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COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS

Caldwell County

North Carolina · 70,709 residents · 472 sq mi
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The short version

Caldwell County is home to 70,709 people in North Carolina. About 9% of adults have finished a four-year degree. Owners hold 75% of the housing stock. The typical home is worth $51,000. Median rent is $320 a month. Households take in $25,691 at the median, 15% less than the US figure.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 34.7
US median: 33.0
Less educated
9% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 16%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

70,709
−9%vs 2000
vs 77,415 in 2000
1990 – 2025
34.7
−8%vs 2000
vs 37.5 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
472 sq mi
Population, 19902024
69K73K77K81K84K19902000201020202024Caldwell County
202481K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 56.5%(4,582)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 96.5%(4,609)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 146.3%(4,429)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 197.3%(5,197)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 247.5%(5,295)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3416.5%(11,646)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4415.4%(10,920)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 5412.2%(8,607)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 649.7%(6,879)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 747.3%(5,160)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 843.8%(2,694)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1%(691)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$25,691
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $35,739 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
$11,522
−34%vs 2000
vs $17,353 in 2000
US average: $14,340
10.8%
+0.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 10.7% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

$51,000
−16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $79,800 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
$320
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $446 in 2000
US average: $450
74.8%
−0.2 ptsvs 2000
vs 74.9% in 2000
25.2% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic90.8%(70,307)
Black5.4%(4,201)
Hispanic / Latino2.5%(1,927)
Asian0.4%(301)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic94%(66,485)
Black5.5%(3,918)
Hispanic / Latino0.4%(306)
Asian0.1%(58)
Other0.4%(248)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican2.7%(2,139)
Central American2.3%(1,875)
Honduran1.2%(946)
Salvadoran0.9%(716)
Colombian0.4%(359)
Puerto Rican0.4%(289)
Spaniard0.2%(186)
Guatemalan0.2%(179)
Cuban0.2%(147)
Argentine0%(36)
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Vietnamese0.2%(135)
Filipino0.1%(105)
Chinese0.1%(53)
Hmong0%(38)
Korean0%(27)
Thai0%(12)
Laotian0%(1)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.3%(268)
Samoan0%(19)
Ancestry
American19.3%(15,533)
English15.2%(12,271)
German13.5%(10,891)
Irish10.5%(8,422)
Scottish3.1%(2,532)
Scotch-Irish1.9%(1,520)
Italian1.5%(1,235)
Dutch1.2%(983)
French1.2%(961)
Polish0.8%(610)
Norwegian0.7%(564)
Swedish0.5%(436)
+ 28 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.5%(370)
British0.2%(167)
Swiss0.1%(106)
Canadian0.1%(99)
Romanian0.1%(91)
Russian0.1%(73)
Lithuanian0.1%(67)
Danish0.1%(66)
Portuguese0.1%(57)
Hungarian0.1%(56)
Ukrainian0.1%(49)
Austrian0.1%(42)
Belgian0%(24)
Turkish0%(24)
Slovak0%(22)
Croatian0%(12)
Arab0%(11)
Lebanese0%(11)
Brazilian0%(11)
Czech0%(11)
Finnish0%(6)
Greek0%(3)
Iranian0%(2)
Section 05

Education

8.9%
−1.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 10.4% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
56.8%
−9.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 66.2% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
2.8%
−0.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 3.2% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

17.1 min
+28%vs 2000
vs 13.4 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married30.4%(10,142)
Married51.3%(17,097)
Widowed3.6%(1,215)
Divorced14.6%(4,865)
Women 15+
Never married22.3%(7,650)
Married48.2%(16,551)
Widowed12.1%(4,156)
Divorced17.5%(6,013)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

10.5%
−6.7 ptssince 2013
from 17.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
44.2%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 45.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.7%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 15.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
24.3%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 23.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
23.2%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 21.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
3.8%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 2.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
58.0%
−1.2 ptssince 2020
from 59.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
44.4%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 42.7% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

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, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)23.9%(1,044)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)12.7%(557)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era39.8%(1,739)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.1%(224)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.8%(36)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 4,370 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
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Caldwell County, North Carolina?

Caldwell County, North Carolina has about 70,709 residents according to the 1990 Census.

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

The typical household in Caldwell County, North Carolina earns about $25,691 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Caldwell County, North Carolina expensive?

In Caldwell County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $51,000, and the typical rent is about $320 a month.

How educated are people in Caldwell County, North Carolina?

About 8.9% of adults age 25 and over in Caldwell County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 10.8% of people in Caldwell County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →