Local Statistics
U.S. Census Quick Facts
The population of Forsyth County according to the 2019 US Census is 382,295. The percentage of families living in poverty in Forsyth County is 15.2% or 56,484 people!
Children and Poverty
The percentage of children living in poverty in Forsyth County according to the 2019 US Census is 22.5% or 19,254 children! Currently, 51% of children in WSFC Schools are eligible for the free or reduced lunch program.
Assets and Opportunity Profile of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County
Did you know that 22% of Forsyth County households live in extreme asset poverty? Click here to download the Assets and Opportunity Profile of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, an invaluable tool that will help you understand the critical problems that perpetuate financial struggles among the residents of our county.
NC Scorecard
The Prosperity Now Scorecard is a comprehensive look at Americans’ financial security today and their opportunities to create a more prosperous future. It assesses the 50 states and the District of Columbia on 130 outcome and policy measures, which describe how well residents are faring and what states can do to help them build and protect assets. These measures are grouped into five issue areas: Financial Assets & Income, Businesses & Jobs, Housing & Homeownership, Health Care, and Education. Find more data about the state of North Carolina.
Living Income Standard
The NC Budget & Tax Center annual releases the Living Income Standard (LIS), a measurement developed to show what it takes in 2022 for families in every North Carolina county to pay for their basic needs. LIS gives a more accurate and comprehensive picture than more traditional measures like the Federal Poverty Level.
The goal of the LIS is to help working families document the story of what they face on a daily basis and set a benchmark for what a basic income needs to be. Even in the most affordable counties in NC, it now takes at least 140 hours a week working at the minimum wage to make ends meet for a family of four. The LIS can be helpful for nonprofits in identifying the needs of families in their county – and can also be helpful for nonprofits in ensuring that they are providing living wages and benefits for their own staffs.
