Population
712,206
2025
+5.3% since 2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025), 2025. Resident population, July 1 estimate.
Winston-Salem, NC metro growth snapshot
The Winston-Salem, NC metro area had an estimated 712,206 residents in 2025, up 5.3% (35,835 more people) since 2020.
Data as of 2025 · updated
Headline numbers
Net domestic migration
+5,477
2025
7.7 per 1,000 residents
+29,560 in total, 2021–2025
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025), 2025. People moving in from other U.S. counties minus people moving out.
Jobs
268,626
2025
+6.1% since 2020
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025. Average annual employment covered by unemployment insurance.
New homes permitted (calendar 2025)
4,699
2025
+11.7% since 2021
6.6 per 1,000 residents
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025. Housing units authorized by building permits in the year.
Private-sector employment
257,305
2023
+6.1% since 2018
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023. Paid employees of private employers in mid-March (County Business Patterns).
Metro figures add up the member counties: totals only, so medians, wages and rates are on each county's page.
What the numbers say
Net domestic migration added 5,477 people in 2025: more people moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out.
Employers counted 268,626 jobs in 2025, +6.1% since 2020.
Builders were authorized to start 4,699 new homes in 2025, or 6.6 per 1,000 residents.
Counties in this metro area
- Davidson County, NCpop +6.6% · jobs +8.5%
- Davie County, NCpop +6.9% · jobs +17.2%
- Forsyth County, NCpop +5.0% · jobs +4.9%
- Stokes County, NCpop +3.5% · jobs +1.0%
- Yadkin County, NCpop +2.9% · jobs +8.0%
Fastest-growing metro areas in North Carolina · Fastest-growing metro areas in the U.S.
Questions
Is the Winston-Salem, NC metro area growing?
Yes. Its population grew 5.3% between 2020 and 2025, about 35,835 more people (Census Bureau population estimates).
Which county in the Winston-Salem, NC metro area is growing fastest?
Davie County, NC. Its population grew 6.9% between 2020 and 2025, the fastest of the 5 member counties (Census Bureau population estimates).
How many people moved to the Winston-Salem, NC metro area?
On net, about 5,477 people in 2025: that many more moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate). International migration is not in this figure.
What is the population of the Winston-Salem, NC metro area?
About 712,206 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.
How many jobs are in the Winston-Salem, NC metro area?
Employers there reported 268,626 jobs covered by unemployment insurance in 2025, +6.1% since 2020 (BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages).
See Winston-Salem, NC tract by tract
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Sources and method
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns
Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.