Person County Demographics

A map of Person County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	25,382	25,132	64.2%	64.3%
Black	10,214	9,879	25.8%	25.3%
Hispanic	2,499	2,195	6.3%	5.6%
Multiracial	1,273	1,398	3.2%	3.6%
Native American/Other	131	369	0.3%	0.9%
Asian	43	124	0.1%	0.3%

Person County, North Carolina has an estimated population of 39,542, a slight increase from the 39,097 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 64.2% White, 25.8% Black, 6.3% Hispanic, 3.2% Multiracial, 0.3% Native American/Other, and 0.1% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Person County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Person is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than North Carolina overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Person County, that probability was 51.8% in 2020 and 51.6% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Person County is ranked the 63rd most populous county in North Carolina, out of 100 counties. Person County was ranked the 63rd most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Person County's White Population

25,382 residents of Person County, or 64.2% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Person County is slightly higher than in North Carolina overall, where 60% of the population is White. Person County ranks 53rd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Person County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Person County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 64.2%.

Person County is more White than neighboring Granville County (55.4% White), Caswell County (59.9% White), Durham County (41.7% White), and Halifax County (59.4% White). Person County is less White than neighboring Orange County (66.2% White).

Person County's Black Population

10,214 residents of Person County, or 25.8% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Person County is higher than in North Carolina overall, where 20% of the population is Black. Person County ranks 33rd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Person County's Black population has grown by an estimated 3.4%. Black residents' share of Person County's population has increased from 25.3% to 25.8%.

Person County is more Black than neighboring Orange County (10.1% Black). Person County is less Black than neighboring Granville County (28.8% Black), Caswell County (30.5% Black), Durham County (31.8% Black), and Halifax County (34.3% Black).

Person County's Asian Population

43 residents of Person County, or 0.1% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Person County is slightly lower than in North Carolina overall, where 3.3% of the population is Asian. Person County ranks 85th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Person County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 65.3%. Asian residents' share of Person County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.1%.

Person County is less Asian than neighboring Granville County (0.4% Asian), Orange County (7.8% Asian), Caswell County (0.4% Asian), Durham County (5.4% Asian), and Halifax County (0.6% Asian).

Person County's Hispanic Population

2,499 residents of Person County, or 6.3% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Person County is lower than in North Carolina overall, where 11.3% of the population is Hispanic. Person County ranks 63rd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Person County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 13.8%. Hispanic residents' share of Person County's population has increased from 5.6% to 6.3%.

Person County is more Hispanic than neighboring Caswell County (5.1% Hispanic), and Halifax County (2.6% Hispanic). Person County is less Hispanic than neighboring Granville County (11.1% Hispanic), Orange County (10.6% Hispanic), and Durham County (15.8% Hispanic).

Person County's Native American/Other Population

131 residents of Person County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Person County is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 1.4% of the population is Native American/Other. Person County ranks 23rd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Person County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 64.5%. Native American/Other residents' share of Person County's population has decreased from 0.9% to 0.3%.

Person County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Caswell County (0.1% Native American/Other). Person County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Granville County (1% Native American/Other), Orange County (0.8% Native American/Other), Durham County (0.8% Native American/Other), and Halifax County (0.6% Native American/Other).

Person County's Multiracial Population

1,273 residents of Person County, or 3.2% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Person County is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 4.1% of the population is Multiracial. Person County ranks 56th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Person County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 8.9%. Multiracial residents' share of Person County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.2%.

Person County is more Multiracial than neighboring Halifax County (2.4% Multiracial). Person County is less Multiracial than neighboring Granville County (3.3% Multiracial), Orange County (4.5% Multiracial), Caswell County (4% Multiracial), and Durham County (4.5% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.