Acoustic Syndicate with Larry Keel Smilefest Pinnacle NC May 2010, 2010
Pinnacle’s story
126 years in pictures
The archive holds 17 old photos and papers going back to 2010 and 3 maps from 1964 on.
- 1900Pinnacle is settled
PinnacleNC
Photo: -ted · CC BY 2.0
Population
540
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$287K
+7.4% in a year
Household income
$24K
median
Median age
52.7
years
Jobs based here
43
A commuter town
Is Pinnacle a good place to live?
39% of residents live below the poverty line in Pinnacle, above both North Carolina’s towns (13%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Among 291 North Carolina towns, just 5 have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Pinnacle. Pinnacle has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Pinnacle stand out
Where Pinnacle beats most towns.
Small town
540 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Pinnacle: who provides what
Pinnacle is unincorporated, so Stokes County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerSurry-Yadkin Elec Member17.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of King water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesStokes CountyStokes County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn North Carolina you can register online until 25 days before Election Day, in person with same-day registration during the early voting period, or by mail (postmarked 25 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereStokes County Board of ElectionsStokes County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2019
ZIP code2704327043 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Pinnacle.
Schools
The schools Pinnacle’s kids attend
Its one school is below. 162 students attend Pinnacle’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinnacle Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 162 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
With only 0.1 jobs per working resident, most people in Pinnacle work out of town
The top destinations are Winston-Salem (34%), Greensboro (7%) and Charlotte (6%). Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Pinnacle rose by 20, to 43. The typical journey to work for Pinnacle comes to 28 minutes, above both the North Carolina town median (24 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). The median commute is under 19 miles.
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Pinnacle0%
Winston-Salem34%
Greensboro7%
Charlotte6%
King5%
19 mi
median commute distance
43
jobs based in Pinnacle
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Pinnacle’s year
The midsummer high in Pinnacle is 87°F.
6″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter30–50°
Spring45–69°
Summer64–86°
Fall47–70°
Oct 31
typical first frost
Apr 6
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Housing
Pinnacle’s typical home value is about $287K
Values rose 7.4% in the 12 months to September 2026. Pinnacle: 69% of households live in a home they own.
$287KZillow home value
Typical home value
Pinnacle$287K
North Carolina$332K
+7.4%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Health
How healthy Pinnacle is
For adults in Pinnacle, the share who say their health is fair or poor is 18%. Against the North Carolina average, Pinnacle comes out ahead on 6 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 2. Among adults locally, 32% sleep under 7 hours and 11% worry about having enough food.
| Pinnacle | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 25% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 36% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 24% | 25% |
32 measures vs. North Carolina
6 better24 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Pinnacle | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9% | 13.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.7% | 15.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.6% | 7.9% |
Lifebrite Community Hospital of Stokes
14.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Pinnacle is inland flooding, at a moderate overall level
FEMA expects less storm and flood damage in Pinnacle than in 52% of U.S. communities. 70% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by drought at 7%.
48risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Outdoors
Protected land: 0.1% of Pinnacle
In 1 park or preserve, walkers have 0.2 miles of trail. Parks and preserves in Pinnacle: one, of 3 acres.
0.1%conserved
| Pinnacle | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.1% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
0.1%
conserved · 3 of 2,311 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pinnacle Lions Park | 0.1 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 26 attractions →Blue Ridge Parkway and 20 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Pinnacle. Close and well known come first.
23 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
3 mi MountainPilot Mountain
16 mi Stadium & arenaAllegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium
19 mi MuseumOld Salem
10 mi State parkHanging Rock State Park
16 mi MuseumReynolda House Museum of American ArtSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Blue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Pilot Mountain: Berean Hunter, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium: BobHWS, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Old Salem: David Bjorgen, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hanging Rock State Park: Jacalyn Engler from Greensboro, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Reynolda House Museum of American Art: Zsrarticle, CC BY-SA 4.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Pinnacle
18pages on Pinnacle
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Pinnacle; the nearest are
Carolina Christian CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Winston Salem15.3 mi$9,970 tuitionSurry Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Dobson16.9 mi$2,668 in-state tuitionWinston-Salem State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Winston-Salem19.5 mi$6,126 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Pinnacle residents are enrolled in college, about the same as North Carolina.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Pinnacle for work
Where Pinnacle’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
43jobs based in Pinnacle
0%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Pinnacle
Census-designated place in North Carolina, United States
Pinnacle is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in southwestern Stokes County, North Carolina, United States, approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) SSE of the town of Pilot Mountain, between Pilot Mountain State Park and Hanging Rock State Park. As of the 2020 census, Pinnacle had a population of 786.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 1,079 ft
- ZIP code
- 27043
Questions about Pinnacle
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Pinnacle, NC a good place to live?
Pinnacle has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.