← Map/← North Carolina/Counties/Jones

Jones
North Carolina

9K

Population

$53K

Median Income

$127K

Median Home

R+20

Politics

This county as a story, on one page you can share·See it on the map with these filters

What stands out

Against every county in America, Jones County is unusual in three ways: the restaurant count per person is in the bottom 6% of American counties (0.3 per 1,000), population growth is in the top 8% of American counties (+2.0% a year), and the median home price is in the bottom 12% of American counties ($140K). Within North Carolina it ranks 7th of 99 counties for the restaurant count per person, counting from the bottom.

Where you are

You live in Jones County, North Carolina. 9,263 people live here with you, so most faces are familiar. The population grew 2.0% last year, and more Americans moved in than out (net +246).

North Carolina has a flat income tax that is being cut each year, 3.99% for 2026 after 4.25% in 2025, with 3.49% scheduled for 2027 if revenue triggers are met, and it does not tax Social Security. Property taxes are moderate and reassessments happen every four to eight years by county. The Research Triangle and Charlotte have driven a decade of in-migration; the mountains and the Outer Banks are second-home markets with hurricane and flood exposure on the coast.

Money

The typical household here brings in $53,053 a year, lower than 72% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $48,166. Unemployment runs 3.4%, higher than 50% of American counties. 4% of workers work from home.

North Carolina takes 4.0% of that median income in state income tax, about $2,117 a year.

Home

The median home costs $140K, cheaper than 88% of American counties, about 1.7 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $634 a month. Property tax is 0.80% of home value, roughly $919 a year on that median home, lower than 56% of American counties. 76% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 4.1 per 1,000 residents, higher than 63% of American counties. Drug overdoses killed 22 people per 100,000 in 2024.

A child born here can expect to live 73.9 years, shorter than 72% of American counties. There are 14 active physicians in the county, about 15.1 per 10,000 people. 11.3% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 3.11 where 3.0 is national grade level, higher than 54% of American counties. 86% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Republican by 20 points. 73% of eligible voters turned out. Under North Carolina law you can get a concealed-carry permit on request, abortion is legal with limits, and marijuana is illegal.

Weather and risk

The year averages 62°F, highs near 73 and lows near 51, warmer than 73% of American counties. About 48 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 80 out of 100, riskier than 80% of American counties; the county has had 27 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 245 Mbps down, faster than 71% of American counties. There are 5 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 0.3 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people, 1 brewery.

Written from the figures below. Percentiles compare this county with every other county that reports the same figure; missing figures are left out rather than guessed.

Economy

Median Household Income$53K
This county
national avg ~$75K
Poverty Rate17.1%
This county
national avg ~11.5%
Unemployment Rate3.4%
This county
national avg ~3.8%
GDP per Capita$30,127
Median Individual Earnings$35K
This county
national avg $45K
Professional/Management Workers27.1%
Average Adjusted Gross Income$53K
Avg Credit Score637
Work From Home %3.8%
This county
national avg 17.0%
Population Under 1818.5%
This county
national avg 22.0%
Single-Person Households31.5%
This county
national avg 28.0%
Income (20th Percentile)$21K
Income (80th Percentile)$96K
Income (95th Percentile)$162K
Bachelor's Degree or Higher15.7%
This county
national avg 34.3%
Less Than High School14.2%
This county
national avg 11.0%
Knowledge Economy GDP %5.4%
Dependency Ratio0.72
Medicare Spending / Person$2,875
SS Benefits / Person$4,810
Education Wage Premium1.42x
Median Earnings (Bachelor's)$51K
Median Earnings (Graduate)$47K
Median Earnings (HS Diploma)$33K
Public Assistance Recipients7.6%
Average Annual Wage$48K
Professional Services Concentration0.40x national
This county
1.0 = national average share
Federal Government Jobs Located Here23
Federal Share of Jobs Located Here1.5%
Residents Who Work for the Federal Government3.6%
Federal Civilian Share of Earnings1.3%
Federal Contract Dollars Performed Here (FY2025)$22M
Contract Dollars Relative to Local Wages0.27x wages
Largest Award's Share of Contract Dollars100%

Housing

Sources: Zillow ZHVI · Census ACS 2022 · Tax Foundation 2023 (effective rates)

Median Home Value$127K
This county
$335K state avg
$303K national
Market Rent (ZORI)$680/mo
This county
$1450/mo state avg
$1400/mo national
Property Tax Rate0.80%
This county
0.70% state avg
1.10% national

Annual tax on median home: $919

Affordability & Supply

HUD Fair Market Rent (2BR)$925/mo
Home Price Change (1 yr)+0.7%++3.1% since 2024
Home Value to Income Ratio1.7x income
Severely Cost-Burdened Households9.8%
Homeownership Rate76.0%
This county
national avg ~65%

Market Activity

Sources: Zillow Research monthly · Redfin

Listings with Price Cuts— Low — market moving fast
22.4%
Active Listings
33
New Listings / Month
5

Source: Zillow Research · Updated monthly

Days on Market (Redfin)— Slow — buyers have leverage
152 days
Months of Supply (Redfin)— Balanced market
5.5 mo
Sold Above List (Redfin)
0.0%
Sale-to-List Ratio (Redfin)— Buyers market — homes selling below list
98.5%

