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Cost of living, pay and housing

36.23° N · 81.17° W · GEOID 3745560

Mulberry

Wilkes County, North Carolina · part of the North Wilkesboro, NC metro

Limited data population under 5,000

North CarolinaMulberry, NCMulberryMulberry

The short answer

Mulberry is home to 2,037 people. Median household income is $51,919 a year and median rent is $604 a month, 14.0% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $172,400, about 3.3x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$604
56% below the median place
Median household income
$51,919
35% below the median place
Median home value
$172,400
46% below the median place
Unemployment
13.0%
167% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Mulberry

  • Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, household income rose 7.1% a year while rent rose -6.1%, so pay gained on rent more than in 98% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-lowest of 160 North Carolina places.
  • Median rent is $604 a month, lower than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 161 North Carolina places.
  • Unemployment averaged 13.0% over the survey period, higher than in 95% of places its size.
  • The median resident is 47.9 years old, older than in 88% of places its size.
  • The median household earns $51,919 a year, less than in 83% of places its size.

Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 83 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

01

Moving to Mulberry

Wilkes County gains about 7.1 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in2,042
Moved out1,687
Net+355

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Yadkin County, NC119156−37
Ashe County, NC7055+15

Within North Carolina, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within North CarolinaOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$63K
Leavers$51K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Wilkes County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
1.7% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Wilkes County report $62,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $51,200, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$24,200 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $604 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,115 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $172,400.
Getting to work
22 minutes each way on average; 9.1% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
International Falls, MN matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Moved here in the past year1
1.7%
70% below the median place
Income of households moving out6
$51,226
27% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureMulberryAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure1.7%70% below
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure7.1above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$62,55511% below
Income of households moving out6County figure$51,22627% below
02

What it costs to live here

Median gross rent is $604, 56% below the median place.

Mulberry14.0%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$24,160
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
14.0%
31% below the median place
Home price to income
3.3x
13% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
14%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$44,800
a year, prices not adjusted
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Mulberry, $604 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Mulberry.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Mulberry? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,115
40% below the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$1,007
69% below the median place
Property tax rate1
0.6%
36% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureMulberryAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$60456% below
Rent to income114.0%31% below
Property tax rate10.6%36% below
Home price to income13.3x13% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure$1,01237% below
HUD area median income3County figure$67,40037% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,00769% below
Median home value1$172,40046% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure4.3%36% above
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure66.0%28% above
Homeownership180.6%21% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure42.9%15% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,11540% below
Vacant homes1County figure14.8%110% above
Median year built119780% above
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Unemployment1
13.0%
167% above the median place
Median household income1
$51,919
35% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureMulberryAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$51,91935% below
Income per person1$31,99320% below
Unemployment113.0%167% above
Average annual pay5County figure$51,96421% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure8.3%124% above
Jobs5County figure18,89787% below
Poverty rate1County figure16.7%55% above
Mean commute122 min12% below
Works from home1County figure9.1%27% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Median age is 47.9, 23% above the median place.

Median age1
47.9
23% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
85.6%
7% below the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
19.1%
40% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size2.2 −11%
High school or higher85.9% −7%
No health insurance7.5% +17%
All 8 people measures
MeasureMulberryAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population12,0376646th largest
Median age147.923% above
Bachelor's or higher119.1%40% below
High school or higher185.9%7% below
Household size12.211% below
Born abroad1County figure3.7%58% below
No health insurance17.5%17% above
Homes with broadband185.6%7% below
05

Life in Mulberry

24 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents0.0 −100%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars14.0 −33%
Shops33.4 +10%
Arts, recreation and fitness2.6 −37%
Doctors' offices and clinics10.6 −48%
Child care centers1.7 −26%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7
10.6
48% below the median place
Restaurants and bars per 10k7
14.0
33% below the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7
2.6
37% below the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureMulberryAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools10County figure22144% above
Public school students10County figure8,54775% above
Students per teacher10County figure15.61% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure14.033% below
Shops per 10k7County figure33.410% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure2.637% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure10.648% below
Child care centers per 10k7County figure1.726% below
Parks per 10k80.0below (median 10.2)
Playgrounds per 10k80.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k80.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k80.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k80.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails80.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi80.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings9County figure2485% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Heat wave risk is 28.0, 69% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Mulberry. Larger places are fetched first.

Heat wave risk12
28.0
69% below the median place
Annual precipitation11
51.0 in
16% above the median place
Natural hazard risk12
82.6
11% below the median place
All 9 weather and risk measures
MeasureMulberryAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high11County figure86°F0% below
January average low11County figure27°F8% above
Average temperature11County figure57°F3% above
Annual precipitation11County figure51.0 in16% above
Natural hazard risk12County figure82.611% below
Hurricane risk12County figure75.47% above
Tornado risk12County figure72.511% below
Wildfire risk12County figure52.714% below
Heat wave risk12County figure28.069% below
08

Mulberry in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 13% of the median income in 2030, down from 14% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$604/mo (2024)$730/mo$600 to $890/mo+3.2%
Median household income$51,919 (2024)$66,000$56,000 to $78,000+4.1%
Median home value$172,400 (2024)$231,000$167,000 to $318,000+5.0%

The median home would be worth 3.5 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.3 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Mulberry

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
International Falls, MN$645$57,662Compare
Menominee, MI$735$49,432Compare
New Kensington, PA$751$49,063Compare
Lenoir, NC$664$49,910Compare
Lenoir, NCNew Kensington, PAMenominee, MIInternational Falls, MNMulberry, NCMulberryInternational FallsMenomineeNew KensingtonLenoirMulberryInternational FallsMenomineeNew KensingtonLenoir

Common questions

Is Mulberry a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, household income rose 7.1% a year while rent rose -6.1%, so pay gained on rent more than in 98% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-lowest of 160 North Carolina places. Median rent is $604 a month, lower than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 161 North Carolina places. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Mulberry expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 14.0% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $172,400.

What salary do you need to live in Mulberry?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $24,160 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Mulberry?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are International Falls, MN, Menominee, MI, New Kensington, PA and Lenoir, NC.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  3. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  9. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  10. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  11. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  12. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Mulberry with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Mulberry itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/mulberry-north-carolina

Citytistics. “Mulberry, North Carolina.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/mulberry-north-carolina/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.