High Point, North Carolina population is 120,571 as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate), ranking #253 nationally and #9 in North Carolina. Cost of living runs 8.0% below the U.S. average (BEA RPP 2024); a family of four needs roughly $79,999/yr to break even (2025 modeled). This profile draws on 13 federal datasets covering population, housing, income, employment, climate, and risk.
At a glance.
2025 population
120,571
+2,230 in the last year
Top 2% of 19,483 U.S. cities
Census Vintage 2025
Cost of living
RPP 92.0
−8.0% vs US
Winston-Salem, NC metro · BEA 2024
Family-of-4 budget
$79,999/yr
−0.1% vs US
Modeled 2025 · federal sources
Median HH income
$64,561
−17% vs US
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr
Median home value
$235,800
−22% vs US
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr
2-BR fair-market rent
$960/mo
HUD FY2026 · 40th pct
Avg July high
88°F
NOAA 1991–2020
Gigabit broadband
71%
ISP-reported, FCC BDC
Explore High Point, NC demographics, including age, race and ethnicity, households, origins, language, and education.
How many people live in High Point?
120,571 people live in High Point as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025), the #253 largest U.S. city.
How big is High Point?
High Point covers 57.5 square miles of land and 1.5 square miles of water. Its population density is about 2,097 residents per square mile of land. Compare U.S. cities by land area →
Source detail: 2025 population
2025 population
Source agency
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division
Dataset
Census PEP
Vintage / period
Vintage 2025 (Jul 1, 2025)
Native geography
Census PEP subcounty place records for the included city universe.
Transformation
Copied from POPESTIMATE2025, joined by Census GEOID, and used for ranks, filters, and city pages.
Known limit: Annual estimate, not a decennial count; each new PEP vintage can revise the prior series.
Population grew 5.7% from the April 2020 base to mid-2025.
Vintage 2025 · annual estimates
Recent history (V2025 series, 2020 base → 2025).
2020 base: 114,075 → 2025: 120,571 (+5.7%)
Year
Population
Reference date
2020 base
114,075
April 1, 2020
2020
114,722
July 1, 2020
2021
115,071
July 1, 2021
2022
115,625
July 1, 2022
2023
117,337
July 1, 2023
2024
118,341
July 1, 2024
2025
120,571
July 1, 2025
Earlier history (2010–2019, prior Census vintage)
These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2019 release — a separate, earlier methodology. They’re shown here as historical context only; the 2010 and 2019 values aren’t directly comparable to the 2020–2025 series above.
Population grew 7.7% from the July 2010 estimate to 2019 (V2019 — see seam note below).
High Point is the #253 largest of 19,483 U.S. cities and #9 in North Carolina.
▸Show the analyst detail (9 rows)
Measure
Value
Note
2020 base
114,075
April 1, 2020 census base
5-yr change
+6,496
2020 base → 2025; within V2025
5-yr change %
+5.7%
within V2025 only
1-yr change
+2,230
2024 → 2025 estimate
1-yr change %
+1.9%
within V2025 only
Density
2,097
people per sq mi, land only
Land area
57.5
sq mi (2025 Gazetteer)
U.S. rank by population
#253
of 19,483 cities
State rank by population
#9
of 549 in North Carolina
What is the median household income in High Point?
Median household income is 17% below the U.S. median ($64,561 vs $77,719); 15.7% live in poverty — 3.2 points above the 12.5% U.S. rate.
Median household income$64,561
US
High Point: $64,561 — 17% below the US median of $77,719.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS income data
High Point
$64,561
United States
$77,719
Income and poverty estimates for High Point from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates (window 2020–2024). Every figure is shown with its 90% margin of error (MOE). Cells where the ± margin exceeds half the estimate are flagged "low precision." See methodology §12.
Measure
Estimate
± margin / note
Median household income
64,561-16.9% vs US
±4,028
Per capita income
35,661-17.6% vs US
±2,064
Population in poverty
15.7%
share of population for whom poverty status is determined
Median home value is 22% below the U.S. median ($235,800 vs $303,400); median rent is 17% below ($1,116 vs $1,348); price-to-income ratio (3.7×) is roughly in line with the U.S. median (3.9×).
Median home value$235,800
US
High Point: $235,800 — 22% below the US median of $303,400.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS home-value data
HUD 2-BR fair-market rent$960/mo
US
High Point: $960/mo — 11% below the US median of $1,077/mo.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with a HUD Fair Market Rent
Poverty (Census SAIPE 2024, model-based), unemployment (BLS LAUS 2024 annual averages), and remote-work share (ACS 2020–2024) for High Point. Numbers are labeled at their native grain — place-grain when BLS publishes it, otherwise per-county. We do not compute population-weighted county averages. See methodology §13.
