Kinston is a city located in Lenoir County North Carolina. Kinston has a 2024 population of 19,296. Kinston is currently declining at a rate of -0.59% annually and its population has decreased by -2.33% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 19,756 in 2020.
The average household income in Kinston is $53,195 with a poverty rate of 28.89%. The median age in Kinston is 42.9 years: 36 years for males, and 45.7 years for females.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Kinston was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 12,897 | 65.88% |
| White | 4,858 | 24.82% |
| Two or more races | 1,142 | 5.83% |
| Asian | 301 | 1.54% |
| Other race | 298 | 1.52% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 48 | 0.25% |
| Native American | 32 | 0.16% |
Black or African American
White
Two or more races
Asian
Other race
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Native American
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 8,827 | 2.13 | 42.2 | 57.8 |
| Non Family | 4,607 | 1.2 | 39.4 | 60.6 |
| Female | 2,184 | 3.13 | 26.9 | 73.1 |
| Married | 1,855 | 3.14 | 69.6 | 30.4 |
| Male | 181 | 3.11 | 16.6 | 83.4 |
3.05
Average Family Size
2.13
Average Household Size
42.2%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 1,857 | 13.86% |
| Associates Degree | 1,196 | 8.92% |
| Bachelors Degree | 1,251 | 9.34% |
| Graduate Degree | 907 | 6.77% |
| High School Graduate | 4,643 | 34.65% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 659 | 4.92% |
| Some College | 2,888 | 21.55% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 8,500 | 6,745 | 1,015 |
| White | 3,914 | 3,368 | 920 |
| 2+ Races | 384 | 338 | 67 |
| Hispanic | 357 | 266 | 30 |
| Other Race | 231 | 157 | 55 |
| Asian | 214 | 133 | 101 |
| Islander | 48 | 48 | 0 |
| Native American | 14 | 0 | 0 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 47.2%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $52,963 | $57,857 | $37,348 |
| Graduate Degree | $51,842 | $61,729 | $48,702 |
| High School Graduate | $33,042 | $38,529 | $25,702 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $19,725 | $14,402 | $30,806 |
| Overall | $34,040 | $41,746 | $30,051 |
| Some College | $30,689 | $41,042 | $28,349 |
$34,040
Average Earnings
$41,746
Average Male
$30,051
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
95.55% of Kinston residents speak only English, while 4.45% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 2.61% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 12,558 | 4,112 | 32.74% |
| White | 4,436 | 983 | 22.16% |
| Multiple | 1,083 | 260 | 24.01% |
| Hispanic | 496 | 110 | 22.18% |
| Asian | 274 | 21 | 7.66% |
| Native | 32 | 14 | 43.75% |
| Other | 298 | 9 | 3.02% |
28.89%
Overall Poverty Rate
25.67%
Male Poverty Rate
31.63%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Kinston is Native, with 43.75% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Kinston is Other, with 3.02% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 8.92%. Among those working part-time, it was 25.27%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 36.37%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 37.52% |
| High School | 26.74% |
| Some College | 22.09% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 13.45% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Female Unemployed | 54.27% |
| Male Unemployed | 34.48% |
| Female Employed | 14.12% |
| Male Employed | 10.65% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $50,625 | $72,216 |
| Households | $35,250 | $53,195 |
| Married Families | $84,269 | $-999,999,999 |
| Non Families | $26,503 | $34,386 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
27.4%
Overall Marriage Rate
30.1%
Male Marriage Rate
25.2%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
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 45-54.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
1,482
Number of Veterans
1,305
Male Veterans
177
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 592 |
| First Gulf War | 303 |
| Second Gulf War | 248 |
| Korea | 119 |
| World War II | 15 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 75+ | 466 |
| 35 to 54 | 358 |
| 65 to 74 | 339 |
| 55 to 64 | 292 |
| 18 to 34 | 27 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Black | 1,088 | 11.34% |
| White | 306 | 7.08% |
| 2+ Races | 88 | 19.26% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
16.59%
Veteran Poverty Rate
49.42%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
50.6%
Labor Force Participation
43.6%
Employment Rate
13.2%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
73.72%
Born in Kinston
96.35%
Native Born
3.65%
Foreign Born
1.85%
Non Citizen
1.8%
Naturalized
96.35% of Kinston residents were born in the United States, with 73.72% having been born in North Carolina. 1.85% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Europe.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 18,721 | -115 | -0.61% |
| 2028 | 18,836 | -115 | -0.61% |
| 2027 | 18,951 | -115 | -0.6% |
| 2026 | 19,066 | -115 | -0.6% |
| 2025 | 19,181 | -115 | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 19,296 | -115 | -0.59% |
| 2023 | 19,411 | 129 | 0.67% |
| 2022 | 19,282 | -212 | -1.09% |
| 2021 | 19,494 | -262 | -1.33% |
| 2020 | 19,756 | -312 | -1.55% |
| 2019 | 20,068 | 10 | 0.05% |
| 2018 | 20,058 | -278 | -1.37% |
| 2017 | 20,336 | -225 | -1.09% |
| 2016 | 20,561 | -482 | -2.29% |
| 2015 | 21,043 | -83 | -0.39% |
| 2014 | 21,126 | -212 | -0.99% |
| 2013 | 21,338 | -201 | -0.93% |
| 2012 | 21,539 | -103 | -0.48% |
| 2011 | 21,642 | -75 | -0.35% |
| 2010 | 21,717 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 23,688 | -1,607 | -6.35% |
| 1990 | 25,295 | 61 | 0.24% |
| 1980 | 25,234 | 2,214 | 9.62% |
| 1970 | 23,020 | -1,799 | -7.25% |
| 1960 | 24,819 | 6,483 | 35.36% |
| 1950 | 18,336 | 2,948 | 19.16% |
| 1940 | 15,388 | 4,026 | 35.43% |
| 1930 | 11,362 | 1,591 | 16.28% |
| 1920 | 9,771 | 2,776 | 39.69% |
| 1910 | 6,995 | 2,889 | 70.36% |
| 1900 | 4,106 | -14,615 | -78.07% |