Photo Credit: VisitWinstonSalem.com
Photo Credit: Mark Peterson/Redux Pictures for Politico Magazine
Photo Credit: admissions.wfu.edu
Photo Credit: VisitWinstonSalem.com
Photo Credit: VisitWinstonSalem.com
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Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina. Its 2015 estimated population was 241,218, making it the fifth largest city in the state. The racial composition of the city in 2010 was 51.2% White (47.1% non-Latino), 34.7% Black, 2% Asian American, 0.1% Native American, 0.08% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Island native, and 2.4% two or more races. In addition, 14.7% was Latino, of any race. The city’s school district, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WS/FCS), has over 80 schools in its system, and it serves over 53,300 students every year, making it the fourth largest school system in North Carolina. WS/FCS includes 51 elementary schools, 25 middle schools and 13 high schools. Private schools also make up a portion of Winston-Salem's educational establishment, including Catholic and Protestant Christian schools and secular schools such as Salem Academy, Forsyth Country Day School, and Summit School. Winston-Salem has a number of colleges and universities, including Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem State University, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Salem College, Forsyth Technical Community College, the Living Arts Institute, and Piedmont International University. Winston-Salem is also home to a number of special events, including River Run International Film Festival, NC Wine Festival, National Black Theatre Festival, Winston-Salem Open, Bookmarks Festival of Books and Authors, Dixie Classic Fair, Pride Festival and Parade, Festival of Lights, and Winston-Salem Dash Baseball. However, despite its successes, Winston-Salem also has the highest poverty rate of any of the five largest cities in North Carolina. A July 2014 Brookings Institution study ranked Winston-Salem No. 2 in the nation for growth in suburban poverty. Among the four North Carolina metro areas, Winston-Salem has the most concentrated poverty. Only one county in the United States ranked worse than Forsyth in helping poor children climb the income ladder. The study estimated that male students of low socioeconomic status will lose $7,960 in annual earnings when they become adults just by virtue of growing up in Forsyth County. To learn more about poverty in Winston-Salem and the conversations around combating it, peruse the recent report from the Winston-Salem Poverty Thought Force. |