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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

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PLACEThriving

Winston-Salem, NC

Thriving overall. Federal Funds is the clearest support signal, while gdp / output needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

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Overall score69out of 100
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64
64
65
69
95

Population

252,037

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+3.6% YoY

64

$34.4B

Output changed +3.6% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth6.2%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

64

3.8%

Unemployment is 3.8% for June 2026.

Vintage date unknown

State avg3.6%
U.S. avg4.2%

Population

+2.5% 5-year

65

252,037

Population moved +2.5% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population10,730,404
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

69

22.0%

Median rent consumes 22.0% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$1.2K
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

$7.5K per resident

95

$2.9B

$2.9B in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.

Vintage date unknown

State total$129.5B
U.S. total$5.3T

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

$2.9B

$7.5K per resident in reported federal flow.

Top agencies

Dollars
1. Social Security Administration$2.0B
2. Department of Veterans Affairs$282.2M
3. Department of Health and Human Services$182.3M

Top recipients

Dollars
1. WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES$174.9M
2. TRANSPORTATION NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT$110.8M
3. HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF WINSTON-SALEM$54.9M

Affordable

Housing Affordability

22.0%

of median income

1BR estimate$891
2BR estimate$1,174
Median income$59,268
Median home value$233,800

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

252,037

Median age

35.9

Bachelor's degree+

39.5%

Poverty rate

17.7%

Labor force participation

61.5%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.2%

U.S. GDP YoY

+6.5%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

June 2026

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-07-29

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

+0.5%

GDP CAGR

+5.7%

Federal flow

5 years

Population (5 years)
2020245,787
2021247,917
2022249,571
2023250,887
2024252,037
GDP (5 years)
2020$26.0B
2021$28.4B
2022$30.6B
2023$33.2B
2024$34.4B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

2024252,037
2025253,881 *
2026255,428 *

R² = 98.4% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$34.4B
2025$37.0B *
2026$39.1B *

R² = 98.9% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$59,268/yr
Median rent$1,087/mo
Rent share of income22.0%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$14,187/yr
Mortgage share of income23.9%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate3.8%
State avg3.6%
U.S. avg4.2%
Labor force participation61.5%
Poverty rate17.7%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. June 2026.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$233,800
Median monthly rent$1,087
Price-to-rent ratio17.9x

Moderate price-to-rent ratio — buying and renting are roughly balanced in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateModerate
Composite score65/100
Economic growth64/100
Labor market64/100
Population momentum65/100
Overall stability69/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

Winston-Salem city, North Carolina

City/Town

Part of

Winston-Salem, NC

Nearby locations

Walkertown, NCBethania, NCWallburg, NCClemmons, NCRural Hall, NC