Census Data for Burlington
Population ...
The most recent Census Estimate<1> was for 2019 and it gave Burlington a population of 54,499 people.
The last Decennial Census<2> was in 2010, which gave Burlington a population of 49,963 people.
The city of Burlington is located in Alamance County. The 2010 Census gave Alamance County; a population of 151,431 people. This means that Burlington had 32.99% of the county's total population, making it Alamance's most populous community.
At the same time, North Carolina had a population of 9,535,483 people, meaning that Burlington had 0.52% of the total population of North Carolina - making it the state's 17th most populous community.
Area ...
The 2010 Census shows that the sampling area for Burlington has a total area of 25.38 square miles [65.7 km²]. Of this total, a small amount of the area is covered by water (0.21 square miles [0.5 km²]).
Alamance County has a land area of 423.9 square miles [1,098 km²]. At 25.17 square miles [65.2 km²], Burlington has 5.94% of the county's total land area.
- Continue Reading ...
- When the Census Bureau conducts a census for a city like Burlington, they draw a boundary around the area in which they are going to conduct their count - this defines the sampling area (usually a polygon). The shape of the sampling area can be quite complex and it's important to keep in mind that the boundaries of the sampling area may or may not match the recognized boundaries of the city.
- Things like population, area and housing for Burlington reflect the sampling area. Since the shape of the sampling area and the actual boundaries of Burlington might be different, it's best to check with the U.S. Census Bureau to resolve any difference between the two.
- Not only does the sampling area define boundaries, it also has a GPS location (latitude & longitude) that indicates a point within the sampling area (usually the center of the polygon, known as the centroid). At the time of the 2010 Census, the sampling area was located at:
- Lat: 36° 4' 57" (or 36.08°)
- Lon: -79° 27' 35" (or -79.46°)
- More information on this topic and the changes between the 2000 Census and the 2010 Census can be found in the section for our Census-to-Census Observations ... (see below).
Housing Units ...
At the time of the 2010 Census, Burlington had 23,414 Housing Units<3> and with its population of 49,963 people, this averages 2.13 people per Housing Unit.
- Continue Reading ...
- The 2010 Census shows Burlington had a land area of 25.17 square miles [65.2 km²]. This translates to 922 Housing Units per square mile [356.2 housing units/km²].
- From the Census of 2000: Burlington had 19,567 Housing Units, a population of 44,917 people and a land area of 21.28 square miles [55.1 km²]. This gives a density of 2.3 people per Housing Unit and 916 Housing Units per square mile [354 housing units/km²].
- Note: Repeating the caution above (under Population Density), be aware that when comparing Housing Units between the 2010 and the 2000 Census, there were changes in the sampling area for Burlington and you need to be careful when comparing between the censuses. More information about the nature of these the changes can be found in the section called Census-to-Census Observations ... (see below).
Alamance County ...
Burlington is primarily located in Alamance County<4>. A portion of Burlington extends into Guilford County.
The county had a population of 151,431 people at the 2010 Census. With it's population of 49,963 people, Burlington represented 32.99% of the county's total.
In addition, where the city of Burlington has a population density of 1,968 people per square mile [760 people/km²], Alamance County averages 357.2 people per square mile [137.9 people/km²].
For more information, please visit our Census Page for Alamance County.
Census-to-Census Observations ...
Introduction ...
When the Census Bureau takes a census count (or enumeration) for Burlington, they start by specifying the boundaries of the area to be counted. This area (or sampling area) is a polygon and its shape can be quite complex - it may or may not match the geographical boundaries of Burlington. It's important to note that from one Census to the next, the shape and location of the polygon can change.
- Continue Reading ...
- Although we don't have specific information about the shape of the polygon for Burlington or how it changed has over time, there is some information that can give us some hints. For example, since the shape of the sampling area is directly related to the shape of the polygon, any change to area probably indicates a new shape for the polygon.
- If you need precision or details about the methodology of the Census, you should visit the U.S. Census Bureau for a definitive answer.
Location ...
While generally coinciding with the GPS location (latitude/longitude) of Burlington, the latitude and longitude given by the Census Bureau actually indicates the GPS location of the polygon for Burlington.
- Continue Reading ...
- For the 2010 Census, the location was given as:
- Lat: 36.082561° (or 36°4'57" N)
- Lon: -79.459748° (or -79°27'35" W)
- For the 2000 Census, the location given was:
- Lat: 36.089636° (or 36°5'22" N)
- Lon: -79.445578° (or -79°26'44" W)
- The difference indicates that the U.S. Census Bureau moved the location of the polygon for the 2010 Census 4,907 feet to the southwest<5> of the location that was used in the 2000 Census.
- The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) have assigned a unique GNIS identifier (#2403956) to Burlington. This identifier also marks a GPS point on the map, and that point lies within the boundaries of Burlington. The GNIS point has been mapped to the latitude/longitude:
- Lat: 36.082710° (or 36°4'57" N)
- Lon: -79.459010° (or -79°27'32" W)
- The GPS location given for the 2010 Census lies 224.1 feet to the west<6> of the point given by the GNIS for Burlington. For more information about this and the relationship of the various Federal Codes, please visit our Misc Page for Burlington.
Miscellaneous Information for Burlington ...
The Federal government has assigned various identifying codes to each community, county and state. At one time or another, the US Census Bureau has used one (or more) of the following identifiers when referring to either Alamance County or the city of Burlington:
- The GNIS Codes ...
- The FIPS Codes ...
- An earlier (and largely obsolete) identification method was called the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS):
- State Code: 37 (North Carolina)
- County Code: 001 (Alamance County)
- Place Code: 09060 (Burlington)
- State & County Code: 37/001 (North Carolina / Alamance County)
- State & Place Code: 37/09060 (North Carolina / Burlington)
- Misc. Census Codes ...
- Burlington is located in Census Region #3 (the South Region) and Division #5 (the South Atlantic Division).
For more information about the various Federal identification codes, please visit our Misc Page for Burlington.
Off-the-Road Links ...
The official website for Burlington: www.ci.burlington.nc.us/
The official website for Alamance County: www.alamance-nc.com/
The official website for State of North Carolina: https://www.nc.gov/
The official website of the U.S. Census Bureau
The official website of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN)
The official website of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
Footnotes ...
| <1> | Every year, the US Census Bureau creates a population estimate for the preceeding year. Keep in mind that this value is an estimate and not an actual count. The most recent Census estimate is for the year 2019. |
| <2> | Every 10 years (eg- 1990, 2000, 2010), the US Census Bureau conducts a Constitutionally-mandated count (or enumeration) of people living within the United States. This count is called a Decennial Census. The last Decennial Census was the 2010 Census, with the next one planned for 2020. |
| <3> | A Housing Unit is a broad term for those places where people live (whether occupied or temporarily vacant), such as a house, an apartment, a mobile home, or an area that is considered as a separate living quarter. Separate living quarters (consisting of one or more rooms) are considered to be those places where people live, sleep and eat separately from others and that have access to the outside (either directly or by a shared hallway). |
| <4> | If you're interested in how the shape of North Carolina's counties, including Alamance, have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. |
| <5> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to the 2010 Census location is 121 degrees and a distance of 4,907 feet. |
| <6> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to the GNIS point is 104 degrees and a distance of 224.1 feet. |