CensusEasy
COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Caldwell County

North Carolina · 80,652 residents · 472 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Hickory metro area
Compare
The short version

Caldwell County is a county of 80,652 people in North Carolina. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 16% of adults. The median age is 45.1, about 6 years above the US median. The typical home is worth $125,200, having risen by half since 2000. The foreign-born share is 3%. Median rent is $647 a month.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 45.1
US median: 38.8
Less educated
16% 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
80,652
+4%since 2000
from 77,415 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
45.1
+20%since 2000
from 37.5 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
472 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
69K73K77K81K84K19902000201020202024Caldwell County
202481K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55%(4,028)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.4%(4,321)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146%(4,838)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.1%(4,936)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.3%(4,255)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3411%(8,884)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4411.1%(8,988)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5414.2%(11,427)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6415%(12,118)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7412.4%(9,963)
US avg: 10%
75 to 846.5%(5,277)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2%(1,617)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$46,094
−14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,739 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$24,666
+42%since 2000
from $17,353 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
29.2%
+11.1 ptssince 2009
from 18.2% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
14.0%
+3.3 ptssince 2000
from 10.7% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Retail trade24.6%
US avg: 10%
Information11.9%
US avg: 11.1%
Wholesale trade6.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance5%
US avg: 5.5%
Transportation & warehousing4.9%
US avg: 2.5%
Professional, scientific, technical4.4%
US avg: 4.7%
Other services3.4%
US avg: 6.6%
Public administration1.7%
US avg: 4.7%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
US avg: 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.9%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.8%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$125,200
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $79,800 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$647
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $446 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
71.3%
−3.7 ptssince 2000
from 74.9% in 2000
28.7% rent
Persons per household
2.47 people
−2%since 2009
from 2.53 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
2.7
−5%since 2009
from 2.9 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-Hispanic90.8%(70,307)
Black5.4%(4,201)
Hispanic / Latino2.5%(1,927)
Asian0.4%(301)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic84.1%(67,868)
Black4.8%(3,843)
Hispanic / Latino6.1%(4,923)
Asian0.7%(527)
Other2.6%(2,100)
Segregation Score
34
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
Mexican2.4%(1,947)
Central American1.5%(1,268)
Salvadoran0.9%(711)
Puerto Rican0.8%(650)
Honduran0.4%(348)
Guatemalan0.3%(209)
Colombian0.1%(97)
Spaniard0.1%(94)
Ecuadorian0.1%(44)
Cuban0%(27)
+ 1 more hispanic origin group with data
Dominican0%(12)
Asian origin
Chinese0.2%(124)
Korean0.1%(102)
Japanese0.1%(71)
Filipino0.1%(56)
Thai0.1%(51)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
American30%(24,643)
German11.3%(9,270)
English9%(7,387)
Irish8.8%(7,233)
Scotch-Irish2.9%(2,386)
Scottish2.4%(2,000)
Dutch1.6%(1,318)
Italian1.3%(1,026)
French0.8%(648)
Norwegian0.8%(645)
British0.6%(461)
Welsh0.5%(423)
+ 23 more ancestry groups with data
Polish0.5%(408)
Swedish0.3%(230)
Greek0.2%(129)
Hungarian0.1%(123)
Czech0.1%(102)
Swiss0.1%(76)
Portuguese0.1%(75)
Russian0.1%(75)
Belgian0.1%(55)
West Indian0.1%(53)
Jamaican0.1%(53)
Danish0%(37)
Slovak0%(33)
Ukrainian0%(27)
Austrian0%(19)
Canadian0%(19)
Iranian0%(2)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
15.8%
+5.5 ptssince 2000
from 10.4% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
81.4%
+15.2 ptssince 2000
from 66.2% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
4.9%
+1.7 ptssince 2000
from 3.2% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
25.8 min
+93%since 2000
from 13.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
83.1%
−3.0 ptssince 2009
from 86.0% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
5.2%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 5.8% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.5%
−4.7 ptssince 2011
from 11.2% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
57.6%
−3.0 ptssince 2011
from 60.6% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
69.1%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
26.8%
+2.6 ptssince 2009
from 24.2% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.3%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.2% in 2009
Female
50.7%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.8% in 2009
Foreign born
2.8%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 2.3% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
12.0%
−5.2 ptssince 2013
from 17.2% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
84.6%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
87.5%
US average: 86.2%
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

Uninsured
12.0%
−5.2 ptssince 2013
from 17.2% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
45.1%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
15.3%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
23.7%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
21.6%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
2.9%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
59.2%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
42.7%
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)16.4%(784)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)14.6%(702)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era46.3%(2,221)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War7.1%(339)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II2.3%(109)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 4,793 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

Talladega County
Pop 81,603
White County
Pop 80,085
Troup County
Pop 72,844
Vermilion County
Pop 71,259
Places similar to Caldwell County
Head to head

Compare Caldwell County to nearby counties

CALDWELL COUNTY VS
Burke County
Income$58,592+27%
Home value$185,400+48%
Population88,655+9%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CALDWELL COUNTY VS
Alexander County
Income$65,354+42%
Home value$211,800+69%
Population36,958−54%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CALDWELL COUNTY VS
Watauga County
Income$51,693+12%
Home value$358,900+187%
Population54,786−32%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CALDWELL COUNTY VS
Avery County
Income$61,428+33%
Home value$265,800+112%
Population18,110−78%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Caldwell County, North Carolina?

Caldwell County, North Carolina has about 80,652 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Caldwell County, North Carolina earns about $46,094 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 $125,200, and the typical rent is about $647 a month.

How educated are people in Caldwell County, North Carolina?

About 15.8% 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 14.0% 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 9,943 residents, a change of about 14 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

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

How we source and harmonize this data →