Albemarle, North Carolina
Area Profile
16,762 residents. Public schools, jobs, income, housing cost, climate and natural-hazard risk for Albemarle, in Stanly County.
How this area ranks
Data updated · 13 sourcesAlbemarle ranks in the top 21% of cities measured for employment opportunity, with unemployment at 3.3% and median household income of $46,881. The unemployment rate is published for Stanly County, NC, which contains Albemarle, rather than for Albemarle alone.
In the public schools here, 35% of students met the state standard in mathematics, with 15.0 students for every teacher.
322 housing units were authorized over the past twelve months, within 9% of the prior year — steady rather than turning. The permit count and 1 other measure here are published for Stanly County, NC, which contains Albemarle, rather than for Albemarle alone.
These sentences are written by fixed rules from the measurements below — a statement appears because a number crossed a stated threshold, and the values behind it are stored with it. No figure anywhere on this site is invented, estimated or inferred to fill a gap. How this works.
At a glance
Jobs & opportunity
Unemployment across Stanly County, NC, which contains Albemarle, is 3.3%, lower than in 87% of the 4,226 measured US cities.
Employment across Stanly County, NC, which contains Albemarle, grew 5.2% over the past year, to 31,238 employed residents.
Median household income of $46,881 is lower than in 82% of measured US cities.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income of new arrivalsStanly County, NC’s figurefiling years 2022–2023 | $64,769 | 35th percentileof 4,101 | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Income of those who leftStanly County, NC’s figurefiling years 2022–2023 | $58,664 | 22nd percentileof 4,101 | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Median household income ±$7,5192024 ACS 5-Year | $46,881 | Bottom 18%of 29,223 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income ±$1,8062024 ACS 5-Year | $28,131 | Bottom 30%of 31,420 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 24.4% | Bottom 16%of 31,773 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average commute ±2.8 min2024 ACS 5-Year | 26.3 min | Top 48%of 31,543 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year | 20.4% | Top 50%of 31,919 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Drove alone to work ±5%2024 ACS 5-Year | 77.7% | 52nd percentileof 31,433 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| EmploymentStanly County, NC’s figureJuly 2026 | 31,238 | Bottom 36%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (3 years)Stanly County, NC’s figureJuly 2026 | +5.9% | Top 4%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year)Stanly County, NC’s figureJuly 2026 | +5.2% | Top 1%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Labor forceStanly County, NC’s figureJuly 2026 | 32,320 | 36th percentileof 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Labor force participation ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 72.8% | Bottom 33%of 31,513 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public transit to work ±0.7%2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.5% | 80th percentileof 31,433 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment change (year over year)Stanly County, NC’s figureJuly 2026 | −0.3% | Top 37%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Unemployment rateStanly County, NC’s figureJuly 2026 | 3.3% | Top 13%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Worked from home ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 8.2% | 52nd percentileof 31,433 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
Median household income, successive ACS releases
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes city-level labor data only for places of 25,000 or more. This is the figure for Stanly County, NC, which contains this city.
35% of students met the state standard in mathematics and 34% in reading, across the schools here that reported results.
There are 15.0 students for every full-time teacher across 8 public schools, fewer than in most measured places.
| School | District | Students | Per teacher | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Elementary | Stanly County Schools | 525 | 13.8 | 23% | 27% |
| Albemarle High | Stanly County Schools | 414 | 13.8 | 27% | 27% |
| Endy Elementary | Stanly County Schools | 360 | 13.3 | 42% | 42% |
| Albemarle Middle | Stanly County Schools | 355 | 14.8 | 29% | 33% |
| East Albemarle Elementary | Stanly County Schools | 261 | 13.7 | 37% | 22% |
| Millingport Elementary | Stanly County Schools | 192 | 13.7 | 37% | 32% |
| Stanly STEM Early College | Stanly County Schools | 189 | 31.5 | — | — |
| Stanly Early College High | Stanly County Schools | 188 | 23.5 | 75% | 75% |
| Stanly Academy Learning Center | Stanly County Schools | 13 | — | — | 10% |
98.8% of students here are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. That describes the circumstances families arrive with, not how the schools perform, so it is shown and not scored.
Public schools only, from the NCES Common Core of Data, placed by ZIP code — which schools are in this place, not which one a particular address is zoned for. A dash in a proficiency column is a gap in the federal file, not a bad result. Proficiency is measured against North Carolina’s own standard, so it is ranked within state. How to read school figures.
Housing & affordability
How it’s calculated — housing affordability →The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s house price index for the non-metropolitan parts of North Carolina is up 57% over five years, and up 3.4% over the last year. It follows repeat sales of the same homes, so it measures price change rather than which homes happened to sell.
Homeowners here who pay a tax bill pay a median of $1,396 a year in real estate taxes, about 0.68% of the median home value.
HUD’s Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom, set near the 40th percentile of recent new leases, is $925, close to the $880 tenants already here pay.
At HUD’s Fair Market Rent of $925 a month for a two-bedroom, keeping rent to 30% of income takes a household income of about $37,000 a year, about 79% of the median household income here of $46,881.
The typical renter household here spends 33% of its income on rent, above the 30% threshold at which a household is considered cost-burdened. Median gross rent runs $880 a month.
A median home at $204,800 costs 2.7 times the median income of its owner-occupied households, $75,154, close to the historic benchmark for an affordable market.
The figures above are measured against Albemarle’s median household income of $46,881, which describes the place rather than you. Enter your own and the ratio is recomputed against it. It stays in this browser.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home price change (1 year)the non-metropolitan parts of North Carolina’s figure2026 Q2 | +3.4% | 54th percentileof 4,154 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (5 years)the non-metropolitan parts of North Carolina’s figure2026 Q2 | +57.2% | 92nd percentileof 4,154 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (10 years)the non-metropolitan parts of North Carolina’s figure2026 Q2 | +113.0% | 81st percentileof 4,154 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price to income ±0.52024 ACS 5-Year | 2.7 | Bottom 42%of 26,815 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate ±5%2024 ACS 5-Year | 56.3% | 15th percentileof 31,717 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units ±3832024 ACS 5-Year | 7,920 | 92nd percentileof 32,177 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Market rent, one bedroomFY2026 | $705 | Top 2%of 4,072 | FY2026 |
| Market rent, three bedroomFY2026 | $1,281 | Top 7%of 4,072 | FY2026 |
| Market rent, two bedroomFY2026 | $925 | Top 3%of 4,072 | FY2026 |
| Median gross rent ±$712024 ACS 5-Year | $880 | Top 39%of 23,120 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value ±$19,7802024 ACS 5-Year | $204,800 | 54th percentileof 29,111 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median property taxes ±$1252024 ACS 5-Year | $1,396 | 38th percentileof 26,440 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Owner household income ±$10,1332024 ACS 5-Year | $75,154 | Bottom 45%of 27,548 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Property tax rate ±0.09%2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.68% | 27th percentileof 20,543 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Rent as a share of income ±6%2024 ACS 5-Year | 33.4% | Bottom 25%of 22,950 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Seasonal and second homes ±212024 ACS 5-Year | 0 | 1st percentileof 32,330 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Second homes2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.0% | 1st percentileof 31,895 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacancy rate2024 ACS 5-Year | 14.5% | 78th percentileof 31,769 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacant housing units ±2792024 ACS 5-Year | 1,151 | 95th percentileof 32,330 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
These measures come from the same ACS release as the income they are compared with. They compare housing cost with local earnings only: transport, groceries, healthcare, insurance and taxes are not in them. How to read affordability, the two rent figures.
Growth & development
How it’s calculated — growth →Development Momentum
An AreaProfile calculation combining permit volume per resident, its direction over one and three years, population change and employment growth. Permit volume alone is not the measure.
Population has grown 6% since 2020, reaching 17,344 in 2024.
New construction is predominantly single-family: of 322 units permitted over the past twelve months, none were in buildings of five or more homes. The multifamily share is published for Stanly County, NC, which contains Albemarle, rather than for Albemarle alone.
Federal tax returns show Stanly County, which contains Albemarle, gained about 2.4% of its residents through moves within the US in the most recent year, counting those who arrived against those who left. Households that moved in reported an average income of $64,769, above the $58,664 of households that moved out.
At 5.0 permitted units per 1,000 residents, building activity is above the median for measured US cities. The permit rate is published for Stanly County, NC, which contains Albemarle, rather than for Albemarle alone.
Population, annual estimates
People moving in and out
Where newcomers came from
- Mecklenburg County, NC 698 people · 20% of arrivals
- Cabarrus County, NC 682 people · 20% of arrivals
- Union County, NC 324 people · 9.3% of arrivals
- Rowan County, NC 164 people · 4.7% of arrivals
- Montgomery County, NC 146 people · 4.2% of arrivals
Where people who left went
- Cabarrus County, NC 350 people · 16% of departures
- Mecklenburg County, NC 261 people · 12% of departures
- Union County, NC 190 people · 8.4% of departures
- Montgomery County, NC 168 people · 7.5% of departures
- Rowan County, NC 162 people · 7.2% of departures
Based on the address on federal tax returns, compared with the same filers a year earlier. It counts people who file, and sees a move only when the address on a return changes. Domestic moves only: people arriving from abroad are left out. This is the figure for Stanly County, NC. IRS Statistics of Income, filing years 2022–2023.
The Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey lists only jurisdictions that issue their own permits, and Albemarle, NC is not one. This is the figure for Stanly County, NC, which contains this city.
Weather & climate
7 of the twelve months have a normal average temperature between 55°F and 80°F. July averages a high of 89°F and January a low of 31°F.
Normal annual precipitation is 48.3 inches.
Precipitation
| Metric | Value | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| Annual precipitation1991-2020 Normals | 48.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual snowfall1991-2020 Normals | 0.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low1991-2020 Normals | 31°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average July high1991-2020 Normals | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Comfortable months1991-2020 Normals | 7 | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Seasonal temperature swing1991-2020 Normals | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
Climate figures are thirty-year normals, not current conditions. How to read climate and air quality.
