Elon is a small town where college students really create the town feel and character. So many small towns have lost population over the last 20-30 years that having the local college presence in the Elon area, with all of the energy of the students filling area dorms and apartments each fall, really helps Elon maintain a good economy.
For a small town, there is also a high proportion of single, often educated, people living in Elon. This is not typical for smaller communities in America, and adds a feeling of vibrancy to Elon.
As is often the case in a small town, Elon doesn't have a public transportation system that people use for their commute.
If knowledge is power, Elon is a pretty powerful place. 52.10% of the adults in Elon have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns.
The per capita income in Elon in 2022 was $28,817, which is middle income relative to North Carolina, and lower middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $115,268 for a family of four. However, Elon contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.
Elon is a somewhat ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Elon home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Elon residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Elon include German, English, Irish, Italian, and Scots-Irish.
The most common language spoken in Elon is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Italian.
