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COUNTY · 2010 ACS

Catawba County

North Carolina · 154,358 residents · 401 sq mi
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The short version

With 154,358 people, Catawba County is a county in North Carolina. 19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Median home value sits at $130,300. The foreign-born share is 7%. 70% of homes are owner-occupied. Median rent is $627 a month.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $52,703
Older
median age 39.6
US median: 37.2
Less educated
19% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
154,358
+9%since 2000
from 141,685 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
39.6
+10%since 2000
from 36.1 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
401 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
114K127K141K155K168K19902000201020202024Catawba County
2024164K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 56.3%(9,670)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 96.7%(10,310)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 146.8%(10,429)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 196.7%(10,322)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 245.6%(8,574)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3411.7%(18,023)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4414.3%(22,086)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5415.1%(23,355)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6412.8%(19,816)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 748%(12,349)
US avg: 7%
75 to 844.4%(6,850)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over1.7%(2,574)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$43,484
−15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $40,536 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$22,969
+13%since 2000
from $20,358 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
23.9%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 23.9% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
12.5%
+3.4 ptssince 2000
from 9.1% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.442
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Retail trade25.8%
US avg: 10.9%
Information11.6%
US avg: 11.5%
Wholesale trade6.2%
US avg: 7.2%
Finance & insurance5%
US avg: 5.1%
Professional, scientific, technical4.1%
US avg: 4.2%
Transportation & warehousing4.1%
US avg: 3.1%
Other services4.1%
US avg: 7%
Public administration2.6%
US avg: 4.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1.1%
US avg: 2.4%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.6%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.4%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$130,300
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $95,100 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$627
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $525 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
70.4%
−2.2 ptssince 2000
from 72.5% in 2000
29.6% rent
Vacancy rate
12.1%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 11.6% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.55 people
−1%since 2009
from 2.58 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
22.0%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 21.3% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
40.5%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 39.5% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
3.0
+2%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-Hispanic82.1%(116,326)
Black8.3%(11,751)
Hispanic / Latino5.6%(7,886)
Asian2.9%(4,100)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic78%(120,388)
Black8.3%(12,857)
Hispanic / Latino8.4%(13,032)
Asian3.4%(5,311)
Other1.9%(2,943)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican5.8%(8,846)
Central American1.2%(1,813)
Puerto Rican0.4%(682)
Salvadoran0.3%(511)
Honduran0.2%(378)
Colombian0.2%(337)
Nicaraguan0.2%(266)
Costa Rican0.2%(260)
Guatemalan0.1%(202)
Panamanian0.1%(178)
Peruvian0.1%(150)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Venezuelan0.1%(139)
Dominican0.1%(115)
Cuban0.1%(105)
Spaniard0%(36)
Bolivian0%(32)
Argentine0%(29)
Chilean0%(27)
Ancestry
German19.7%(30,122)
American13.4%(20,562)
Irish10.4%(15,866)
English9.4%(14,470)
Scotch-Irish3.3%(4,979)
Scottish2.5%(3,815)
Italian2.1%(3,181)
Dutch2.1%(3,151)
French1.4%(2,197)
Polish1%(1,574)
Swedish0.5%(756)
Welsh0.4%(622)
+ 33 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.4%(570)
Hungarian0.4%(542)
Russian0.3%(526)
British0.3%(393)
Swiss0.2%(293)
Danish0.2%(231)
Greek0.1%(228)
Czech0.1%(205)
Canadian0.1%(196)
Romanian0.1%(196)
Slovak0.1%(183)
Austrian0.1%(149)
Lithuanian0.1%(117)
Arab0.1%(99)
Ukrainian0.1%(92)
Portuguese0.1%(90)
Guyanese0.1%(80)
Finnish0%(68)
Lebanese0%(48)
Belgian0%(39)
Haitian0%(37)
Slovene0%(22)
Latvian0%(19)
Croatian0%(12)
Jamaican0%(11)
Egyptian0%(10)
Ethiopian0%(10)
Iranian0%(9)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
19.4%
+2.4 ptssince 2000
from 17.0% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
81.4%
+6.5 ptssince 2000
from 74.8% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
5.7%
+1.0 ptssince 2000
from 4.7% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
21.0 min
+60%since 2000
from 13.1 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
86.4%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 85.3% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
8.6%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 9.4% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
0.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
2.8%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.8% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
0.9%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.1% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
0.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
5.7%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 5.7% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
10.7%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
29.4%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 29.4% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 49.3% in 2009
Female
50.9%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 50.7% in 2009
Foreign born
6.9%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 7.6% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
10.6%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 10.9% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married32.5%(21,291)
Married55.5%(36,403)
Widowed3.5%(2,286)
Divorced8.5%(5,593)
Women 15+
Never married25.6%(17,740)
Married51.2%(35,396)
Widowed10.6%(7,302)
Divorced12.7%(8,759)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
10.6%
−5.3 ptssince 2013
from 15.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
50.4%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 51.2% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 15.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
20.7%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 19.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
19.3%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 18.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.6%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 2.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
63.8%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 64.3% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
37.6%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 36.3% 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)25.3%(2,050)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)21.2%(1,717)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era38.9%(3,153)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.6%(292)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.2%(20)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 8,114 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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Head to head

Compare Catawba County to nearby counties

CATAWBA COUNTY VS
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Home value$321,000+146%
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CATAWBA COUNTY VS
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CATAWBA COUNTY VS
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CATAWBA COUNTY VS
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Catawba County, North Carolina?

Catawba County, North Carolina has about 154,358 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Catawba County, North Carolina earns about $43,484 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Catawba County, North Carolina expensive?

In Catawba County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $130,300, and the typical rent is about $627 a month.

How educated are people in Catawba County, North Carolina?

About 19.4% of adults age 25 and over in Catawba County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 12.5% of people in Catawba County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Catawba County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Catawba County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 35,946 residents, a change of about 30 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 →