Measure
Value
Grain
Unemployment rate (annual avg)
4.5%
High Point (BLS sub-state LAUS)
Civilian labor force
53,839
2024 annual avg
Worked from home
10.3%-26.3% vs US
share of workers 16+ commuting from home · U.S. median: 14% · ACS
County context — High Point spans 4 counties; all are listed (no weighted average):
County
Poverty rate
Median HH income
Unemployment
Davidson County
11.2%
$65,644
3.7%
Forsyth County
13.3%
$67,638
3.8%
Guilford County
13.5%
$70,304
4.2%
Randolph County
12.5%
$63,374
3.5%
Top industries by private employment — NAICS supersectors rolled up from High Point's linked 4 counties in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW, 2024 annual averages). See methodology §11.
#
Industry (NAICS supersector)
Private employment
Avg weekly wage
#1
Health care and social assistance (62)
90,892
$1,281 / wk
#2
Manufacturing (31-33)
69,477
$1,403 / wk
#3
Retail trade (44-45)
64,190
$772 / wk
#4
Accommodation and food services (72)
53,461
$461 / wk
#5
Administrative and waste services (56)
41,556
$880 / wk
What workers earn in the Winston-Salem, NC metro — top occupations by employment plus six curated benchmarks (registered nurse, software developer, elementary teacher, general manager, retail salesperson, truck driver). Wages are metro-area medians from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). See methodology §25.
Registered Nurses is the largest tracked occupation in the Winston-Salem, NC metro (10,180 jobs, median $86,120/yr).
▸Show all 14 occupations
Occupation
Employment
Median annual
Median hourly
Cashiers
6,220
$28,130
$13.53
Cooks, Fast Food
6,120
$27,280
$13.12
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
5,490
$37,160
$17.87
Fast Food and Counter Workers
4,900
$28,640
$13.77
Stockers and Order Fillers
4,890
$35,080
$16.86
Nursing Assistants
4,450
$38,660
$18.59
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
3,980
$46,370
$22.29
Waiters and Waitresses
3,940
$29,550
$14.21
Registered Nurses · benchmark
10,180
$86,120
$41.40
Retail Salespersons · benchmark
6,790
$30,100
$14.47
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers · benchmark
3,480
$51,320
$24.67
General and Operations Managers · benchmark
3,120
$96,840
$46.56
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education · benchmark
2,220
$56,510
—
Software Developers · benchmark
1,050
$124,130
$59.68
This city spans multiple metros; OEWS data shown is for Winston-Salem, NC, the metro of the city's primary county.
All items run 8.0% below the U.S. average (RPP 92.0); rents run 28.6% below (RPP 71.4) — the metro's housing affordability is the main driver.
Cost of living (RPP, all items)RPP 92.0
US
High Point's cost of living runs 8.0% below the U.S. average (RPP 92.0 vs 100).
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of metro/non-metro areas with a BEA price parity
BEA Regional Price Parity (all items)
RPP 92.0
−8.0% vs U.S. average · BEA 2024 · Winston-Salem, NC metro
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2-BR
$960/mo
FY2026 · Davidson County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area
State income tax (top marginal rate)
4.25%
flat · TY2025
Family-of-four monthly budget total
$6,667/mo
3BR rent + food + childcare + taxes + transport · federal sources
Single-adult monthly budget total
$4,367/mo
1BR rent + food + taxes + transport · federal sources
Local income tax
—
not applicable in North Carolina · no modeled local income tax
Household budget figures are arithmetic floors using current federal sources at the grains documented in methodology. Not a recommended salary, not a poverty threshold, not a composite score.
15.5% foreign-born (U.S. median 14%); Spanish is the most-spoken language at home other than English (10.3% of residents 5+).
A quick read on High Point's residents — nativity and languages spoken at home shown above, from the ACS 5-Year 2020–2024. The full demographic breakdown (age, race and ethnicity, household types, and educational attainment, each with its margin of error) lives on the demographics page.
These are K-12 public school districts. Higher education (colleges and universities) is not represented in this dataset.
Public school districts serving High Point, from the NCES EDGE Geographic Relationship Files (GRF25, 2024–25 school year boundaries). The join is many-to-many — large cities often span multiple districts, and one district often serves multiple cities. Sorted primary district first. See methodology §12 for the consolidated-city fallback and Milford CT special case.
Source: NCES EDGE GRF25 · school year 2024–25 · methodology →
What is the climate like in High Point?
