Kannapolis, NC

City in NC, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

57,890

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

Median Age

36.9

years ∙ half population younger than 36.9, half older

Diversity Index

62.2%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

9.6%

foreign-born population

90.4%Native

9.6% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Kannapolis is a city within Cabarrus and Rowan counties, North Carolina, United States.

Location

City in NC, US

Co-ordinates

DEC35.479281° N, 80.638032° W

DMS35° 28′ 45.41″ N, 80° 38′ 16.92″ W

Population Density & area

1,659/sq mi (639.7/km²)

Total Area

35.7 sq mi (92.6 km²)

Land Area

34.9 sq mi (90.5 km²) · 97.8%

Water Area

0.8 sq mi (2.1 km²) · 2.2%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

50.6% male

Male 50.6%

Female 49.4%

males per 100 females

Kannapolis 102.5

North Carolina 95.6

United States 98

Nativity

9.6%

foreign-born population

90.4%Native

9.6% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Kannapolis 9.6%

North Carolina 9.1%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

36.9

years ∙ half population younger than 36.9, half older

Kannapolis

36.9

North Carolina

39.1

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

58.4

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Kannapolis 58.4

North Carolina 63.8

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Kannapolis	North Carolina	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	22.3%	21.8%	22%
Working age (18-64)	63.2%	61%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	14.5%	17.2%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	58.4	63.8	64.4
Child dependency ratio	35.4	35.6	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	23	28.2	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

55.5%

Black

21.9%

Asian

3.2%

Hispanic

13.4%

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

62.2%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Kannapolis 62.2%

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 Kannapolis population

	Kannapolis	North Carolina	United States
Hispanic or Latino	13.4%	11.3%	19.3%
Mexican	6%	5.6%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	2.4%	1.3%	1.8%
Cuban	0.1%	0.3%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	5%	4.1%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	86.6%	88.7%	80.7%
One race	81.2%	84.6%	76.4%
White	55.5%	60%	57.4%
Black or African American	21.9%	20%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.1%	0.8%	0.5%
Asian	3.2%	3.3%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0.2%	0.1%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.4%	0.5%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	5.4%	4.1%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

69.2% family

Family 69.2%

Non family 30.8%

% family households

Kannapolis 69.2%

North Carolina 64.3%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.56

persons per household

Kannapolis

2.56

North Carolina

2.44

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Kannapolis population

	Kannapolis	North Carolina	United States
Total households	22,509	4,282,345	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.56	2.44	2.53
Family households	15,581	2,753,022	82,990,528
Average family size	3.08	3.03	3.14
Married couple family	11,343	2,021,951	60,637,388
Other families	4,238	731,071	22,353,140
Male householder	955	195,051	6,572,819
Female householder	3,283	536,020	15,780,321
Non-family households	6,928	1,529,323	46,236,968
One-person households	5,534	1,258,822	37,140,836
Male householder	2,383	544,050	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	502	160,332	5,225,110
Female householder	3,151	714,772	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	1,307	342,051	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	1,394	270,501	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

25,395

housing units

Kannapolis 25,395

North Carolina 4,895,668

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

88.6% occupied

Occupied 88.6%

Vacant 11.4%

vacancy rate

Kannapolis 11.4%

North Carolina 12.5%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

79.5%

Single family houses

79.5%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

17.1%

Mobile homes

3.5%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1990

Half of houses were built before 1990, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

10.6%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

26.4%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

22.2%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

40.6%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Kannapolis	North Carolina	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.1	5.6	5.5
1–3 rooms	15.8%	11.4%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	56.7%	54.9%	51.6%
7+ rooms	27.7%	33.6%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	3.5%	1.9%	2.9%
1 bedroom	7%	7.1%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	31.3%	23.8%	25%
3 bedrooms	40.6%	46.2%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	17.7%	21%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1990	1992	1981
Total housing units	25,395	4,895,668	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

65.6% owners

Renter-occupied 34.4%

Owner-occupied 65.6%

homeownership rate

Kannapolis 65.6%

North Carolina 66.6%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.64

Owner-occupied

2.42

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Kannapolis 2.64

North Carolina 2.54

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Kannapolis	North Carolina	United States
Total occupied units	22,509	4,282,345	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	32.8%	26.2%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	40.1%	39.2%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	12.2%	16.2%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	14.9%	18.5%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	96.6%	97.8%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	1.5%	1.5%	2.2%
1.51 or more	2%	0.7%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	5.9%	5.3%	8.4%
1 vehicle	32%	31.4%	33.1%
2 vehicles	42.4%	38%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	19.8%	25.2%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	43%	30.5%	51.4%
Electricity	55.9%	65.5%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.6%	2%	3.9%
All other fuels	0.2%	1.3%	2%
No fuel used	0.2%	0.7%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0%	0.3%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.3%	0.6%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0.8%	0.8%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$276,400

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Kannapolis

$276,400

North Carolina

$288,900

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

26.2%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

26.2%

Owners without a mortgage

17%

Renters

48.7%

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

	Kannapolis	North Carolina	United States
Property value
Median Value	$276,400	$288,900	$332,700
Under $100,000	9%	12.7%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	15.9%	18.9%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	31.8%	20.5%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	29.6%	28.3%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	12.6%	16.3%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	1.1%	3.3%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	73%	61.3%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	27%	38.7%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,603	$1,631	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$486	$490	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,319	$1,228	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

29.7%

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

Kannapolis 29.7%

North Carolina 35.7%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

9.7%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Kannapolis 9.7%

North Carolina 9.9%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

13,034

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

5.4%

K–12

71.2%

College / Undergraduate

19%

Graduate / Professional

4.5%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

23.4%

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

Kannapolis

23.4%

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

	Kannapolis	North Carolina	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	13,034	2,530,102	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	5.4%	5.3%	5.7%
K–12	71.2%	67.4%	67.6%
Kindergarten	5.6%	4.9%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	19.5%	20%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	24.4%	21%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	21.6%	21.5%	21.7%
College or graduate school	23.5%	27.3%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	19%	21.7%	21%
Graduate, professional school	4.5%	5.6%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	23.4%	39.3%	40.9%
School type
Public school	84.6%	82.3%	82%
Private school	15.4%	17.7%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

40,640

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

5.1%

9th-12th, no diploma

4.6%

HS graduate

27%

Some college no degree

23.8%

Associates degree

9.7%

Bachelors degree

19.1%

Graduate or professional degree

10.6%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

60.1% · 39.9%

9th-12th, no diploma

40.9% · 59.1%

HS graduate

58.3% · 41.7%

Some college no degree

45.9% · 54.1%

Associates degree

43.4% · 56.6%

Bachelors degree

49% · 51%

Graduate or professional degree

41.1% · 58.9%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Kannapolis	North Carolina	United States
Population (25+)	40,640	7,380,330	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	5.1%	3.9%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	4.6%	6%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	27%	24.8%	26%
Some college, no degree	23.8%	19.6%	19.1%
Associate's degree	9.7%	10.1%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	29.7%	35.7%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	19.1%	22.2%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	10.6%	13.5%	14.1%
High School or higher	90.3%	90.1%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$47,034

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$26,834

HS graduate

$38,963

Some college or associates

$44,539

Bachelors degree

$55,425

Graduate or professional degree

$88,707

Poverty Rate

5.9%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

25.7%

HS graduate

13.1%

Some college or associates

7.6%

Bachelors degree or higher

5.9%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Kannapolis	North Carolina	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$47,034	$49,275	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$26,834	$31,234	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$38,963	$37,346	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$44,539	$43,525	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$55,425	$64,395	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$88,707	$80,986	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	25.7%	26.6%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	13.1%	15.2%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	7.6%	10%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	5.9%	4.2%	4.5%

Insights for Kannapolis, 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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