Physical risk
The hazards accounting for most of this area's expected annual loss are inland flooding, tornado and hurricane, with inland flooding alone responsible for 64% of it.
Low or minimal exposure: heat wave, strong wind, lightning, winter weather, hail, landslide, wildfire, avalanche, tsunami, coastal flooding, volcanic activity.
Hazard ratings are AreaProfile calculations derived from the FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0 (December 2025). FEMA publishes at county level. City values are the population-weighted mean of the counties the city overlaps, using AreaProfile place-to-county land-area weights. FEMA does not endorse this presentation. Higher physical resilience means lower exposure.
Below these are deaths rather than offenses, published for the county. The two measure different things and are not comparable with each other.
Albemarle's police department reported 716 violent offenses per 100,000 residents, higher than most places with a department reporting. Property crime runs at 2,553.
Stanly County has a modeled homicide rate of about 6.3 per 100,000 residents a year, because the CDC suppresses counts this small, higher than most counties measured. The CDC does not publish this below county level.
Firearm deaths of all intents run at 24.4 per 100,000 — more than the homicide rate, since the figure counts suicides and accidents as well as homicides.
Drug overdose deaths run at 22.8 per 100,000 residents in Stanly County.
Firearm deaths count every intent together, and nationally the majority are suicides rather than homicides, so the firearm figure and the homicide figure above it count some of the same deaths twice over. They overlap and should not be added together.
Offenses are reported to the FBI by Albemarle’s own police department and shown only where it reported every month of the year; a partial year is withheld rather than scaled up. Reported crime is what police recorded, which is not the same as what happened. Death rates are crude rates — deaths divided by population, not adjusted for age — except where a count was too small for the CDC to publish and it modeled the rate, which the card marks. They come from provisional death certificate records, published by the CDC by county and not below it. So they describe the county around Albemarle (Stanly County) rather than Albemarle itself. Neither is part of the Area Score. How to read crime rates and death rates.
What this profile does not cover
Each of these is absent for a reason, not by oversight. The Area Score is calculated without them; the weighting is on the methodology page.
- Cost of living
- Price parities are published for metropolitan areas, and this place lies outside one.
- Air quality
- The EPA publishes an air-quality index only where a monitor sits. There is none in this county, and a modeled value would be a different kind of number from the measured ones everywhere else on this page.
- Taxes
- Income and sales taxes are not published: no source covers them nationally with a method open enough to check. Property taxes are shown in the housing section but are not part of the score. Cost of living is published where the Bureau of Economic Analysis measures it, though not for this place. Nothing here is individualized tax advice.
- Anything about a specific address
- Every figure describes an area, not a street or a house.
Access
3 major airports lie within 100 miles, the nearest Charlotte/Douglas Intl at 44 miles.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadband access ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 84.0% | Bottom 28%of 31,588 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Distance to major airportNASR current cycle | 44 mi | Bottom 16%of 4,226 | NASR current cycle |
| Major airports within 100 milesNASR current cycle | 3 | Bottom 20%of 4,226 | NASR current cycle |
| No internet access ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 11.5% | Bottom 32%of 31,588 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Airport | Code | Distance | Longest runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte/Douglas Intl | CLT | 44 mi | 10,000 ft |
| Piedmont Triad Intl | GSO | 53 mi | 10,001 ft |
| Raleigh-Durham Intl | RDU | 87 mi | 10,000 ft |
Airport identity, position and runway data come from the FAA. “Major airport” is an AreaProfile classification — a public-use civil airport with a paved runway of at least 8,000 feet — not an FAA hub designation. Distances are straight-line, not driving distance.
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Similar places
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Data & methodology
| Used for | Source | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Federal Aviation Administration Airports (NASR) — Aeronautical Data Delivery Service | NASR current cycle |
| Safety | Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime Data Explorer Summarized offense counts by law enforcement agency | 2025 calendar year |
| Physical risk | Federal Emergency Management Agency National Risk Index | National Risk Index December 2025 (v1.20.0) |
| Demographics, Income | Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income Division U.S. Population Migration Data (county to county) | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Climate | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Monthly) | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Jobs | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics | July 2026 |
| Development | U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Access, Demographics, Housing, Income, Jobs | U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (Table-Based Summary File) | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Demographics | U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program | July 1, 2024 estimate |
| Safety | U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics Provisional county-level mortality by intent | March 2025 to February 2026; May 2025 to April 2026 |
| Schools | U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data and EDFacts assessments | 2018-19 school year; 2024-25 school year |
| Housing | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research Fair Market Rents | FY2026 |
| Housing | U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (traditional, all-transactions) | 2026 Q2 |
| Current conditions | NOAA National Weather Service National Weather Service current conditions | Live observation, read when the page opens |
Profile recalculated October 8, 2026. Recalculation is not the same as new source data — each figure above shows the period its source actually covers. Read the full methodology, or every source with how often each updates.
ZIP codes in Albemarle
1 ZIP areaEvery ZIP area in Albemarle with census figures of its own, largest first.
| ZIP | Population | Median household income | Median home value | Area Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28001 | 26,424 | $54,804 | $215,400 | 60 |