Winston-Salem, NC Demographics

A map of Winston-Salem's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	109,867	109,714	43.6%	44.0%
Black	78,616	79,788	31.2%	32.0%
Hispanic	45,789	42,841	18.2%	17.2%
Multiracial	10,103	8,989	4.0%	3.6%
Asian	5,756	6,275	2.3%	2.5%
Native American/Other	1,906	1,938	0.8%	0.8%

Winston-Salem, North Carolina has an estimated population of 252,037, a less than 1% change from the 249,545 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 43.6% White, 31.2% Black, 18.2% Hispanic, 4.0% Multiracial, 2.3% Asian, and 0.8% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Winston-Salem, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Winston-Salem is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably more 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 Winston-Salem, that probability was 67.3% in 2020 and 67.8% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Winston-Salem is ranked the 5th most populous place in North Carolina, out of 776 places. This ranking is based on the Census definition of a place, which includes incorporated places like cities, towns, and villages, as well as unincorporated census-designated places (CDPs). Winston-Salem was ranked the 5th most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Winston-Salem's White Population

109,867 residents of Winston-Salem, or 43.6% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Winston-Salem is significantly lower than in North Carolina overall, where 60% of the population is White. Winston-Salem ranks 636th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 776 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Winston-Salem's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Winston-Salem's population has remained roughly unchanged at 43.6%.

Winston-Salem is less White than neighboring Bethania (74% White), Walkertown (73.3% White), Rural Hall (63.4% White), Midway (82.2% White), and Clemmons (70.8% White).

Winston-Salem's Black Population

78,616 residents of Winston-Salem, or 31.2% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Winston-Salem is considerably higher than in North Carolina overall, where 20% of the population is Black. Winston-Salem ranks 177th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 776 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Winston-Salem's Black population has declined by an estimated 1.5%. Black residents' share of Winston-Salem's population has decreased from 32.0% to 31.2%.

Winston-Salem is more Black than neighboring Bethania (16.5% Black), Walkertown (18.9% Black), Rural Hall (16% Black), Midway (12.3% Black), and Clemmons (7.7% Black).

Winston-Salem's Asian Population

5,756 residents of Winston-Salem, or 2.3% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Winston-Salem is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 3.3% of the population is Asian. Winston-Salem ranks 88th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 776 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Winston-Salem's Asian population has declined by an estimated 8.3%. Asian residents' share of Winston-Salem's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.3%.

Winston-Salem is more Asian than neighboring Bethania (0.9% Asian), Walkertown (0% Asian), Rural Hall (0% Asian), and Midway (0% Asian). Winston-Salem is less Asian than neighboring Clemmons (6.4% Asian).

Winston-Salem's Hispanic Population

45,789 residents of Winston-Salem, or 18.2% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Winston-Salem is higher than in North Carolina overall, where 11.3% of the population is Hispanic. Winston-Salem ranks 76th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 776 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Winston-Salem's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 6.9%. Hispanic residents' share of Winston-Salem's population has increased from 17.2% to 18.2%.

Winston-Salem is more Hispanic than neighboring Bethania (4.1% Hispanic), Walkertown (6.2% Hispanic), Rural Hall (12% Hispanic), Midway (4.3% Hispanic), and Clemmons (10.2% Hispanic).

Winston-Salem's Native American/Other Population

1,906 residents of Winston-Salem, or 0.8% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Winston-Salem is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 1.4% of the population is Native American/Other. Winston-Salem ranks 374th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 776 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Winston-Salem's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 1.7%. Native American/Other residents' share of Winston-Salem's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Winston-Salem is more Native American/Other than neighboring Bethania (0.5% Native American/Other), Walkertown (0.2% Native American/Other), Midway (0% Native American/Other), and Clemmons (0.5% Native American/Other). Winston-Salem is less Native American/Other than neighboring Rural Hall (8.7% Native American/Other).

Winston-Salem's Multiracial Population

10,103 residents of Winston-Salem, or 4.0% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Winston-Salem is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 4.1% of the population is Multiracial. Winston-Salem ranks 412th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 776 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Winston-Salem's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 12.4%. Multiracial residents' share of Winston-Salem's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.0%.

Winston-Salem is more Multiracial than neighboring Walkertown (1.4% Multiracial), Rural Hall (0% Multiracial), and Midway (1.2% Multiracial). Winston-Salem is less Multiracial than neighboring Bethania (4.1% Multiracial), and Clemmons (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.