Riverbend, Gaston County, North Carolina Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Riverbend, North Carolina, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Riverbend, North Carolina. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Riverbend, North Carolina. The estimated population of Riverbend, North Carolina is 29,742 people, with a median age of 42.7.

We can look at the total population in Riverbend over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
29,742
+1.92%
+8.44%
2020
29,182
+1.96%
-
2019
28,621
+0.5%
-
2018
28,480
+3.84%
-
2017
27,426
- -

Population of Riverbend, North Carolina by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
76.3%
81.7%
-6.61%
Black/African American
13.3%
11.6%
+14.66%
Native
0%
0.6%
-100.00%
Hispanic
3.7%
2.7%
+37.04%
Asian
3.3%
0.7%
+371.43%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0.2%
0.1%
+100.00%
Two Or More Races
2.8%
1.3%
+115.38%
Other
0.3%
1.4%
-78.57%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Riverbend, North Carolina by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 42.7 +3.64% 41.5 +5.06% 43.4 +1.88%
2020 41.2 -0.72% 39.5 -1% 42.6 -1.39%
2019 41.5 -0.24% 39.9 -1.24% 43.2 +0.93%
2018 41.6 +3.23% 40.4 +2.28% 42.8 +4.14%
2017 40.3 - 39.5 - 41.1 -

The median age of Riverbend, North Carolina gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 1,619 +11.83% 1,754 -20.57% 1,810 1,410
10 to 19 1,680 +2.27% 1,691 0.62% 1,715 1,681
20 to 29 1,361 +30.01% 1,551 +12.06% 1,794 1,718
30 to 39 1,982 -0.58% 1,987 -6.71% 1,961 1,856
40 to 49 1,927 -2.78% 2,195 0.2% 1,844 2,187
50 to 59 1,784 +23.29% 1,974 +21.6% 2,234 2,424
60 to 69 1,567 +26.18% 1,605 +28.04% 2,014 2,097
70+ 1,142 +24.53% 1,607 -0.55% 1,431 1,566

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Riverbend, North Carolina is $63,915.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Riverbend.

  • Under 25
    $35,000.00
  • 25 to 44
    $74,200.00
  • 45 to 64
    $80,846.00
  • 65 and over
    $40,014.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Riverbend, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Riverbend, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Riverbend, North Carolina is currently $84,124.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

5.16% of households in Riverbend are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Riverbend against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    14.77%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    22.22%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    19.63%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    13.26%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    17.08%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    7.89%
  • $200,000 or more
    5.16%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Riverbend is $33,642.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Riverbend by the total population of Riverbend.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Riverbend, North Carolina, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Riverbend to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    11.72%
  • Bachelor's degree
    33.78%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    13.22%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    38.93%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.35%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Riverbend that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Riverbend over the age of 16 is 24,243.

Of those people, a total of 65.40% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Riverbend is 60.20%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 1,117 41.80% 31.90%
20 to 24 years 1,633 80.50% 21.60%
25 to 29 years 1,879 89.50% 7.60%
30 to 34 years 1,740 86.30% 1.10%
35 to 44 years 3,848 81.50% 6.10%
45 to 54 years 4,755 86.20% 5.80%
55 to 59 years 2,163 66.90% 1.10%
60 to 64 years 2,309 62.30% 4.30%
65 to 74 years 3,202 19.30% 1.10%
75 years and over 1,597 9.30% 7.40%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Riverbend. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 19,433 63.70% 6.00%
Black or African American 3,108 75.20% 9.10%
American Indian and Alaska Native 17 76.50% 0.00%
Asian 739 72.80% 4.50%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 64 65.60% 100.00%
Other 117 88.00% 13.60%
Two or more races 765 57.50% 16.10%
Hispanic or Latino 765 69.00% 6.80%
Not Hispanic or Latino 19,080 63.30% 6.10%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Riverbend as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Riverbend is 14,596, with median earnings of $43,360.00.

