The Town Files

Pinnacle, North Carolina

Community in Stokes County · population 786 (2020 Census)

Map: where Pinnacle is in North CarolinaPinnacle
Household income
$23,750
Jan low / Jul high
26° / 88°
Snow a year
6 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
14
Median age
52.7

Pinnacle is a community of 786 people in Stokes County, North Carolina. It ranks more of a college town than 85% of North Carolina towns, better transit than 77% of North Carolina towns, better for families than 71% of North Carolina towns.

How Pinnacle ranks

Percentile among North Carolina towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of North Carolina towns.

Pinnacle lifestyle rankings vs other North Carolina townsRetirement6th pctFamilies71st pctQuiet48th pctWalkability52nd pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals20th pctVibrancy11th pctHip & trendy21st pctCollege town85th pctUpscale69th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit77th pctDriving58th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

Median rent is $814 a month. 68.9% of households own their home.

Pinnacle vs Stokes County vs typical North Carolina townPinnacleStokes CountyTypical North Carolina townHousehold income$23,750$62,969$60,458Monthly rent$814$775$969
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of North Carolina towns with 500+ people.
HousingPinnacleTypical North Carolina town
Median home value—$228,900
Median rent$814$969
Median household income$23,750$60,458
Home value ÷ income—×3.7×
Homeownership68.9%69.5%
Median year built19941984
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Pinnacle

PeoplePinnacleTypical North Carolina town
Median age52.741.1
Age 65 and over15.6%19.0%
Under 186.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher8.8%24.5%
Below the poverty line39.1%14.3%
Veterans18.7%—
Born outside the U.S.10.2%—
Work from home14.7%9.8%
Average commute28.4 min24.6 min
Homes with broadband100.0%89.5%

Weather in Pinnacle

July highs average 88.4°F and January lows 25.9°F. About 47.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 6.2 inches of snow (typical North Carolina town: 2.2 in). Expect about 43 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 98 nights at or below freezing.

Pinnacle monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing49°26°Jan53°27°Feb61°34°Mar71°43°Apr78°53°May85°63°Jun88°68°Jul87°67°Aug81°59°Sep71°46°Oct61°35°Nov52°28°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.62.53.21.83.60.64.54.24.74.14.74.53.23.83.11.3
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Pfafftown station (11.9 mi away); snow from King (4.3 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Pinnacle since 1950, compared with 13 for the typical North Carolina town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on May 24, 2017 about 1.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 26, 2022.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Pinnacle by decade11950s11960s11970s01980s41990s12000s52010s12020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 36 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on March 23, 2005.

Severe weather in Stokes County since 1996

Storm events in Stokes County since 1996 by typeHail79Flood14Drought24Tornado6High Wind13Lightning6Heavy Rain5Heavy Snow13
NOAA Storm Events Database, Stokes County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 4 deaths recorded.

Stokes County has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for drought, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
January 24, 2026Winter StormEM-3637: Severe Winter Storm
October 19, 2024Tropical StormDR-4837: Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight
September 26, 2024Tropical StormEM-3617: Hurricane Helene
August 6, 2024Tropical StormEM-3608: Tropical Storm Debby
October 1, 2022HurricaneEM-3586: Hurricane Ian

Jobs and pay in Stokes County

Stokes County had 7,708 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $41,766 a year. Unemployment was 3.1% in 2023; in Pinnacle itself the ACS puts it at 4%.

Largest industries in Stokes CountyRetail1,308 jobs · $30,078Hotels & restaurants1,162 jobs · $18,897Health care & social assistan…1,010 jobs · $45,008Manufacturing680 jobs · $60,777Construction621 jobs · $57,940Administrative & support246 jobs · $42,642
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Stokes County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Stokes 3.1%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Pinnacle

2 public schools with 415 students, about 13.8 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Shoals ElementaryPK-525213.3
Pinnacle Elementary SchoolPK-516314.8

Towns near Pinnacle

Pinnacle questions

Is Pinnacle, North Carolina a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Pinnacle scores better for retirees than 6% of North Carolina towns and quieter than 48%. 15.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 52.7).

What is the weather like in Pinnacle?

July highs average 88.4°F and January lows 25.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 47.3 inches of precipitation a year and 6.2 inches of snow.

Does Pinnacle get tornadoes?

14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Pinnacle since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on May 24, 2017. The typical North Carolina town has had 13.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Pinnacle's Census boundary (GEOID 3752500). Comparisons use the median of North Carolina towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.