Bladen County, North Carolina

County in NC, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

29,566

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

44.7

years ∙ half population younger than 44.7, half older

Diversity Index

60.2%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

3.8%

foreign-born population

96.2%Native

3.8% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Bladen County is a county in North Carolina, United States.

Location

County in NC, US

Co-ordinates

DEC34.591938° N, 78.539489° W

DMS34° 35′ 30.98″ N, 78° 32′ 22.16″ W

Population Density & area

33.79/sq mi (13.05/km²)

Total Area

887.8 sq mi (2,299.1 km²)

Land Area

875 sq mi (2,266.1 km²) · 98.6%

Water Area

12.8 sq mi (33 km²) · 1.4%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

48.3% male

Male 48.3%

Female 51.7%

males per 100 females

Bladen County 93.4

North Carolina 95.6

United States 98

Nativity

3.8%

foreign-born population

96.2%Native

3.8% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Bladen County 3.8%

North Carolina 9.1%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

44.7

years ∙ half population younger than 44.7, half older

Bladen County

44.7

North Carolina

39.1

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

78.8

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Bladen County 78.8

North Carolina 63.8

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Bladen County	North Carolina	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	20.6%	21.8%	22%
Working age (18-64)	55.9%	61%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	23.5%	17.2%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	78.8	63.8	64.4
Child dependency ratio	36.9	35.6	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	41.9	28.2	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

53.4%

Black

32.1%

Asian

0.2%

Hispanic

9.3%

Other

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

60.2%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Bladen County 60.2%

North Carolina 58.4%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Bladen County population

	Bladen County	North Carolina	United States
Hispanic or Latino	9.3%	11.3%	19.3%
Mexican	3.9%	5.6%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.8%	1.3%	1.8%
Cuban	0.3%	0.3%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	4.3%	4.1%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	90.7%	88.7%	80.7%
One race	88.3%	84.6%	76.4%
White	53.4%	60%	57.4%
Black or African American	32.1%	20%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	2.4%	0.8%	0.5%
Asian	0.2%	3.3%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0.1%	0.1%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.2%	0.5%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	2.4%	4.1%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

62.9% family

Family 62.9%

Non family 37.1%

% family households

Bladen County 62.9%

North Carolina 64.3%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.46

persons per household

Bladen County

2.46

North Carolina

2.44

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Bladen County population

	Bladen County	North Carolina	United States
Total households	11,824	4,282,345	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.46	2.44	2.53
Family households	7,441	2,753,022	82,990,528
Average family size	3.19	3.03	3.14
Married couple family	5,068	2,021,951	60,637,388
Other families	2,373	731,071	22,353,140
Male householder	505	195,051	6,572,819
Female householder	1,868	536,020	15,780,321
Non-family households	4,383	1,529,323	46,236,968
One-person households	4,070	1,258,822	37,140,836
Male householder	1,825	544,050	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	703	160,332	5,225,110
Female householder	2,245	714,772	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	1,408	342,051	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	313	270,501	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

15,286

housing units

Bladen County 15,286

North Carolina 4,895,668

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

77.4% occupied

Occupied 77.4%

Vacant 22.6%

vacancy rate

Bladen County 22.6%

North Carolina 12.5%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

62.3%

Single family houses

62.3%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

5.9%

Mobile homes

31.6%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.1%

Median Year Built

1983

Half of houses were built before 1983, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

3.2%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

21.7%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

53.7%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

21.3%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Bladen County	North Carolina	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.7	5.6	5.5
1–3 rooms	7.2%	11.4%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	58%	54.9%	51.6%
7+ rooms	34.8%	33.6%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.4%	1.9%	2.9%
1 bedroom	4.3%	7.1%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	23.3%	23.8%	25%
3 bedrooms	54.2%	46.2%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	16.8%	21%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1983	1992	1981
Total housing units	15,286	4,895,668	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

