Editing Wilkes County, North Carolina (section)

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1790= 8157
|1800= 7247
|1810= 9054
|1820= 9967
|1830= 11968
|1840= 12577
|1850= 12099
|1860= 14749
|1870= 15539
|1880= 19181
|1890= 22675
|1900= 26872
|1910= 30282
|1920= 32644
|1930= 36162
|1940= 43003
|1950= 45243
|1960= 45269
|1970= 49524
|1980= 58657
|1990= 59393
|2000= 65352
|2010= 69340
|2020= 65969
|estyear=2023
|estimate=66013
|estref=<ref name="2020CensusQuickFacts"/>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 20, 2015}}</ref><br />1790–1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=January 20, 2015}}</ref> 1900–1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/nc190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|editor-last=Forstall|editor-first=Richard L.|date=March 27, 1995|access-date=January 20, 2015}}</ref><br />1990–2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=April 2, 2001|access-date=January 20, 2015}}</ref> 2010<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/37/37193.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 30, 2013}}</ref> 2020<ref name="2020CensusQuickFacts">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/wilkescountynorthcarolina|title=QuickFacts: Wilkes County, North Carolina|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 22, 2024}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Wilkes County racial composition<ref>{{cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US37193&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 21, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
| 56,316
| 85.37%
|-
!scope="row"| [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
| 2,580
| 3.91%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
| 86
| 0.13%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
| 324
| 0.49%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
| 5
| 0.01%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
| 2,004
| 3.04%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
| 4,654
| 7.05%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], there were 65,969 people, 28,376 households, and 17,409 families residing in the county.

===2010 census===
At the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]],<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> there were 69,340 people, 28,360 households, and 19,683 families residing in the county. The population density was {{convert|91.91|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people}}. There were 33,065 housing units at an average density of {{convert|43.84|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the county was 90.60% White or European American, 4.08% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 3.33% from other races, and 1.33% from two or more races. Of all races, 5.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.

There were 28,360 households, out of which 26.76% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.03% were married couples living together, 10.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.60% were non-families. Of all households, 26.69% were made up of individuals, and 11.59% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the county, the population breakdown by age is: 22.41% under the age of 18, 7.16% from 18 to 24, 23.96% from 25 to 44, 29.49% from 45 to 64, and 16.99% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.4 years. For every 100 females there were 97.69 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.42 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,668, and the median income for a family was $39,670. Males had a median income of $30,917 versus $26,182 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,319. About 17.60% of families and 21.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.60% of those under age 18 and 13.40% of those age 65 or over.

===Religion===
Since colonial times Wilkes County has been overwhelmingly [[Protestant]] Christian. The two earliest churches to be established in Wilkes were the [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Episcopalian]] and [[Presbyterian]]. However, by the 1850s the [[Southern Baptists]] had eclipsed them, and the Baptists have remained the dominant church in Wilkes.<ref name="thearda.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/c/37/rcms2010_37193_county_name_2010.asp|title=The Association of Religion Data Archives {{!}} Maps & Reports|website=www.thearda.com|access-date=March 17, 2018}}</ref> The county also contains a significant number of [[Methodist]], Presbyterian, Episcopalian, and non-denominational [[Evangelical Protestant]] congregations.<ref name="thearda.com"/> Historically, few [[Roman Catholics]] lived in Wilkes, but recent immigration from other U.S. States and especially by people of [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]] descent has increased their numbers. Wilkes County has a single Catholic parish, Saint John Baptist de LaSalle Catholic Church in North Wilkesboro, which serves all the Catholics of Wilkes County.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite web|url=http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/c/37/rcms2010_37193_county_name_1980_ON.asp|title=The Association of Religion Data Archives {{!}} Maps & Reports|website=www.thearda.com|access-date=March 17, 2018}}</ref> In contrast, relatively few [[Jews]] or members of other non-Christian faiths have settled in the county.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>