Kinston, NC
Census place 3735920 · pop 19,505
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$36,878 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
77.8% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
46.1% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
21.4% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
38.7% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
27.9% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
42.5% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.51 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-4.4% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
16.4% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
14.7% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
19.2% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
92/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.05% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.5% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
21 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
34 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$119,300 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
Not measured for Kinston: Crime, Property crime, Rent. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Kinston, NC a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Kinston scores 38/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 19 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is housing cost and its weakest is median household income. North Carolina overall ranks #16 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Kinston, NC expensive to live in?
- Kinston has a median home value of $119,300 — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Kinston, NC?
- Its weakest measured area is median household income ($36,878) — 2/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Kinston, NC best at?
- Its strongest measured area is housing cost ($119,300) — 93/100, better than most U.S. cities.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.