Pembroke is a place where college students are a big part of the character and culture of the town. Small towns have often struggled with declining populations over the past few decades, but the presence of such a large college student population has helped Pembroke to fight this trend. Not only does the college population add spending and jobs to local economy, but it also contributes a very tangible, youthful energy to the town.
Being a small town, Pembroke does not have a public transit system used by locals to get to and from work.
The education level of Pembroke citizens, measured as those with bachelor's degrees or advanced degrees, is similar to the national average for all American cities and towns. 18.67% of adults 25 and older in Pembroke have a college 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.