69.2% owners

Renter-occupied 30.8%

Owner-occupied 69.2%

homeownership rate

Bladen County 69.2%

North Carolina 66.6%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.54

Owner-occupied

2.3

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Bladen County 2.54

North Carolina 2.54

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Bladen County	North Carolina	United States
Total occupied units	11,824	4,282,345	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	17.8%	26.2%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	34.2%	39.2%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	18.7%	16.2%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	29.4%	18.5%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.5%	97.8%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0.7%	1.5%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.9%	0.7%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	7.8%	5.3%	8.4%
1 vehicle	25.2%	31.4%	33.1%
2 vehicles	36.1%	38%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	30.9%	25.2%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	21.6%	30.5%	51.4%
Electricity	75.1%	65.5%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.6%	2%	3.9%
All other fuels	1.8%	1.3%	2%
No fuel used	0.9%	0.7%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.6%	0.3%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.5%	0.6%	0.8%
No telephone service available	1.2%	0.8%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$135,100

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Bladen County

$135,100

North Carolina

$288,900

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

34.5%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

34.5%

Owners without a mortgage

16.4%

Renters

51.3%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Bladen County	North Carolina	United States
Property value
Median Value	$135,100	$288,900	$332,700
Under $100,000	35.4%	12.7%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	28.3%	18.9%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	19.9%	20.5%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	12.9%	28.3%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	2.3%	16.3%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	1.2%	3.3%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	34.1%	61.3%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	65.9%	38.7%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,281	$1,631	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$478	$490	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$773	$1,228	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

19.5%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Bladen County 19.5%

North Carolina 35.7%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

11.4%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Bladen County 11.4%

North Carolina 9.9%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

5,793

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

3.6%

K–12

81.9%

College / Undergraduate

12.6%

Graduate / Professional

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

19.4%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Bladen County

19.4%

North Carolina

39.3%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Bladen County	North Carolina	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	5,793	2,530,102	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	3.6%	5.3%	5.7%
K–12	81.9%	67.4%	67.6%
Kindergarten	5.6%	4.9%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	23.6%	20%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	26.3%	21%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	26.4%	21.5%	21.7%
College or graduate school	14.6%	27.3%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	12.6%	21.7%	21%
Graduate, professional school	2%	5.6%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	19.4%	39.3%	40.9%
School type
Public school	87.9%	82.3%	82%
Private school	12.1%	17.7%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

21,282

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

3.5%

9th-12th, no diploma

7.9%

HS graduate

34.3%

Some college no degree

22.3%

Associates degree

12.4%

Bachelors degree

13.6%

Graduate or professional degree

5.9%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

63.5% · 36.5%

9th-12th, no diploma

61.6% · 38.4%

HS graduate

49.5% · 50.5%

Some college no degree

45% · 55%

Associates degree

36.5% · 63.5%

Bachelors degree

39.6% · 60.4%

Graduate or professional degree

44.6% · 55.4%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Bladen County	North Carolina	United States
Population (25+)	21,282	7,380,330	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	3.5%	3.9%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	7.9%	6%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	34.3%	24.8%	26%
Some college, no degree	22.3%	19.6%	19.1%
Associate's degree	12.4%	10.1%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.5%	35.7%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	13.6%	22.2%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	5.9%	13.5%	14.1%
High School or higher	88.6%	90.1%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$39,977

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$30,116

HS graduate

$37,633

Some college or associates

$36,924

Bachelors degree

$60,672

Graduate or professional degree

$57,938

Poverty Rate

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

31.4%

HS graduate

21.1%

Some college or associates

14.9%

Bachelors degree or higher

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Bladen County	North Carolina	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$39,977	$49,275	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$30,116	$31,234	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$37,633	$37,346	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$36,924	$43,525	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$60,672	$64,395	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$57,938	$80,986	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	31.4%	26.6%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	21.1%	15.2%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	14.9%	10%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	6%	4.2%	4.5%

Insights for Bladen County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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