Official Federal Data
Johnston County, North Carolina
FIPS 37101 · Raleigh-Cary, NC · Population 234,263
9 Sources
Updated June 22, 2026
$83,384 ▲
Median Income
$80,734 national
3.2% ▲
Unemployment
4% national
$11.6B ▲
GDP
28.9% ▲
Bachelor's+
35.7% national
Demographics & Population
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates
Household Income
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$83,384 ▲
Per Capita
$38,897 ▲
Mean Household
$103,515 ▲
Poverty Rate
10.6% ▼
Median Income Comparison
Johnston County$83,384
North Carolina$72,388
National$80,734
Population Profile
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
Cohorts
Under 18 · 24.9%
18-34 · 20.9%
35-54 · 28%
55-64 · 12.5%
65+ · 13.7%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.
Educational Attainment
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
90.5%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▲ +0.9 pts
28.9%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▼ 6.8 pts
8.3%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▼ 5.8 pts
Employment Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
234,263
Population
121,065
Labor Force
Employed
116,197
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
3.2% ▲ +0.1 pts YoY
Mean Commute 6 min above national avg
32.2 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
14.7%
Key Takeaways
- Talent gap: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment trails the national average by 6.8 pts, relevant for advanced-services attraction strategy.
Economy & Industry
Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis
Key Takeaways
- Largest sector: Retail Trade employs 8,713 workers (19.2% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $33,731.
- Economic scale: Regional GDP of $11.6B (2024).
- Wage stratification: Manufacturing averages $91,933 while Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation averages $20,696, a 4.4x spread in the same local economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
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Industry Concentration
Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.
Cluster Depth
Source: BLS QCEW · Sub-sectors with LQ ≥ 1.5 indicate genuine cluster concentration
Dominant Cluster
Goods-Producing Cluster
Coherent grouping of concentrated sub-sectors, signals supply-chain fit for site selectors
15,382
Cluster Employment
1.62x
Peak LQ
Concentrated Sub-Sectors
Machinery Manufacturing
4.17x 1,907
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
2.57x 1,135
Specialty Trade Contractors
2.10x 4,608
Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing
2.01x 282
Truck Transportation
1.82x 1,131
Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers
1.74x 838
Health and Personal Care Retailers
1.67x 742
1.62x 15,382
Crop Production
1.60x 356
Food and Beverage Retailers
1.50x 2,045
Attraction Opportunities
LQ < 0.5 with ≥ 50 employed, realistic diversification targets. Source: BLS QCEW
0.17x
Management of Companies and Enterprises
190 employed
0.18x
Securities, Commodity Contracts, Investments
83 employed
0.23x
Telecommunications
57 employed
0.24x
Publishing Industries and Telecommunications
90 employed
Key Takeaways
- Top specialization: Machinery Manufacturing concentrates at 4.17x the national norm, strong concentration that anchors the local economy and supports supply-chain attraction strategy.
- Cluster depth: 10 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base rather than reliance on a single employer or sector.
- Attraction whitespace: 8 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment depending on labor-market fit.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Housing & Affordability
Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026
Housing Overview
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$305,600 ▲
Median Home Value vs 2019
$1,146 ▲
Rent/Mo
76.1% ▲
Owner-Occ
6.2% ▼
Vacancy
3.7x
Home Value to Income Ratio
vs. ~4.1x national average
HUD Fair Market Rents
Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$1,524/mo
1 Bedroom
$1,596/mo
2 Bedroom
$1,750/mo
3 Bedroom
$2,196/mo
4 Bedroom
$2,936/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$2,085/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
- In line with national: Home value to income ratio of 3.7x sits near the ~4.1x national average; affordability is neither a clear advantage nor a recruitment friction.
- High home ownership: 76.1% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
- Affordable rent tiers: 3 of 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom tiers sit below the 30%-of-median-income affordability threshold (~$2,085/mo).
Source: Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.
Workforce Pipeline
Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition
Labor Market Overview
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
143,779 ▲
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 6 min above national avg
32.2 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
14.7%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
81.6%
of prime-age population
▲ vs 2019
Education & Talent Pipeline
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
28.9% ▲
HS Diploma+
90.5% ▲
Regional / Statewide Institutions
Total credentials awarded
47,592/yr
10,279/yr
9,997/yr
8,666/yr
6,984/yr
6,278/yr
5,388/yr
Aging Workforce
Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
20.3%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.
Workforce by Occupation
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
40.1%
Service
15.2%
Sales & Office
19.8%
Construction / Maint.
12.8%
Production / Transport
12.2%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 116,197 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
- Talent pipeline: 6 regional institutions feed the workforce; the top three combined produce 28,942 annual credentials.
Source: ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.
AI Insights
AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 9 federal data sources
Sample AI Insight
Johnston County shows meaningful potential for machinery manufacturing attraction, with a 4.17x concentration and 1,907 jobs in this sub-sector.
The interconnected base across machinery manufacturing, gasoline stations and fuel dealers, and specialty trade contractors creates supply-chain attraction leverage rather than single-employer risk, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.
Industry Shift Analysis
Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100
Prospect Match Scores
Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example
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Data Sources
Updated from official federal government data.
Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025 annual
BLS LAUS (via FRED)2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2023
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
College ScorecardAY 2022-23
Frequently Asked Questions
Key economic and demographic figures for Johnston County, North Carolina, from federal data sources.
What is the population of Johnston County, North Carolina?
234,263 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the median household income in Johnston County, North Carolina?
$83,384 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Johnston County, North Carolina?
3.2% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).
What is the GDP of Johnston County, North Carolina?
$11.6B (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP1).
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