North Carolina Minority Health Facts: African Americans
State Center for Health Statistics and Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities
July 2010
In 2008, North Carolina had the sixth highest total
African-American population, and the seventh
highest percentage African-American population,
of the 50 states.' African Americans comprise a
significant portion of the history, tradition, and
culture of the state of North Carolina. To help
ascertain the health status of African Americans
in North Carolina, this report presents basic
health facts in the areas of mortality, chronic
diseases, HIV and sexually transmitted diseases,
health risk factors, access to health care, quality
of life, maternal and infant health, and child
and adolescent health. First we present some
characteristics of the African-American population
in the state.
Age and Geographic Characteristics of
African Americans in North Carolina
In 2008, there were almost two million (1,990,496)
African-American residents of North Carolina,
representing 21.6 percent of the total population.
While the percentage of the North Carolina
population that is African American has remained
relatively constant, the number of African
Americans in the population has increased by 13
percent since 2000.2
The first map in Figure 1 shows the estimated
number of African Americans living in each
county and also the percentage of each county’s
total population that is African American
according to 2008 Census population figures. It
can be seen from the second map that counties in
the northeastern part of North Carolina have the
largest percentages of African Americans.
African Americans in North Carolina are younger,
on average, than the white population. According
to the Census Bureau, the median age of the state’s
African-American population was 33.7 years,
compared to 40.5 years for the white population of
the state.1 The average life expectancy at birth is
73.4 years for African Americans in North Carolina,
compared to 78 years for whites.3
Social and Economic Well-Being
The percentage of African-American families in
North Carolina living below the federal poverty
level ($21,834 annual income for a family of four)
in 2008 was 2 1 .3, compared to 6.7 for whites.
The median annual household income where the
head of the household is African American was
$32,345, compared to $52,412 for households
headed by whites. Forty-four percent of African-
American families were headed by single female
householders, compared to 12.6 percent of white
families. Of the families with a single female
householder, 37 percent of the African-American
families lived in poverty, compared to 24.5 percent
of the families headed by single white females.
Twenty percent of African American adults
ages 25 and older had less than a high school
education, compared to 12.6 percent for whites.
The unemployment rate for African Americans
was double that for whites (11% vs. 5.4% in
2008).' Low income, low educational level, and
unemployment are all associated with a higher rate
of health problems.4
