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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Alexander County

North Carolina · 36,444 residents · 260 sq mi
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The short version

Alexander County is a county of 36,444 people in North Carolina. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 14% of adults. The median age is 44.5, about 6 years above the US median. 77% of homes are owner-occupied. The typical home is worth $138,900, having risen by half since 2000. The foreign-born share is 3%.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 44.5
US median: 38.8
Less educated
14% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
36,444
+8%since 2000
from 33,603 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
44.5
+22%since 2000
from 36.6 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
260 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
27K29K32K35K38K19902000201020202024Alexander County
202436K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 54.8%(1,758)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.1%(1,873)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.1%(2,215)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 195.9%(2,137)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.2%(1,910)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3411.5%(4,202)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4411.9%(4,341)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5414%(5,115)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6415.1%(5,509)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7412%(4,368)
US avg: 10%
75 to 846.3%(2,304)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2%(712)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$51,329
−12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $38,684 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$27,446
+48%since 2000
from $18,507 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
32.2%
+13.0 ptssince 2009
from 19.1% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
12.3%
+3.8 ptssince 2000
from 8.5% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Retail trade28.4%
US avg: 10%
Information11.7%
US avg: 11.1%
Finance & insurance7.6%
US avg: 5.5%
Wholesale trade7.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical6.5%
US avg: 4.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.4%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction2.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing2.3%
US avg: 2.5%
Other services2.1%
US avg: 6.6%
Public administration1.5%
US avg: 4.7%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services1%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$138,900
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $84,100 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$691
+5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $439 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
77.2%
−3.2 ptssince 2000
from 80.5% in 2000
22.8% rent
Persons per household
2.56 people
−7%since 2009
from 2.76 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
2.7
−3%since 2009
from 2.8 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic91%(30,562)
Black4.6%(1,536)
Hispanic / Latino2.5%(841)
Asian1%(347)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic84.8%(30,893)
Black5.3%(1,919)
Hispanic / Latino5%(1,836)
Asian1.1%(390)
Other2.3%(838)
Segregation Score
25
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican4.2%(1,547)
Spaniard0.2%(56)
Colombian0.1%(48)
Puerto Rican0.1%(34)
Honduran0.1%(25)
Asian origin
Hmong0.6%(237)
Asian Indian0.2%(76)
Chinese0.2%(75)
Ancestry
American31.8%(11,852)
German14.5%(5,396)
Irish8.6%(3,216)
English7.5%(2,799)
Scottish2.8%(1,056)
Scotch-Irish2.2%(834)
Dutch1.8%(661)
Italian1.4%(526)
Polish1%(385)
French1%(373)
Welsh0.5%(171)
British0.4%(142)
+ 21 more ancestry groups with data
Swiss0.3%(109)
Norwegian0.2%(78)
Swedish0.2%(78)
Portuguese0.2%(73)
Iranian0.2%(58)
Austrian0.1%(38)
Russian0.1%(36)
West Indian0.1%(36)
Jamaican0.1%(36)
Canadian0.1%(30)
Danish0.1%(29)
Greek0.1%(22)
Croatian0%(16)
Hungarian0%(15)
Slovene0%(10)
Slovak0%(5)
Arab0%(4)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
14.2%
+4.9 ptssince 2000
from 9.3% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
83.4%
+14.7 ptssince 2000
from 68.7% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
4.2%
+1.6 ptssince 2000
from 2.6% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.3 min
+63%since 2000
from 14.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
83.1%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 82.9% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
3.5%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 3.7% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.8%
−6.3 ptssince 2011
from 12.1% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
58.0%
−4.4 ptssince 2011
from 62.4% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
71.9%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
26.9%
+4.5 ptssince 2009
from 22.4% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
51.1%
+1.5 ptssince 2009
from 49.6% in 2009
Female
48.9%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 50.4% in 2009
Foreign born
3.4%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 3.3% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
9.0%
−6.1 ptssince 2013
from 15.1% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
85.4%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
90.5%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married30%(4,673)
Married54.6%(8,519)
Widowed3.7%(580)
Divorced11.7%(1,826)
Women 15+
Never married22.2%(3,352)
Married53.5%(8,082)
Widowed11.6%(1,755)
Divorced12.7%(1,912)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
9.0%
−6.1 ptssince 2013
from 15.1% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
48.5%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
16.6%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
23.3%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
20.4%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
2.6%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
63.8%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
40.2%
US average: 35.2%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)11.2%(201)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)17.2%(309)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era38.9%(700)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War10.8%(195)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II2.3%(41)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 1,801 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

Places similar to Alexander County

Jefferson County
Pop 36,147
Lawrence County
Pop 33,843
Latah County
Pop 41,842
Marion County
Pop 36,382
Places similar to Alexander County
Head to head

Compare Alexander County to nearby counties

ALEXANDER COUNTY VS
Catawba County
Income$67,864+32%
Home value$241,600+74%
Population170,172+360%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ALEXANDER COUNTY VS
Iredell County
Income$81,419+59%
Home value$321,400+131%
Population211,798+473%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ALEXANDER COUNTY VS
Caldwell County
Income$56,425+10%
Home value$192,200+38%
Population81,105+119%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ALEXANDER COUNTY VS
Wilkes County
Income$51,721+1%
Home value$168,800+22%
Population66,233+79%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Alexander County, North Carolina?

Alexander County, North Carolina has about 36,444 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Alexander County, North Carolina?

The typical household in Alexander County, North Carolina earns about $51,329 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Alexander County, North Carolina expensive?

In Alexander County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $138,900, and the typical rent is about $691 a month.

How educated are people in Alexander County, North Carolina?

About 14.2% of adults age 25 and over in Alexander County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Alexander County, North Carolina?

About 12.3% of people in Alexander County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Alexander County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Alexander County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 8,900 residents, a change of about 32 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →