City safety & data profile

WilsonNC

Wilson, NC is a 50K-resident city in Wilson County with a median household income of $52,485.

Wilson County, North Carolina. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Wilson, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Wilson has a population larger than 79% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $210,700, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

50K
Population
Top 21%
By size
$52,485
Median income
$210,700
Median home
23%
Poverty rate

The read on Wilson

Wilson posts a median household income higher than 12% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Wilson area.

Top 88%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Wilson

Where Wilson income ranks nationally

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

$52,485 Bottom 12% higher than 12% 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%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Wilson, NC beyond the headline numbers

Wilson sits inside Wilson County, North Carolina, at roughly 35.72°N, -77.92°W. Its population of 49,643 and $52,485 median household income are the two most quoted figures, but in isolation they hide the shape of the city. A median home value of $210,700 paired with median rent of $971 is the starting point for a price-to-income read that tells you how stretched a typical household is before any other cost of living factor is considered. The 23% poverty rate next to that income figure is the better signal, two cities with identical medians can have very different lived realities depending on the income distribution underneath.

Health and healthcare access are the next layer most residents and prospective movers actually care about. CDC PLACES indicators for Wilson show the highest-prevalence measure is high blood pressure at 46.1%, followed by obesity at 39.5%. In and around Wilson, CMS Hospital Compare tracks 1 hospital with an average rating of 1/5 and 1 carrying emergency department, the ER count is the more actionable figure if you are evaluating a move because it defines the effective trauma radius.

Areazine reconstructs these layers from U.S. Census ACS (place-level economics and demographics), CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare, each updated on its own cadence, and pairs them with live alerts from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC scoped to the Wilson area. The comparison bars next to each metric anchor the number against a national reference, which is the fastest way to tell whether Wilson is an outlier on a given dimension before drilling into the raw value.

Population
49,643
Wilson
Median Income
$52,485
-23% vs avg
Median Home Value
$210,700
-7% vs avg
Median Age
39.5
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Wilson County) - Wilson'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
79K-3%
Median Income
$56,423+44%
Median Home Value
$186,000+67%
Poverty Rate
19.8%-15%
Unemployment
5.6%-56%

Economics

Economics indicators for Wilson, NC
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$971/mo
Poverty Rate
23% +62% vs avg
Unemployment 6.7%
Bachelor's Degree+ 24.5%
Work From Home 7.4%
Public Transit 0.2%

Population

White 36%
African American 47.2%
Asian 1.7%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.6%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

High Blood Pressure
46.1%
Obesity
39.5%
Short Sleep Duration
37.8%
Physical Inactivity
33.3%
Current Smoking
18.6%
Frequent Mental Distress
18.2%
Diabetes
18%
Frequent Physical Distress
16.3%
Lack of Health Insurance
14.4%
Current Asthma
12.3%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 53.8%
Annual Checkup 82.8%

Other Measures

Binge Drinking
11.5%
Coronary Heart Disease
8.7%
Stroke
5.7%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
0
★★
0
1
Average Rating
1/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
WILSON MEDICAL CENTER
WILSON · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★☆☆☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Wilson, NC?
Wilson, NC has a population of 49,643 people, located in Wilson County, North Carolina.
What is the median household income in Wilson?
The median household income in Wilson, NC is $52,485 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 23%.
What is the median home value in Wilson?
The median home value in Wilson, NC is $210,700. Median rent is $971/month.
What are the top health concerns in Wilson?
The top health indicators in Wilson include High Blood Pressure (46.1%), Obesity (39.5%), Short Sleep Duration (37.8%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Wilson?
Wilson has 1 hospital with an average rating of 1/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Wilson?
The median age in Wilson, NC is 39.5 years. 24.5% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Wilson, NC is located in Wilson County, North Carolina. With a population of 50K and a $52,485 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 1/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Wilson area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

Primary source data

Nearby Cities 8

Using Wilson'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 Wilson 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 Wilson 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 (Wilson 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.