
North Carolina · Census place 35540
Kenly, NC population, income and ZIP codes
Quick answer
The population of the city of Kenly, North Carolina (Kenly, NC — Census place “Kenly town”) is 2,351 residents, ranking #314 of 777 places in North Carolina. Median household income is $46,229, the median home is worth $183,300 and median gross rent runs $780 a month. Looking for the Kenly North Carolina ZIP code list? 1 ZIP codes serve Kenly, NC: 27542.
- Population
- 2,351Kenly town residents
- Median household income
- $46,229Past 12 months, inflation adjusted
- Median home value
- $183,300Owner-occupied units
- Median gross rent
- $780Rent plus utilities, monthly
- Median age
- 34.8 yrsAll residents
- Homeownership rate
- 52.4%Owner-occupied households
Kenly ZIP codes (North Carolina)
Census ZCTAs whose delivery area overlaps Kenly.
The Kenly NC ZIP code list below covers 1 ZIP code. Open any one for its population, income, housing and rent profile.
What the numbers mean in Kenly town
Housing cost measured against local earnings.
A household earning the Kenly town median would spend about 20.2% of gross income on the median rent. The 30% mark is the federal threshold for cost burden, so anything above it signals a stretched rental market. The median home costs 4.0× the median household income; nationally that ratio sits near 4.5×. Poverty affects 16.9% of residents and 52.4% of households own their home.
Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates · rates as published for 2019-2023 ACS 5-year
Kenly town, NC in context
How this area compares with national benchmarks.
Kenly town is a small town in North Carolina, with 2,351 residents counted in the Census American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, which places it #314 of 777 ranked by population — larger than 59% of them. The median age here is 34.8 years against 39.1 nationally, a slightly younger profile than the country as a whole. At this population the ACS sample is small, so the margin of error around every dollar figure below is wide — treat the numbers as a band, not a point, and expect them to move between annual releases without the place itself changing.
Households in Kenly town earn a median of $46,229 a year, 41.1% below the national figure of $78,538 and 24% below the $61,228 median for the 459 North Carolina cities we cover. Household income here is measured before tax and pooled across everyone at the address, which is why it reads higher than typical individual earnings in the same area. Poverty reaches 16.9% of residents here, above the 12.4% national rate.
The typical owner-occupied home in Kenly town is valued at $183,300, 39.6% below the national figure and 17% below the $219,800 peer median, while median gross rent runs $780 a month, 44.5% below the national figure, or roughly $9,360 across a full year. A household on the local median income would put about 20.2% of gross pay toward that rent against the federal 30% cost-burden threshold, so renting here is within the standard affordability guideline. The home-price-to-income ratio works out to 4×, against roughly 3.9× nationally, so buying is harder here than in the average US market. 52.4% of occupied homes are owner-occupied versus 65% nationally, so the market leans more heavily on renters. The rent line includes utilities paid by the tenant, a definition worth remembering when comparing it against a landlord's quoted rate.
No figure on this page is estimated by us; each one comes straight from the published ACS tables for this area. Small-area estimates still carry wider margins of error than state or national figures, so check the linked ACS tables before relying on them for lending, appraisal or legal work.
Compare with nearby places
Places of similar size in North Carolina.
- Connelly Springs town 2,342
- Four Oaks town 2,372
- Fairview CDP 2,327
- Yanceyville town 2,376
- Fairmont town 2,326
- Spruce Pine town 2,381
- Kure Beach town 2,323
- Taylorsville town 2,386
Keep going
More North Carolina coverage.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this area.
- What is the population of Kenly town?
- Kenly town has 2,351 residents on Census ACS 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, ranking #314 of 777 in North Carolina.
- What is the median household income in Kenly town?
- Median household income in Kenly town is $46,229 a year, 41.1% below the national figure of $78,538.
- How much does it cost to rent or buy in Kenly town?
- Median gross rent is $780 a month and the median home value is $183,300, so rent absorbs about 20.2% of median household income.
- Is Kenly town affordable compared with the rest of the US?
- Homes cost about 4× the local median income here versus roughly 3.9× nationally, so Kenly town is less affordable to buy in than the typical US market, and rent takes 20.2% of median income against the 30% cost-burden line.
- How current is this Kenly town data?
- All figures come from the US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year five-year estimates. At this population the ACS sample is small, so the margin of error around every dollar figure below is wide — treat the numbers as a band, not a point, and expect them to move between annual releases without the place itself changing.