Southern Pines is a medium-sized town located in the state of North Carolina. With a population of 16,596 people and five associated neighborhoods, Southern Pines is the 68th largest community in North Carolina. Much of the housing stock in Southern Pines was built relatively recently. The construction of new real estate can often be taken as an indication that the local Southern Pines economy is robust, and that jobs or other amenities are attracting an influx of new residents. This seems to be the case in Southern Pines, where the median household income is $81,867.00.

Southern Pines real estate is some of the most expensive in North Carolina, although Southern Pines house values don't compare to the most expensive real estate in the U.S.

The armed forces are a huge part of the life in Southern Pines, employing 8.62% of the workforce. While it is a military town, the civilian sector still plays an important role in the local economy, where the Healthcare and Retail industries employ 15.75% and 11.71% of the civilian workforce, respectively.

A relatively large number of people in Southern Pines telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 13.11% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

As is often the case in a small town, Southern Pines doesn't have a public transportation system that people use for their commute.

If knowledge is power, Southern Pines is a pretty powerful place. 53.30% of the adults in Southern Pines 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 Southern Pines in 2022 was $50,199, which is wealthy relative to North Carolina and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $200,796 for a family of four. However, Southern Pines contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Southern Pines is a very ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Southern Pines home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Southern Pines residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Southern Pines include German, English, Irish, Italian, and Scottish.

The most common language spoken in Southern Pines is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Chinese.