Stokes County Demographics

A map of Stokes County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	40,160	39,609	89.0%	89.0%
Hispanic	1,730	1,456	3.8%	3.3%
Black	1,650	1,619	3.7%	3.6%
Multiracial	1,309	1,450	2.9%	3.3%
Native American/Other	257	228	0.6%	0.5%
Asian	33	158	0.1%	0.4%

Stokes County, North Carolina has an estimated population of 45,139, a slight increase from the 44,520 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 89.0% White, 3.8% Hispanic, 3.7% Black, 2.9% Multiracial, 0.6% Native American/Other, and 0.1% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Stokes County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Stokes 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 Stokes County, that probability was 20.5% in 2020 and 20.5% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Stokes County is ranked the 55th most populous county in North Carolina, out of 100 counties. Stokes County was ranked the 57th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Stokes County's White Population

40,160 residents of Stokes County, or 89.0% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Stokes County is significantly higher than in North Carolina overall, where 60% of the population is White. Stokes County ranks 7th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Stokes County's White population has grown by an estimated 1.4%. White residents' share of Stokes County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 89.0%.

Stokes County is more White than neighboring Forsyth County (53.5% White), Surry County (81.1% White), Henry County (67.7% White), and Rockingham County (69.9% White). Stokes County is less White than neighboring Patrick County (89.1% White).

Stokes County's Black Population

1,650 residents of Stokes County, or 3.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Stokes County is significantly lower than in North Carolina overall, where 20% of the population is Black. Stokes County ranks 82nd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Stokes County's Black population has grown by an estimated 1.9%. Black residents' share of Stokes County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.7%.

Stokes County is more Black than neighboring Surry County (3.6% Black). Stokes County is less Black than neighboring Forsyth County (24.6% Black), Patrick County (5% Black), Henry County (22.1% Black), and Rockingham County (17.3% Black).

Stokes County's Asian Population

33 residents of Stokes County, or 0.1% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Stokes County is slightly lower than in North Carolina overall, where 3.3% of the population is Asian. Stokes County ranks 78th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Stokes County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 79.1%. Asian residents' share of Stokes County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.1%.

Stokes County is less Asian than neighboring Forsyth County (2.3% Asian), Patrick County (0.5% Asian), Surry County (0.7% Asian), Henry County (0.5% Asian), and Rockingham County (0.3% Asian).

Stokes County's Hispanic Population

1,730 residents of Stokes County, or 3.8% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Stokes County is lower than in North Carolina overall, where 11.3% of the population is Hispanic. Stokes County ranks 91st statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Stokes County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 18.8%. Hispanic residents' share of Stokes County's population has increased from 3.3% to 3.8%.

Stokes County is more Hispanic than neighboring Patrick County (3.5% Hispanic). Stokes County is less Hispanic than neighboring Forsyth County (15.1% Hispanic), Surry County (12.5% Hispanic), Henry County (7% Hispanic), and Rockingham County (7.2% Hispanic).

Stokes County's Native American/Other Population

257 residents of Stokes County, or 0.6% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Stokes County is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 1.4% of the population is Native American/Other. Stokes County ranks 89th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Stokes County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 12.7%. Native American/Other residents' share of Stokes County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Stokes County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Patrick County (0% Native American/Other), Surry County (0.4% Native American/Other), and Henry County (0.2% Native American/Other). Stokes County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Forsyth County (0.7% Native American/Other), and Rockingham County (1% Native American/Other).

Stokes County's Multiracial Population

1,309 residents of Stokes County, or 2.9% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Stokes County is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 4.1% of the population is Multiracial. Stokes County ranks 68th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Stokes County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 9.7%. Multiracial residents' share of Stokes County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.9%.

Stokes County is more Multiracial than neighboring Patrick County (1.8% Multiracial), Surry County (1.8% Multiracial), and Henry County (2.4% Multiracial). Stokes County is less Multiracial than neighboring Forsyth County (3.8% Multiracial), and Rockingham County (4.3% 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.