Women in Riverbend, North Carolina earning approximately 72.80% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 14,596 $43,360.00
Male 7,641 $49,263.00
Female 6,955 $35,865.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 1,925 $61,806.00
Business and Financial 965 $66,203.00
Computer and Mathematical 441 $79,145.00
Architecture and Engineering 311 $73,843.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 72 $45,921.00
Community and Social Service 190 $42,045.00
Legal 167 $65,919.00
Educational and Library 709 $38,162.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 106 $40,526.00
Healthcare Practitioners 741 $63,049.00
Healthcare Support 350 $29,028.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 180 $39,500.00
Law Enforcement 84 $52,069.00
Food Preparation and Serving 657 $12,095.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 301 $24,970.00
Personal Care and Service 402 $37,895.00
Sales 1,489 $30,193.00
Office and Administrative Support 1,632 $33,808.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 795 $33,090.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 877 $50,430.00
Production 1,020 $47,545.00
Transportation and Material Moving 657 $40,160.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 1,153 $69,375.00 772 $54,580.00
Business and Financial 383 $86,034.00 582 $61,458.00
Computer and Mathematical 281 $74,669.00 160 $90,561.00
Architecture and Engineering 272 $74,444.00 39 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 30 $37,344.00 42 $46,053.00
Community and Social Service 59 $66,563.00 131 $40,114.00
Legal 4 $0.00 163 $65,908.00
Educational and Library 83 $42,831.00 626 $37,554.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 57 $32,292.00 49 $40,592.00
Healthcare Practitioners 71 $54,306.00 670 $63,144.00
Healthcare Support 32 $0.00 318 $27,917.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 92 $39,375.00 88 $39,643.00
Law Enforcement 74 $53,750.00 10 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 323 $13,984.00 334 $11,295.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 296 $24,817.00 5 $0.00
Personal Care and Service 168 $68,279.00 234 $22,241.00
Sales 701 $44,082.00 788 $15,313.00
Office and Administrative Support 251 $45,139.00 1,381 $31,720.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 653 $40,787.00 142 $30,357.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 877 $50,430.00 0 $0.00
Production 783 $52,382.00 237 $32,596.00
Transportation and Material Moving 567 $43,259.00 90 $12,759.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 11,753 households in Riverbend, with an average household size of 2.52 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 8,605 families in Riverbend with an average family size of 2.91 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 6,519 843 1,243 3,148
Average Household Size 2.99 3.38 2.71 1.26
Total Families 6,519 843 1,243 0
Average Household Size 2.97 2.85 2.61 0

Poverty

Of the 8,605 families in Riverbend, 7.70% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Riverbend:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 12,582 housing units in Riverbend, North Carolina.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 11,753 93.41%
Vacant 829 6.59%

20.28% of the total 12,582 housing units in Riverbend are rental units. This is approximately 2,552 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 8,945 are occupied by the owner - or 71.09% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Riverbend is $889.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Riverbend that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    256
  • Less than $500
    288
  • $500 to $999
    1,417
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    657
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    182
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    8
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in Riverbend is $179,900.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Riverbend that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    492
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    1,149
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    1,531
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    1,913
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    2,354
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    1,117
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    373
  • $1,000,000 or more
    16

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Riverbend. The chart below shows the number of properties in Riverbend that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    853
  • 1940 to 1949
    547
  • 1950 to 1959
    1,142
  • 1960 to 1969
    1,419
  • 1970 to 1979
    1,618
  • 1980 to 1989
    1,809
  • 1990 to 1999
    1,835
  • 2000 to 2009
    2,329
  • 2010 to 2013
    1,030
  • 2014 or later
    0

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Riverbend that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    292
  • 1 vehicle available
    3,147
  • 2 vehicles available
    4,564
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    3,750

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Riverbend get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Riverbend that commute to work in a particular way.

28 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Riverbend.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    326
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    602
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    1,085
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    1,180
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    2,101
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    1,149
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    2,856
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    642
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    838
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    1,362
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    413
  • 90 or more minutes
    173

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Riverbend, North Carolina in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.