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COUNTY · 2000 CENSUS

Caldwell County

North Carolina · 77,415 residents · 472 sq mi
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The short version

Caldwell County is home to 77,415 people in North Carolina. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 10% of adults. Owners hold 75% of the housing stock. The typical home is worth $79,800, having risen by half since 1990. Median rent is $446 a month. Households take in $35,739 at the median, 16% less than the US figure.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Older
median age 37.5
US median: 35.2
Less educated
10% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
77,415
+9%since 1990
from 70,709 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Median age
37.5
+8%since 1990
from 34.7 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
472 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
69K73K77K81K84K19902000201020202024Caldwell County
202481K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 56.4%(4,968)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 96.7%(5,216)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 146.6%(5,098)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 195.9%(4,538)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 245.6%(4,343)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3414.7%(11,367)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4415.8%(12,212)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5414.4%(11,125)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 6410.7%(8,289)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 747.5%(5,799)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 844.3%(3,339)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.4%(1,121)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$35,739
+6%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $25,691 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$17,353
+51%since 1990
from $11,522 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
10.7%
−0.1 ptssince 1990
from 10.8% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$79,800
+19%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $51,000 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$446
+6%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $320 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
74.9%
+0.2 ptssince 1990
from 74.8% in 1990
25.1% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

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

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

Bachelor's degree or higher
10.4%
+1.5 ptssince 1990
from 8.9% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
66.2%
+9.4 ptssince 1990
from 56.8% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
3.2%
+0.4 ptssince 1990
from 2.8% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
13.4 min
−22%since 1990
from 17.1 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married22.9%(6,943)
Married64.7%(19,634)
Widowed2.7%(815)
Divorced9.8%(2,976)
Women 15+
Never married15%(4,763)
Married62.4%(19,841)
Widowed11.6%(3,690)
Divorced11%(3,507)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
10.5%
−6.7 ptssince 2013
from 17.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
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%
Medicare
24.3%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 23.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
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
Drill deeper

Places similar to Caldwell County

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Pop 81,603
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Pop 80,085
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Pop 72,844
Vermilion County
Pop 71,259
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Head to head

Compare Caldwell County to nearby counties

CALDWELL COUNTY VS
Burke County
Income$58,592+64%
Home value$185,400+132%
Population88,655+9%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CALDWELL COUNTY VS
Alexander County
Income$65,354+83%
Home value$211,800+165%
Population36,958−54%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CALDWELL COUNTY VS
Watauga County
Income$51,693+45%
Home value$358,900+350%
Population54,786−32%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CALDWELL COUNTY VS
Avery County
Income$61,428+72%
Home value$265,800+233%
Population18,110−78%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Caldwell County, North Carolina?

Caldwell County, North Carolina has about 77,415 residents according to the 2000 Census.

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

The typical household in Caldwell County, North Carolina earns about $35,739 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 $79,800, and the typical rent is about $446 a month.

How educated are people in Caldwell County, North Carolina?

About 10.4% 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 10.7% of people in Caldwell County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Caldwell County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Caldwell County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 6,706 residents, a change of about 9 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 →