston-Salem, which is the location of corporate headquarters for companies including Lowes Foods, Hanesbrands and Blue Rhino. Though the city’s economy was formerly centered on textiles and tobacco, more recently nanotech, biotech and high-tech fields have grown in population. Medical research is also a growing industry, with the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center growing to become the largest employer in the city.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Winston-Salem was:
2019 and 2020 population is estimated by projecting the raw 2018 numbers.
Year | Total Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 685,766 | 4,879 | 0.71% |
2020 | 680,887 | 4,879 | 0.72% |
2019 | 676,008 | 4,879 | 0.72% |
2018 | 671,129 | 4,489 | 0.67% |
2017 | 666,640 | 5,616 | 0.84% |
2016 | 661,024 | 4,747 | 0.72% |
2015 | 656,277 | 3,027 | 0.46% |
2014 | 653,250 | 3,349 | 0.51% |
2013 | 649,901 | 3,107 | 0.48% |
2012 | 646,794 | 2,528 | 0.39% |
2011 | 644,266 | 3,021 | 0.47% |
2010 | 641,245 | 0.00% |
Race | Population | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White | 138,191 | 56.61% |
Black or African American | 85,157 | 34.88% |
Two or More Races | 6,914 | 2.83% |
Some Other Race | 6,907 | 2.83% |
Asian | 6,115 | 2.50% |
American Indian and Alaska Native | 613 | 0.25% |
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 218 | 0.09% |
Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
---|---|---|---|
All | 94,957 | 2.46 | 53.5 |
Non Family | 39,373 | 1.2 | 42.5 |
Married | 36,355 | 3.24 | 73.5 |
Female | 15,018 | 3.61 | 38.2 |
Male | 4,211 | 3.34 | 37.9 |
3.26
Average Family Size
2.46
Average Household Size
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 8,014 | 5.05% |
9th to 12th Grade | 10,628 | 6.70% |
High School Graduate | 39,527 | 24.91% |
Some College | 34,045 | 21.46% |
Associates Degree | 11,699 | 7.37% |
Bachelors Degree | 32,959 | 20.77% |
Graduate Degree | 21,781 | 13.73% |
Name | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 82,476 | 77,961 | 37,847 |
Black | 53,522 | 47,016 | 11,215 |
Hispanic | 16,617 | 9,661 | 2,246 |
Asian | 4,025 | 3,530 | 2,644 |
Other Race | 3,534 | 1,911 | 420 |
Multiple Races | 2,496 | 2,122 | 761 |
Native American | 401 | 353 | 118 |
Islander | 65 | 27 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 94.53%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 65.69%.
$33,801
Average Earnings
$37,899
Average Male
$31,138
Average Female
82.70% of Winston-Salem residents speak only English, while 17.30% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 13.34% of the population.
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Black | 80,606 | 21,895 | 27.16% |
Hispanic | 36,193 | 13,532 | 37.39% |
White | 107,149 | 11,455 | 10.69% |
Other | 6,884 | 2,160 | 31.38% |
Multiple | 6,608 | 1,816 | 27.48% |
Asian | 5,436 | 409 | 7.52% |
Islander | 218 | 186 | 85.32% |
Native | 613 | 107 | 17.46% |
20.72%
Overall Poverty Rate
18.80%
Male Poverty Rate
22.41%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Winston-Salem is Islander, with 85.32% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Winston-Salem is Asian, with 7.52% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.59%. Among those working part-time, it was 22.89%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 28.76%.
39.9%
Overall Marriage Rate
43.6%
Male Marriage Rate
36.7%
Female Marriage Rate
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 7,632 | 7.03% |
Black | 4,491 | 6.99% |
Hispanic | 479 | 2.33% |
2 or More | 344 | 10.71% |
Indian | 89 | 17.05% |
Other | 80 | 1.96% |
Hawaiian | 11 | 8.40% |
8.68%
Veteran Poverty Rate
20.58%
Veteran Disability Rate
60.7%
Labor Force Participation
56.9%
Employment Rate
6%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
90.14%
Native Born
9.86%
Foreign Born
6.45%
Non Citizen
3.41%
Naturalized
90.14% of Winston-Salem residents were born in the United States, with 57.87% having been born in North Carolina. 6.45% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 250,765 | 1,410 | 0.57% |
2020 | 249,355 | 1,410 | 0.57% |
2019 | 247,945 | 1,410 | 0.57% |
2018 | 246,535 | 2,034 | 0.83% |
2017 | 244,501 | 2,725 | 1.13% |
2016 | 241,776 | 2,021 | 0.84% |
2015 | 239,755 | 1,277 | 0.54% |
2014 | 238,478 | 2,750 | 1.17% |
2013 | 235,728 | 1,861 | 0.80% |
2012 | 233,867 | 2,000 | 0.86% |
2011 | 231,867 | 1,845 | 0.80% |
2010 | 230,022 | 44,246 | 2.16% |
2000 | 185,776 | 42,291 | 2.62% |
1990 | 143,485 | 11,600 | 0.85% |
1980 | 131,885 | -1,798 | -0.14% |
1970 | 133,683 | 22,548 | 1.86% |
1960 | 111,135 | 23,324 | 2.38% |
1950 | 87,811 | 7,996 | 0.96% |
1940 | 79,815 | 4,541 | 0.59% |
1930 | 75,274 | 26,879 | 4.52% |
1920 | 48,395 | 25,695 | 7.86% |
1910 | 22,700 | 9,000 | 5.18% |
1900 | 13,700 | 3,000 | 2.50% |
1890 | 10,700 | 6,600 | 10.07% |
1880 | 4,100 | 3,700 | 26.20% |
1870 | 400 | 0.00% |