City safety & data profile

Winston-SalemNC

Winston-Salem, NC is a 241K-resident city in Forsyth County with a median household income of $59,268.

Forsyth County, North Carolina. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Winston-Salem, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Winston-Salem has a population larger than 98% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $233,800, and 3 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

241K
Population
Top 2%
By size
$59,268
Median income
$233,800
Median home
17.7%
Poverty rate

The read on Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem posts a median household income higher than 21% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 3 hospitals serve the Winston-Salem area.

Top 79%
by median income, US cities
3
hospitals in & near Winston-Salem

Where Winston-Salem income ranks nationally

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

$59,268 Bottom 21% higher than 21% 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 Winston-Salem, NC beyond the headline numbers

Winston-Salem sits inside Forsyth County, North Carolina, at roughly 36.10°N, -80.24°W. Population 241,218, $59,268 median household income. Median home value $233,800, median rent $1,087. Poverty rate 17.7%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Winston-Salem's highest-prevalence health measure is obesity at 42.7%, then high blood pressure at 36.8%. 3 hospitals in/around Winston-Salem, 4.3/5 avg rating, 2 with an ER.

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

Population
241,218
Winston-Salem
Median Income
$59,268
-13% vs avg
Median Home Value
$233,800
+3% vs avg
Median Age
35.9
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Forsyth County) - Winston-Salem'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
390K+10%
Median Income
$67,165+47%
Median Home Value
$250,400+66%
Poverty Rate
14.5%-22%
Unemployment
5%-51%

Economics

Economics indicators for Winston-Salem, NC
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,087/mo
Poverty Rate
17.7% +25% vs avg
Unemployment 5.7%
Bachelor's Degree+ 39.5%
Work From Home 14.1%
Public Transit 1.1%

Population

White 46.1%
African American 32.1%
Asian 2.3%
Two or More Ethnicities 1.3%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Obesity
42.7%
High Blood Pressure
36.8%
Short Sleep Duration
35.4%
Physical Inactivity
27.2%
Frequent Mental Distress
17.4%
Binge Drinking
14.4%
Current Smoking
14.4%
Diabetes
13.1%
Frequent Physical Distress
13.1%
Lack of Health Insurance
12.8%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 59.8%
Annual Checkup 79.7%

Other Measures

Current Asthma
11.5%
Coronary Heart Disease
6.3%
Stroke
3.9%

Hospitals 3 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
1
★★★★
2
★★★
0
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
4.3/5
Total Hospitals
3
With ER
2
NOVANT HEALTH MEDICAL PARK HOSPITAL
WINSTON-SALEM · Acute Care Hospitals
★★★★★
NOVANT HEALTH FORSYTH MEDICAL CENTER
WINSTON-SALEM · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★★☆
NORTH CAROLINA BAPTIST HOSPITAL
WINSTON-SALEM · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★★☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Winston-Salem, NC? ▼
Winston-Salem, NC has a population of 241,218 people, located in Forsyth County, North Carolina.
What is the median household income in Winston-Salem? ▼
The median household income in Winston-Salem, NC is $59,268 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 17.7%.
What is the median home value in Winston-Salem? ▼
The median home value in Winston-Salem, NC is $233,800. Median rent is $1,087/month.
What are the top health concerns in Winston-Salem? ▼
The top health indicators in Winston-Salem include Obesity (42.7%), High Blood Pressure (36.8%), Short Sleep Duration (35.4%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Winston-Salem? ▼
Winston-Salem has 3 hospitals with an average rating of 4.3/5 stars. 2 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Winston-Salem? ▼
The median age in Winston-Salem, NC is 35.9 years. 39.5% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Winston-Salem, NC is located in Forsyth County, North Carolina. With a population of 241K and a $59,268 median household income, the community faces health challenges including obesity and high blood pressure. Residents have access to 3 hospitals with an average rating of 4.3/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Winston-Salem 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

Clemmons, NC 20K Kernersville, NC 24K Lewisville, NC 14K Thomasville, NC 27K Lexington, NC 19K High Point, NC 110K Archdale, NC 12K Summerfield, NC 11K
All cities in North Carolina → Compare Winston-Salem vs Clemmons → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Winston-Salem'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 Winston-Salem 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 Winston-Salem 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 (Forsyth 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.