Rock Creek, Wilkes County, North Carolina Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Rock Creek, 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 Rock Creek, North Carolina. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Rock Creek, North Carolina. The estimated population of Rock Creek, North Carolina is 6,213 people, with a median age of 39.4.

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

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
6,213
-0.51% +12.64%
2020
6,245
+8.21%
-
2019
5,771
+4.38%
-
2018
5,529
+0.24%
-
2017
5,516
- -

Population of Rock Creek, 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
91.3%
96.9%
-5.78%
Black/African American
1.9%
1.9%
0.00%
Native
0%
0%
0.00%
Hispanic
6.7%
0.7%
+857.14%
Asian
0%
0%
0.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
0.00%
Two Or More Races
0%
0.5%
-100.00%
Other
0%
0%
0.00%

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 Rock Creek, 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 39.4 +4.51% 40.3 +6.9% 38.8 +2.65%
2020 37.7 -8.5% 37.7 -13.13% 37.8 -5.03%
2019 41.2 -0.24% 43.4 +0.46% 39.8 +1.79%
2018 41.3 +4.29% 43.2 +4.85% 39.1 +3.17%
2017 39.6 - 41.2 - 37.9 -

The median age of Rock Creek, 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 9 301 +35.27% 221 +50.44% 419 338
10 to 19 286 -3.11% 388 +17.52% 253 438
20 to 29 365 +44.55% 523 -36.44% 530 350
30 to 39 286 +34.09% 422 +9.41% 383 450
40 to 49 359 +17.98% 259 +26.15% 416 299
50 to 59 433 +9.95% 381 +54.05% 444 486
60 to 69 342 +45.45% 363 +12.56% 477 393
70+ 169 +61.48% 418 -30.37% 266 271

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Rock Creek, North Carolina is $49,816.00.

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 Rock Creek.

  • Under 25
    $39,365.00
  • 25 to 44
    $61,927.00
  • 45 to 64
    $56,935.00
  • 65 and over
    $39,911.00

Average Household Income

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

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Rock Creek, 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 Rock Creek, North Carolina is currently $55,483.00.

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.

1.14% of households in Rock Creek 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 Rock Creek against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    19.01%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    31.49%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    23.74%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    18.09%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    5.65%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    0.89%
  • $200,000 or more
    1.14%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Rock Creek is $21,910.00.

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

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Rock Creek, 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 Rock Creek 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
    2.39%
  • Bachelor's degree
    14.98%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    20.89%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    61.44%
  • Less than high school diploma
    0.31%

Employment

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

The total population of Rock Creek over the age of 16 is 5,074.

Of those people, a total of 61.20% 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 Rock Creek is 51.90%.

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 309 59.20% 72.10%
20 to 24 years 556 88.50% 3.30%
25 to 29 years 324 84.60% 45.30%
30 to 34 years 360 75.00% 20.40%
35 to 44 years 842 82.80% 15.50%
45 to 54 years 851 70.60% 5.70%
55 to 59 years 425 68.90% 0.00%
60 to 64 years 532 13.30% 0.00%
65 to 74 years 690 28.80% 0.00%
75 years and over 185 12.40% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Rock Creek. 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 4,645 58.40% 12.20%
Black or African American 118 78.00% 80.40%
American Indian and Alaska Native 1 0.00% 0.00%
Asian 0 0.00% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 87 86.20% 0.00%
Two or more races 223 99.60% 28.80%
Hispanic or Latino 324 91.40% 21.60%
Not Hispanic or Latino 4,629 58.60% 12.20%

Occupations

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

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Rock Creek is 2,634, with median earnings of $32,561.00.

Women in Rock Creek, North Carolina earning approximately 79.70% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 2,634 $32,561.00
Male 1,466 $35,609.00
Female 1,168 $28,393.00

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 137 $70,218.00
Business and Financial 74 $52,750.00
Computer and Mathematical 0 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 12 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 126 $0.00
Community and Social Service 77 $39,327.00
Legal 31 $0.00
Educational and Library 170 $40,698.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 19 $0.00
Healthcare Practitioners 164 $54,766.00
Healthcare Support 44 $0.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 46 $0.00
Law Enforcement 38 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 52 $6,757.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 141 $15,230.00
Personal Care and Service 87 $13,059.00
Sales 151 $18,516.00
Office and Administrative Support 342 $26,297.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 107 $28,623.00
Construction and Extraction 186 $32,125.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 88 $32,444.00
Production 334 $36,197.00
Transportation and Material Moving 34 $71,167.00

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 102 $70,372.00 35 $0.00
Business and Financial 20 $0.00 54 $70,089.00
Computer and Mathematical 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 12 $0.00 0 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 0 $0.00 126 $0.00
Community and Social Service 39 $38,558.00 38 $0.00
Legal 0 $0.00 31 $0.00
Educational and Library 86 $0.00 84 $26,875.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 18 $0.00 1 $0.00
Healthcare Practitioners 51 $40,521.00 113 $62,839.00
Healthcare Support 0 $0.00 44 $0.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 0 $0.00 46 $0.00
Law Enforcement 38 $0.00 0 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 37 $0.00 15 $0.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 131 $12,466.00 10 $0.00
Personal Care and Service 43 $0.00 44 $0.00
Sales 48 $53,654.00 103 $11,680.00
Office and Administrative Support 75 $38,438.00 267 $25,869.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 89 $28,908.00 18 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 186 $32,125.00 0 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 88 $32,444.00 0 $0.00
Production 210 $36,649.00 124 $2,499.00
Transportation and Material Moving 34 $71,167.00 0 $0.00

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 2,372 households in Rock Creek, with an average household size of 2.62 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 1,823 families in Rock Creek with an average family size of 2.95 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 1,465 162 196 549
Average Household Size 3.07 3.62 2.69 1.1
Total Families 1,465 162 196 0
Average Household Size 2.98 3.08 2.61 0

Poverty

Of the 1,823 families in Rock Creek, 11.90% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Rock Creek:

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 2,712 housing units in Rock Creek, North Carolina.

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

Total Percentage
Occupied 2,372 87.46%
Vacant 340 12.54%

10.62% of the total 2,712 housing units in Rock Creek are rental units. This is approximately 288 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 1,967 are occupied by the owner - or 72.53% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Rock Creek is $701.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Rock Creek 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
    117
  • Less than $500
    16
  • $500 to $999
    233
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    21
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    18
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    0
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in Rock Creek is $108,300.00.

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

  • Less than $50,000
    343
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    544
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    501
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    355
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    157
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    58
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    9
  • $1,000,000 or more
    0

Property Age

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

  • 1939 or earlier
    181
  • 1940 to 1949
    154
  • 1950 to 1959
    193
  • 1960 to 1969
    157
  • 1970 to 1979
    420
  • 1980 to 1989
    532
  • 1990 to 1999
    687
  • 2000 to 2009
    345
  • 2010 to 2013
    43
  • 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 Rock Creek that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    98
  • 1 vehicle available
    578
  • 2 vehicles available
    719
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    977

Commuting to Work

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

25.9 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Rock Creek.

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
    72
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    143
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    133
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    249
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    485
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    482
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    531
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    89
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    85
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    120
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    131
  • 90 or more minutes
    10

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Rock Creek, 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.