Hottest month: July (88°F avg high). Coldest: January (30°F avg low). Annual precipitation: 46.2 in.
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) for High Point from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. See methodology §15 for the gridded vs. station source path.
Average monthly highs & lows · 30-year normal (NOAA 1991–2020). Every number on this chart is an average.
bar = avg daily high → avg daily lowprecip in inches below each barprecip in millimeters below each bar
Composite risk spans 80.6–93.4/100 across 4 counties; most-cited top hazard is Ice Storm (in all 4).
Natural-hazard exposure for High Point from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index (FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0). NRI is an expected-annual-loss composite calibrated on 1996–2019 historical losses, published at the U.S. county grain. See methodology §17.
High Point spans 4 counties. We list each separately because hurricane, flood, and fire risk varies meaningfully across county lines — manufacturing a single “city-level” risk score would hide that signal.
County
NRI composite
Rating
Top hazards
Davidson County
87.2
Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm 95.4 Very High · Riverine Flooding 91.5 Relatively Moderate · Tornado 86.9 Relatively Moderate
Forsyth County
91.5
Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm 97.8 Very High · Riverine Flooding 94.7 Relatively High · Winter Weather 91.6 Relatively High
Guilford County
93.4
Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm 96.7 Very High · Riverine Flooding 96.6 Relatively High · Winter Weather 96.0 Relatively High
Randolph County
80.6
Relatively Low
Ice Storm 89.5 Relatively High · Tornado 87.4 Relatively Moderate · Winter Weather 86.4 Relatively High
Source: FEMA National Risk Index · FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0 · methodology →
How fast is home internet in High Point?
11 non-satellite ISPs serve the area; 71% of locations have gigabit-capable service per ISP filings.
Fixed broadband availability for High Point from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's Broadband Data Collection (BDC), as of June 30, 2025. Every speed and provider count below is an ISP-reported advertised maximum — not measured throughput. Actual delivered speeds typically run 60–80% of advertised. See methodology §16.
Measure
Value
Note
Providers serving this city
11 + satellite
distinct ISPs, excluding satellite-only
Fiber providers
10
offer fiber-to-the-premises somewhere in the BDC
Units with ≥100/20 Mbps fixed
100.0%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Locations with ≥100 Mbps upload
72.3%
derived: max(fiber ≥100/20, gigabit). Fiber is symmetric; gigabit is ≥100 up by definition
Units with ≥1 Gbps fixed
71.0%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Total broadband-serviceable units
56,429
residential locations in the FCC Fabric (not households)
Source: FCC BDC · as of June 30, 2025 · methodology →
In-state context.
High Point sits at state rank #9 among 549 cities in North Carolina. Nearby in the state ranking:
Just above in the profiled set: Billings, MT · #252 · 121,239 residents.
Just below in the profiled set: Nampa, ID · #254 · 120,384 residents.
Quick travel facts for High Point
Quick travel facts.
Nearest commercial airport
Piedmont Triad International Airport(GSO) · 8 mi 13 km from city centroid
Best months to visit
May, Oct · months when the avg high sits in 65–80°F and precipitation is at or below the city's median monthly precip
Sources: elevation from USGS Elevation Point Query Service (3DEP) · nearest airport from OurAirports CSV (FAA-aligned, type=large/medium, scheduled_service=yes) · best months derived from NOAA 1991-2020 normals · methodology →
Frequently asked questions about High Point.
How many people live in High Point, NC?
High Point has 120,571 residents as of July 1, 2025, making it the #253 largest city in the United States and #9 in North Carolina. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025.
Is High Point growing or shrinking?
High Point has grown 5.7% since the April 2020 census baseline, adding 6,496 residents, including a 1.9% increase from 2024 to 2025. Source: Census PEP Vintage 2025.
What was High Point's population in the 2020 census?
High Point spans Davidson County, Forsyth County, Guilford County, Randolph County in North Carolina.
How big is High Point?
High Point covers 57.5 square miles of land, with a population density of about 2,097 residents per square mile. Source: Census Gazetteer 2025.
What is the median household income in High Point?
$64,561, about 17% below the U.S. median. Source: ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
SourceU.S. Census · PEP
VintageV2025
Reference2025-07-01
Place typeIncorporated place
GEOID3731400
Last build2026-08-27
Sources · provenance
Every listed dataset is used on this page.
The GEOID for High Point is 3731400. These are the official datasets used by this profile's main data modules; click "methodology" for inclusion rules and the V2019 ↔ V2025 seam, or "source" for the raw publisher page. The headline population value above includes a source-detail disclosure with publisher, dataset, vintage, native geography, transformation, and caveat.
