City safety & data profile

KinstonNC

Kinston, NC is a 21K-resident city in Lenoir County with a median household income of $36,878.

Lenoir County, North Carolina. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Kinston, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Kinston has a population larger than 47% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $119,300, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-22

21K
Population
Top 53%
By size
$36,878
Median income
$119,300
Median home
27.9%
Poverty rate

The read on Kinston

Kinston posts a median household income higher than 1% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Kinston area.

Top 99%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Kinston

Where Kinston income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$36,878 Bottom 1% higher than 1% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). This entry sits in this band. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. NC $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Kinston, NC beyond the headline numbers

Kinston sits inside Lenoir County, North Carolina, at roughly 35.26°N, -77.58°W. Population 21,337, $36,878 median household income. Median home value $119,300, median rent $867. Poverty rate 27.9%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Kinston's highest-prevalence health measure is high blood pressure at 52.3%, then obesity at 46.1%. 1 hospital in/around Kinston, 4/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Kinston from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
21,337
Kinston
Median Income
$36,878
-46% vs avg
Median Home Value
$119,300
-48% vs avg
Median Age
42.9
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Lenoir County) - Kinston's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
55K-7%
Median Income
$45,143+26%
Median Home Value
$120,500+28%
Poverty Rate
22%-7%
Unemployment
9%-32%

Economics

Economics indicators for Kinston, NC
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$867/mo
Poverty Rate
27.9% +96% vs avg
Unemployment 16%
Bachelor's Degree+ 16.4%
Work From Home 3.3%
Public Transit 0.4%

Population

White 23.4%
African American 67.6%
Asian 1.5%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.3%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

High Blood Pressure
52.3%
Obesity
46.1%
Short Sleep Duration
43.3%
Physical Inactivity
38.7%
Diabetes
21.4%
Current Smoking
21.4%
Frequent Mental Distress
19.2%
Frequent Physical Distress
18.2%
Lack of Health Insurance
14.7%
Current Asthma
13.2%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 50.6%
Annual Checkup 84.3%

Other Measures

Coronary Heart Disease
10.3%
Binge Drinking
9.8%
Stroke
7.2%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
1
★★★
0
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
4/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
UNC LENOIR HEALTH CARE
KINSTON · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★★☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Kinston, NC? ▼
Kinston, NC has a population of 21,337 people, located in Lenoir County, North Carolina.
What is the median household income in Kinston? ▼
The median household income in Kinston, NC is $36,878 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 27.9%.
What is the median home value in Kinston? ▼
The median home value in Kinston, NC is $119,300. Median rent is $867/month.
What are the top health concerns in Kinston? ▼
The top health indicators in Kinston include High Blood Pressure (52.3%), Obesity (46.1%), Short Sleep Duration (43.3%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Kinston? ▼
Kinston has 1 hospital with an average rating of 4/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Kinston? ▼
The median age in Kinston, NC is 42.9 years. 16.4% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Kinston, NC is located in Lenoir County, North Carolina. With a population of 21K and a $36,878 median household income, the community faces health challenges including high blood pressure and obesity. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 4/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Kinston area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - North Carolina

Real-time AQI for every monitored North Carolina location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Greenville, NC 91K Goldsboro, NC 36K Jacksonville, NC 67K New Bern, NC 30K Wilson, NC 50K Piney Green, NC 13K Tarboro, NC 11K Rocky Mount, NC 56K
All cities in North Carolina → Compare Kinston vs Greenville → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Kinston's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Kinston area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Kinston against North Carolina peers on any ranking lens. Explore North Carolina

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Lenoir County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.