Sanford is a city located in Lee County North Carolina. Sanford has a 2024 population of 32,663. Sanford is currently growing at a rate of 1.87% annually and its population has increased by 7.92% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 30,267 in 2020.
The average household income in Sanford is $71,527 with a poverty rate of 21.51%. The median age in Sanford is 34.6 years: 32.6 years for males, and 36.5 years for females.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Sanford was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 16,821 | 55.38% |
| Black or African American | 7,901 | 26.01% |
| Two or more races | 3,268 | 10.76% |
| Other race | 1,811 | 5.96% |
| Asian | 491 | 1.62% |
| Native American | 81 | 0.27% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 0 | 0% |
White
Black or African American
Two or more races
Other race
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 10,863 | 2.72 | 51.1 | 48.9 |
| Married | 4,435 | 3.34 | 69.9 | 30.1 |
| Non Family | 3,580 | 1.24 | 39.6 | 60.4 |
| Female | 2,223 | 3.59 | 28.7 | 71.3 |
| Male | 625 | 3.76 | 64.3 | 35.7 |
3.28
Average Family Size
2.72
Average Household Size
51.1%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 2,035 | 10.54% |
| Associates Degree | 2,529 | 13.1% |
| Bachelors Degree | 2,882 | 14.93% |
| Graduate Degree | 1,143 | 5.92% |
| High School Graduate | 4,925 | 25.51% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 1,811 | 9.38% |
| Some College | 3,980 | 20.62% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 9,093 | 8,402 | 2,912 |
| Black | 4,996 | 4,426 | 766 |
| Hispanic | 4,626 | 2,111 | 238 |
| 2+ Races | 1,430 | 801 | 163 |
| Other Race | 1,124 | 480 | 41 |
| Asian | 271 | 240 | 34 |
| Native American | 81 | 64 | 18 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 92.4%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 32.02%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $58,750 | $80,038 | $51,959 |
| Graduate Degree | $59,282 | $73,438 | $54,333 |
| High School Graduate | $32,793 | $37,075 | $26,691 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $29,288 | $37,918 | $24,125 |
| Overall | $38,078 | $41,711 | $33,025 |
| Some College | $35,827 | $42,213 | $31,155 |
$38,078
Average Earnings
$41,711
Average Male
$33,025
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
71.42% of Sanford residents speak only English, while 28.58% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 26.3% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 7,584 | 2,381 | 31.4% |
| Hispanic | 8,957 | 2,058 | 22.98% |
| White | 11,869 | 1,790 | 15.08% |
| Other | 1,811 | 595 | 32.85% |
| Multiple | 3,258 | 530 | 16.27% |
| Native | 81 | 3 | 3.7% |
21.51%
Overall Poverty Rate
19.27%
Male Poverty Rate
23.62%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Sanford is Other, with 32.85% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Sanford is Native, with 3.7% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 5.87%. Among those working part-time, it was 25.13%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 32.92%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 27.15% |
| High School | 21.34% |
| Some College | 16.14% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 3.12% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Female Unemployed | 56.65% |
| Male Unemployed | 33.56% |
| Female Employed | 13.55% |
| Male Employed | 8.31% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $61,487 | $81,295 |
| Households | $52,951 | $71,527 |
| Married Families | $76,610 | $-999,999,999 |
| Non Families | $34,761 | $45,428 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
42.9%
Overall Marriage Rate
46.5%
Male Marriage Rate
39.6%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 45-54, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
1,437
Number of Veterans
1,250
Male Veterans
187
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 448 |
| Second Gulf War | 378 |
| First Gulf War | 358 |
| Korea | 112 |
| World War II | 29 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 35 to 54 | 429 |
| 65 to 74 | 360 |
| 55 to 64 | 303 |
| 75+ | 292 |
| 18 to 34 | 53 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,033 | 8.09% |
| Black | 323 | 5.53% |
| Hispanic | 47 | 0.84% |
| Native American | 29 | 45.31% |
| Other Race | 28 | 2.03% |
| Asian | 17 | 5.92% |
| 2+ Races | 7 | 0.42% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
5.01%
Veteran Poverty Rate
31.19%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
63.2%
Labor Force Participation
59.4%
Employment Rate
5.7%
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
59.89%
Born in Sanford
85.73%
Native Born
14.27%
Foreign Born
11.66%
Non Citizen
2.61%
Naturalized
85.73% of Sanford residents were born in the United States, with 59.89% having been born in North Carolina. 11.66% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 35,658 | 599 | 1.71% |
| 2028 | 35,059 | 599 | 1.74% |
| 2027 | 34,460 | 599 | 1.77% |
| 2026 | 33,861 | 599 | 1.8% |
| 2025 | 33,262 | 599 | 1.83% |
| 2024 | 32,663 | 599 | 1.87% |
| 2023 | 32,064 | 790 | 2.53% |
| 2022 | 31,274 | 669 | 2.19% |
| 2021 | 30,605 | 338 | 1.12% |
| 2020 | 30,267 | 193 | 0.64% |
| 2019 | 30,074 | 238 | 0.8% |
| 2018 | 29,836 | 427 | 1.45% |
| 2017 | 29,409 | 317 | 1.09% |
| 2016 | 29,092 | 155 | 0.54% |
| 2015 | 28,937 | -42 | -0.14% |
| 2014 | 28,979 | -197 | -0.68% |
| 2013 | 29,176 | 241 | 0.83% |
| 2012 | 28,935 | 324 | 1.13% |
| 2011 | 28,611 | 378 | 1.34% |
| 2010 | 28,233 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 23,220 | 8,745 | 60.41% |
| 1990 | 14,475 | -298 | -2.02% |
| 1980 | 14,773 | 3,057 | 26.09% |
| 1970 | 11,716 | -537 | -4.38% |
| 1960 | 12,253 | 2,240 | 22.37% |
| 1950 | 10,013 | 5,053 | 101.87% |
| 1940 | 4,960 | 707 | 16.62% |
| 1930 | 4,253 | 1,276 | 42.86% |
| 1920 | 2,977 | 2,577 | 644.25% |
| 1900 | 400 | -35,258 | -98.88% |