Source: Redfin · Updated monthly

Health

Life Expectancy73.9 yrs
This county
national avg ~78.5 years
Food Insecurity14.9%
This county
national avg ~11%
Food Environment Index7.7 / 10
This county
higher = better access
Primary Care Shortage Score18
This county
national avg 5
Mental Health Shortage Score14
Dental Care Shortage Score19
Healthcare Shortage Score17.0
Healthcare Offices5
Obesity Rate (BRFSS)39.6%
This county
national avg 32.0%
Smoking Rate (BRFSS)18.6%
This county
national avg 14.0%
Poor Health Rate (BRFSS)23.5%
This county
national avg 18.0%
Physical Inactivity (BRFSS)28.6%
This county
national avg 24.0%
High Blood Pressure (BRFSS)38.2%
This county
national avg 32.0%
Active Physicians14
Nursing Home Rating2.0 / 5
This county
national avg ~3 stars
ER Visits per 1,000 Medicare Patients581 / 1,000
Medicare Cost per Beneficiary$11,948
Uninsured (under 65)11.3%
This county
national avg ~10%
Adults with Depression26.5%

Education

Math Test Scores3.02 grade level
Reading Test Scores3.19 grade level
HS Diploma Holders2,077
Bachelor's Degree Holders811
HS Completion Rate85.8%
This county
national avg ~85%

Safety

Violent Crime Rate4.1 / 1,000
This county
national avg ~4.0
Traffic Fatalities2
Social Vulnerability (CDC SVI)67th pct
Drug Overdose Deaths (2024)22.4 / 100K

Climate & Air Quality

Natural Amenity Scale-1.6
January Sunshine0.62
January Temperature1.00
Average Temp62°F-1.0% since 2022
Avg High Temp73°F-1.5% since 2022
Avg Low Temp51°F-0.6% since 2022
Annual Precipitation48.4 in/yr+11% since 2022
Avg Storm Events5.0 storms/yr
Avg Annual Storm Damage$2K
Drought Index (2022)-0.84
Heating Degree Days2,929 HDD/yr
This county
national avg ~4,500 HDD/yr
Cooling Degree Days1,757 CDD/yr
This county
national avg ~1,200 CDD/yr
Heating Degree Days (1901–2000 Baseline)3,017 HDD/yr
Cooling Degree Days (1901–2000 Baseline)1,575 CDD/yr
Avg Tornadoes / Year0.8
Avg Flood Events / Year0.2
Avg Hail Events / Year0.4
Avg Hurricane Events / Year0.00
Avg Wildfire Events / Year0.0
Avg Winter Storms / Year0.0
Avg Heat Events / Year0.0
Natural Hazard Risk (FEMA)80 / 100
Community Resilience (FEMA)20 / 100
Federal Disaster Declarations27 since 1953
Fine Particulate Pollution (PM2.5)5.7 µg/m³
This county
EPA standard 9 µg/m³

Outdoor & Recreation

Historic Places (NRHP)8 properties
FAA-Registered Airports5 total
Airports (excl. heliports)5 airports

Brewery Scene

Total Breweries1 breweries
Microbreweries1 microbreweries
Brewpubs0 brewpubs

Internet & Remote Work

Download Speed245 Mbps
This county
national avg ~120 Mbps
Upload Speed67 Mbps
Fixed Internet (Q1 2026)452 Mbps
Mobile Internet (Q1 2026)347 Mbps
Mobile Upload (Q1 2026)49 Mbps
Mobile Latency (Q1 2026)38 ms
Households with 100Mbps+53.1%
This county
national avg 75.0%
Cellular-Only Internet10.8%
This county
national avg 8.0%
Fixed Upload Speed (Q1 2026)396 Mbps

Commute & Transit

Remote Workers144 workers
Public Transit Commuters1 workers
Walk to Work (workers)40 workers
Extreme Commutes (90+ min)88 workers
Walk to Work1.1%

Families & Childcare

Childcare Cost Burden26.3%
This county
national median ~27% of household income
Childcare Centers16.5 per 10K residents

Civic & Community

Voter Turnout72.9%
This county
national avg ~55%
Volunteering Rate1.0%
Income Inequality (Gini)4.681
Nonprofit Organizations39
Veterans Share11.4%
This county
national avg 7.0%
Married Adults52.5%
Never-Married Adults26.4%
Divorced Adults11.2%
Religious Organizations9
Asian Population1.0%
Native American Population0.7%
Membership Associations7.6 per 10K residents

Lifestyle & Services

Full-Service Restaurants0.32 per 1K residents
Grocery Stores4
Professional Services Firms4
Debt Burden
Avg Mortgage Balance$48K
Avg Student Loan Balance$12K
Avg Credit Card Balance$4K
Loan Delinquency Rate62.2%
This county
national avg 4.0%

Innovation

Inventor Rate0.14%

Politics

R+20

2024 Presidential · North Carolina was R+3 statewide

vs North Carolina State

Income tax
4.5%Same (state law)
Property tax
0.80%0.7% state avg
Politics
R+20R+3
COL Index
94state index (no county figure)

Population & Migration

Net Domestic Migration 2023

↑ +246

More people arriving than leaving

IRS Wealth Migration

Lower-income migration pattern (IRS: 0.90x avg income)

Economic Mobility

38%

chance a low-income child reaches the middle class

Source: Opportunity Insights

Real Estate

Find Homes in Jones County

Median home value: $140K

View on Zillow →View on Realtor.com →

Opens in a new tab

Explore Other North Carolina Counties

Alamance County, North CarolinaAlexander County, North CarolinaAlleghany County, North CarolinaAnson County, North CarolinaAshe County, North CarolinaAvery County, North CarolinaBeaufort County, North CarolinaBertie County, North CarolinaBladen County, North CarolinaBrunswick County, North CarolinaBuncombe County, North CarolinaBurke County, North CarolinaAll North Carolina counties →

Full North Carolina profile

Taxes, cost of living, crime, schools, gun laws and more.

View North Carolina →

Data: Census ACS, BLS, Zillow, USDA Natural Amenities, OpenElections 2024, CMS, NCES. Vintage 2022–2025. News via Google News.

Your Priorities

Adjust and every page updates live

Quick Profiles

Dial in your priorities

Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable