Rockingham County, North Carolina

County in NC, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

92,131

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

47.4%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

3.3%

foreign-born population

96.7%Native

3.3% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

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

Location

County in NC, US

Co-ordinates

DEC36.381806° N, 79.782754° W

DMS36° 22′ 54.50″ N, 79° 46′ 57.91″ W

Population Density & area

162.9/sq mi (62.89/km²)

Total Area

572.7 sq mi (1,483.4 km²)

Land Area

565.6 sq mi (1,465 km²) · 98.8%

Water Area

7.1 sq mi (18.4 km²) · 1.2%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

48.8% male

Male 48.8%

Female 51.2%

males per 100 females

Rockingham County 95.2

North Carolina 95.6

United States 98

Nativity

3.3%

foreign-born population

96.7%Native

3.3% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Rockingham County 3.3%

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

Rockingham County

44.7

North Carolina

39.1

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

70.8

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Rockingham County 70.8

North Carolina 63.8

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Rockingham County	North Carolina	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	20.3%	21.8%	22%
Working age (18-64)	58.6%	61%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	21.1%	17.2%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	70.8	63.8	64.4
Child dependency ratio	34.7	35.6	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	36.1	28.2	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

69.9%

Black

17.3%

Asian

0.3%

Hispanic

7.2%

Other

5.3%

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

47.4%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Rockingham County 47.4%

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 Rockingham County population

	Rockingham County	North Carolina	United States
Hispanic or Latino	7.2%	11.3%	19.3%
Mexican	4.7%	5.6%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.5%	1.3%	1.8%
Cuban	0.3%	0.3%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	1.6%	4.1%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	92.8%	88.7%	80.7%
One race	88.5%	84.6%	76.4%
White	69.9%	60%	57.4%
Black or African American	17.3%	20%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.1%	0.8%	0.5%
Asian	0.3%	3.3%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0.2%	0.1%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.7%	0.5%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	4.3%	4.1%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

63.7% family

Family 63.7%

Non family 36.3%

% family households

Rockingham County 63.7%

North Carolina 64.3%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.3

persons per household

Rockingham County

2.3

North Carolina

2.44

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Rockingham County population

	Rockingham County	North Carolina	United States
Total households	39,606	4,282,345	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.3	2.44	2.53
Family households	25,244	2,753,022	82,990,528
Average family size	2.83	3.03	3.14
Married couple family	18,044	2,021,951	60,637,388
Other families	7,200	731,071	22,353,140
Male householder	2,107	195,051	6,572,819
Female householder	5,093	536,020	15,780,321
Non-family households	14,362	1,529,323	46,236,968
One-person households	12,362	1,258,822	37,140,836
Male householder	5,252	544,050	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	2,088	160,332	5,225,110
Female householder	7,110	714,772	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	3,937	342,051	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	2,000	270,501	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

43,868

housing units

Rockingham County 43,868

North Carolina 4,895,668

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

90.3% occupied

Occupied 90.3%

Vacant 9.7%

vacancy rate

Rockingham County 9.7%

North Carolina 12.5%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

72.7%

Single family houses

72.7%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

10.6%

Mobile homes

16.4%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.2%

Median Year Built

1979

Half of houses were built before 1979, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

27.3%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

44.1%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

19.5%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Rockingham County	North Carolina	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.5	5.6	5.5
1–3 rooms	9%	11.4%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	63.1%	54.9%	51.6%
7+ rooms	27.9%	33.6%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.7%	1.9%	2.9%
1 bedroom	6.6%	7.1%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	27%	23.8%	25%
3 bedrooms	53%	46.2%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	11.7%	21%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1979	1992	1981
Total housing units	43,868	4,895,668	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

72.1% owners

Renter-occupied 27.9%

Owner-occupied 72.1%

homeownership rate

Rockingham County 72.1%

North Carolina 66.6%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.42

Owner-occupied

1.98

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Rockingham County 2.42

North Carolina 2.54

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Rockingham County	North Carolina	United States
Total occupied units	39,606	4,282,345	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	17.4%	26.2%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	34.9%	39.2%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	17.2%	16.2%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	30.5%	18.5%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.3%	97.8%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0.4%	1.5%	2.2%
1.51 or more	1.3%	0.7%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	6.7%	5.3%	8.4%
1 vehicle	29.2%	31.4%	33.1%
2 vehicles	33.2%	38%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	31%	25.2%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	28.4%	30.5%	51.4%
Electricity	64.8%	65.5%	41.3%
Solar	0.1%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	2.5%	2%	3.9%
All other fuels	3.5%	1.3%	2%
No fuel used	0.6%	0.7%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.8%	0.3%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	1.6%	0.6%	0.8%
No telephone service available	1%	0.8%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$168,600

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Rockingham County

$168,600

North Carolina

$288,900

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

25.5%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

25.5%

Owners without a mortgage

10.3%

Renters

50.9%

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

	Rockingham County	North Carolina	United States
Property value
Median Value	$168,600	$288,900	$332,700
Under $100,000	26.6%	12.7%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	32.7%	18.9%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	21.1%	20.5%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	15.1%	28.3%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	3.7%	16.3%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	0.9%	3.3%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	53.7%	61.3%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	46.3%	38.7%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,214	$1,631	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$402	$490	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$810	$1,228	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

17%

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

Rockingham County 17%

North Carolina 35.7%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

14.5%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Rockingham County 14.5%

North Carolina 9.9%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

17,967

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

3.1%

K–12

79.5%

College / Undergraduate

14.1%

Graduate / Professional

3.2%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

22.7%

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

Rockingham County

22.7%

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

	Rockingham County	North Carolina	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	17,967	2,530,102	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	3.1%	5.3%	5.7%
K–12	79.5%	67.4%	67.6%
Kindergarten	6.8%	4.9%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	23.9%	20%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	24.9%	21%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	24%	21.5%	21.7%
College or graduate school	17.3%	27.3%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	14.1%	21.7%	21%
Graduate, professional school	3.2%	5.6%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	22.7%	39.3%	40.9%
School type
Public school	83.6%	82.3%	82%
Private school	16.4%	17.7%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

66,720

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

4.1%

9th-12th, no diploma

10.4%

HS graduate

33.5%

Some college no degree

24%

Associates degree

11.1%

Bachelors degree

11.3%

Graduate or professional degree

5.7%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

50.5% · 49.5%

9th-12th, no diploma

54.5% · 45.5%

HS graduate

48.6% · 51.4%

Some college no degree

49.4% · 50.6%

Associates degree

44.7% · 55.3%

Bachelors degree

39.3% · 60.7%

Graduate or professional degree

43% · 57%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Rockingham County	North Carolina	United States
Population (25+)	66,720	7,380,330	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	4.1%	3.9%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	10.4%	6%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	33.5%	24.8%	26%
Some college, no degree	24%	19.6%	19.1%
Associate's degree	11.1%	10.1%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17%	35.7%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	11.3%	22.2%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	5.7%	13.5%	14.1%
High School or higher	85.5%	90.1%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$43,699

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$34,570

HS graduate

$38,166

Some college or associates

$44,897

Bachelors degree

$51,614

Graduate or professional degree

$66,550

Poverty Rate

5.8%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

22.8%

HS graduate

15.6%

Some college or associates

13.3%

Bachelors degree or higher

5.8%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Rockingham County	North Carolina	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$43,699	$49,275	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$34,570	$31,234	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$38,166	$37,346	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$44,897	$43,525	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$51,614	$64,395	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$66,550	$80,986	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	22.8%	26.6%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	15.6%	15.2%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	13.3%	10%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	5.8%	4.2%	4.5%

Insights for Rockingham 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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