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COUNTY

Jackson County

North Carolina · 45,039 residents (2025 est.) · 491 sq mi
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The short version

With 43,771 people, Jackson County is a county in North Carolina. The population is up 32% since 2000. 5% of people here were born outside the United States. That trails the North Carolina median by roughly 23%. Renters pay $904 a month at the median. Households take in $55,815 at the median, 32% less than the US figure.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 38.1
US median: 38.9
Average education
31% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 68%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
43,771
+32%since 2000
from 33,121 in 2000
45,039 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
89 / sq mi
+20%since 2009
from 74 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
38.1
+5%since 2000
from 36.2 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
491 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
25K30K35K40K45K19902000201020202024Jackson County
202444K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 53.4%(1,477)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.9%(2,162)
US avg: 6%
10 to 144.9%(2,124)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 199.7%(4,234)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2412.6%(5,505)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3410.7%(4,667)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4410.9%(4,759)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.4%(4,539)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.5%(5,457)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7412.1%(5,301)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846.5%(2,829)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.6%(717)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$55,815
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $32,552 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$33,850
+93%since 2000
from $17,582 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
35.9%
+16.9 ptssince 2009
from 19.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
18.0%
+2.9 ptssince 2000
from 15.1% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.488
+7%since 2010
from 0.454 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information13.7%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade9.7%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services4.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade3.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Finance & insurance2.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.2%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration1.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.2%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food0.9%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing0.6%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.3%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$284,700
+68%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $93,100 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$904
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $430 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
60.8%
−11.7 ptssince 2000
from 72.5% in 2000
39.2% rent
Vacancy rate
33.7%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 35.0% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.16 people
+3%since 2009
from 2.10 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
13.0%
−5.2 ptssince 2009
from 18.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
35.6%
−7.0 ptssince 2009
from 42.6% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
5.1
+23%since 2009
from 4.2 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.
Gentrification Score
43
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic84.8%(28,093)
Black1.7%(547)
Hispanic / Latino1.7%(577)
Asian0.5%(161)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic78.4%(34,317)
Black2.1%(927)
Hispanic / Latino8%(3,500)
Asian1%(446)
Other10.5%(4,581)
Diversity Score
46
+24%since 2009
from 37 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
26
−33%since 2020
from 39 in 2020
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
Mexican4.8%(2,084)
Puerto Rican1.1%(496)
Dominican0.4%(176)
Honduran0.2%(97)
Nicaraguan0.2%(84)
Cuban0.2%(83)
Spaniard0.2%(75)
Ecuadorian0.1%(40)
Guatemalan0.1%(23)
Colombian0%(20)
+ 1 more hispanic origin group with data
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.2%(85)
Chinese0.2%(73)
Sri Lankan0.2%(73)
Hmong0.1%(59)
Filipino0.1%(38)
Thai0%(12)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.5%(219)
Samoan0.2%(69)
Ancestry
American18%(7,898)
English15.9%(6,964)
Irish9.5%(4,145)
German9.3%(4,070)
Scotch-Irish4.7%(2,039)
Scottish3.6%(1,589)
Italian2.2%(963)
French1.5%(648)
Polish0.8%(352)
Welsh0.8%(344)
Dutch0.6%(246)
Swedish0.5%(228)
+ 24 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.5%(226)
British0.3%(153)
West Indian0.3%(126)
Russian0.3%(123)
Portuguese0.2%(96)
Swiss0.2%(92)
Greek0.2%(89)
Finnish0.2%(83)
Haitian0.2%(80)
Lithuanian0.1%(56)
Ukrainian0.1%(56)
Arab0.1%(44)
Barbadian0.1%(44)
Czech0.1%(40)
Austrian0.1%(33)
Canadian0.1%(28)
Turkish0%(21)
Lebanese0%(20)
Danish0%(19)
Slovak0%(19)
Latvian0%(5)
Slovene0%(2)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
31.1%
+5.6 ptssince 2000
from 25.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
90.6%
+11.8 ptssince 2000
from 78.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
13.2%
+1.6 ptssince 2000
from 11.6% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.2 min
+38%since 2000
from 14.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
79.1%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 79.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.1%
−5.2 ptssince 2009
from 12.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.0%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
7.8%
+5.6 ptssince 2009
from 2.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
4.3%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 5.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
3.1%
−2.0 ptssince 2009
from 5.1% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.9%
−2.1 ptssince 2011
from 7.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
55.8%
−2.4 ptssince 2011
from 58.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
67.6%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 67.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
15.1%
−4.6 ptssince 2009
from 19.7% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
31.0%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 32.3% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.4%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.5% in 2009
Female
50.6%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.5% in 2009
Foreign born
4.5%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
8.0%
−2.9 ptssince 2009
from 10.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
14.0%
−1.4 ptssince 2012
from 15.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
15.8%
−2.8 ptssince 2013
from 18.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
78.9%
+14.1 ptssince 2017
from 64.8% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
93.9%
+4.7 ptssince 2020
from 89.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
83.1%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 81.2% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
91.9%
−1.9 ptssince 2016
from 93.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
5.2%
+0.9 ptssince 2016
from 4.3% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married40.5%(7,509)
Married43.8%(8,119)
Widowed2.5%(471)
Divorced13.1%(2,433)
Women 15+
Never married37.1%(7,231)
Married44%(8,575)
Widowed8.4%(1,643)
Divorced10.4%(2,027)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
15.8%
−2.8 ptssince 2013
from 18.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
42.4%
−6.0 ptssince 2020
from 48.4% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
17.4%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 18.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
21.3%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 21.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
19.7%
+3.0 ptssince 2020
from 16.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
3.0%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 3.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
58.6%
−5.8 ptssince 2020
from 64.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
40.3%
+4.4 ptssince 2020
from 35.9% 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)22.1%(645)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22.7%(661)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era37.4%(1,091)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4%(116)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.7%(21)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,916 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

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Head to head

Compare Jackson County to nearby counties

JACKSON COUNTY VS
Transylvania County
Income$66,184+19%
Home value$373,600+31%
Population34,211−24%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
JACKSON COUNTY VS
Macon County
Income$59,061+6%
Home value$251,900−12%
Population39,232−13%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
JACKSON COUNTY VS
Haywood County
Income$61,912+11%
Home value$279,200−2%
Population63,369+41%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
JACKSON COUNTY VS
Swain County
Income$52,349−6%
Home value$207,000−27%
Population14,024−69%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Jackson County, North Carolina?

Jackson County, North Carolina has about 43,771 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Jackson County, North Carolina earns about $55,815 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Jackson County, North Carolina expensive?

In Jackson County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $284,700, and the typical rent is about $904 a month.

How educated are people in Jackson County, North Carolina?

About 31.1% of adults age 25 and over in Jackson County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 18.0% of people in Jackson County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Jackson County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Jackson County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 16,925 residents, a change of about 63 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 →