Pembroke is a small town with a large college student population. Because of this, there is a real youthful, hip vibe to the place, and much of the life in the town is centered on the college. This has helped Pembroke to buck the trend of other small towns that have suffered declining populations over the past 20 to 30 years. Spending by students, and faculty and staff jobs, are a big part of the local economy.
Being a small town, Pembroke does not have a public transit system used by locals to get to and from work.
In terms of college education, Pembroke is nearly on par with the US average for all cities of 21.84%: 18.67% of adults 25 and older in Pembroke have a bachelor's degree or advanced degree.
The per capita income in Pembroke in 2022 was $14,357, which is low income relative to North Carolina and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $57,428 for a family of four. However, Pembroke contains both very wealthy and poor people as well. Pembroke also has one of the higher rates of people living in poverty in the nation, with 40.67% of its population below the federal poverty line.
Pembroke is an extremely ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Pembroke home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Pembroke residents report their race to be Native American, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Pembroke include English, German, Scottish, Scots-Irish, and African.
The most common language spoken in Pembroke is English. Other important languages spoken here include Native American languages and Spanish.
