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COUNTY

McDowell County

North Carolina · 45,198 residents (2025 est.) · 440 sq mi
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The short version

McDowell County is home to 44,817 people in North Carolina. 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. At a median age of 44.3, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $171,100. 3% of residents were born outside the United States. Owners hold 76% of the housing stock.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 44.3
US median: 38.9
Less educated
18% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 45%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
44,817
+6%since 2000
from 42,151 in 2000
45,198 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
102 / sq mi
+3%since 2009
from 99 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
44.3
+17%since 2000
from 38.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
440 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
35K38K40K43K46K19902000201020202024McDowell County
202445K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.5%(2,020)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.3%(2,393)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.9%(2,630)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.6%(2,532)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.2%(2,329)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3412.1%(5,413)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.3%(5,526)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413.1%(5,879)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6414.9%(6,694)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7412.6%(5,634)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846.1%(2,755)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.3%(1,012)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$57,168
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $32,396 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$30,395
+89%since 2000
from $16,109 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
36.6%
+21.3 ptssince 2009
from 15.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
14.8%
+3.2 ptssince 2000
from 11.6% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.422
Unchangedsince 2010
from 0.422 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade23%
US avg: 9.9%
Information10.5%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade7.4%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance6%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.2%
US avg: 5.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.4%
US avg: 1.6%
Other services2.2%
US avg: 6.7%
Construction1.9%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing1.8%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services1.8%
US avg: 0.9%
Public administration1.5%
US avg: 4.8%
Arts, entertainment, food1%
US avg: 1.9%
Manufacturing0.5%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$171,100
+45%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $64,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$806
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $411 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
75.6%
−1.6 ptssince 2000
from 77.2% in 2000
24.4% rent
Vacancy rate
13.6%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 14.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.33 people
−7%since 2009
from 2.50 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
12.3%
−2.3 ptssince 2009
from 14.5% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
33.5%
+6.1 ptssince 2009
from 27.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.0
+16%since 2009
from 2.6 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
54
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic91%(38,373)
Black4.1%(1,716)
Hispanic / Latino2.9%(1,214)
Asian0.9%(387)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic85.6%(38,364)
Black3.8%(1,724)
Hispanic / Latino7.1%(3,170)
Asian1.1%(506)
Other2.3%(1,053)
Diversity Score
33
+30%since 2009
from 25 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
27
−27%since 2020
from 37 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
Mexican4.4%(1,994)
Dominican0.5%(240)
Puerto Rican0.5%(234)
Cuban0.5%(203)
Guatemalan0.2%(108)
Spaniard0.1%(58)
Costa Rican0.1%(57)
Honduran0.1%(54)
Panamanian0.1%(50)
Venezuelan0.1%(33)
+ 4 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Filipino0.4%(159)
Hmong0.2%(85)
Vietnamese0.1%(67)
Chinese0.1%(33)
Korean0.1%(33)
Asian Indian0.1%(31)
Ancestry
English14.3%(6,401)
American11.7%(5,247)
Irish10.4%(4,661)
German8.7%(3,880)
Scotch-Irish3.3%(1,479)
Scottish2.2%(981)
Dutch1.9%(837)
Italian1.6%(717)
French1%(428)
Polish0.8%(378)
Swedish0.3%(132)
+ 22 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.3%(114)
Welsh0.3%(114)
Hungarian0.2%(86)
Russian0.2%(80)
Danish0.1%(59)
Australian0.1%(58)
British0.1%(49)
Ukrainian0.1%(41)
Greek0.1%(38)
Swiss0.1%(37)
Canadian0.1%(29)
Czech0.1%(24)
Austrian0%(19)
Finnish0%(18)
Croatian0%(17)
Slovak0%(14)
Arab0%(9)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
18.1%
+9.1 ptssince 2000
from 9.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
85.3%
+15.2 ptssince 2000
from 70.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
5.7%
+3.1 ptssince 2000
from 2.6% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.7 min
+49%since 2000
from 16.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
83.4%
+4.9 ptssince 2009
from 78.6% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.6%
−6.8 ptssince 2009
from 15.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
6.0%
+3.0 ptssince 2009
from 3.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.0%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 2.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.2%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 7.4% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.1%
−6.8 ptssince 2011
from 10.9% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
54.5%
−4.7 ptssince 2011
from 59.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
65.9%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 65.8% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
15.7%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 14.5% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
31.6%
+4.6 ptssince 2009
from 27.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.1%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 49.8% in 2009
Female
49.9%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.2% in 2009
Foreign born
3.2%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 2.8% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
7.6%
−4.3 ptssince 2009
from 11.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
17.8%
−3.5 ptssince 2012
from 21.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
11.5%
−3.7 ptssince 2013
from 15.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
83.6%
+16.3 ptssince 2017
from 67.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
89.7%
+2.3 ptssince 2020
from 87.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
90.5%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 89.1% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
92.8%
−0.7 ptssince 2016
from 93.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
5.6%
Unchangedsince 2016
from 5.6% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married30%(5,613)
Married55.5%(10,372)
Widowed3.2%(593)
Divorced11.3%(2,103)
Women 15+
Never married20.3%(3,885)
Married57.1%(10,894)
Widowed11.8%(2,259)
Divorced10.8%(2,055)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
11.5%
−3.7 ptssince 2013
from 15.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
45.3%
−1.9 ptssince 2020
from 47.2% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
17.8%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 17.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
26.0%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 25.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
24.0%
+2.0 ptssince 2020
from 22.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
3.9%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 4.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
61.0%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 61.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
45.0%
+2.3 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)18.7%(517)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)14.3%(395)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era40.5%(1,119)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.8%(105)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.3%(8)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,760 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 McDowell County to nearby counties

MCDOWELL COUNTY VS
Burke County
Income$58,592+2%
Home value$185,400+8%
Population88,655+96%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MCDOWELL COUNTY VS
Yancey County
Income$58,709+3%
Home value$243,100+42%
Population19,084−58%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MCDOWELL COUNTY VS
Rutherford County
Income$51,410−10%
Home value$201,800+18%
Population65,745+45%
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MCDOWELL COUNTY VS
Mitchell County
Income$57,602+1%
Home value$220,100+29%
Population15,062−67%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in McDowell County, North Carolina?

McDowell County, North Carolina has about 44,817 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in McDowell County, North Carolina earns about $57,168 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is McDowell County, North Carolina expensive?

In McDowell County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $171,100, and the typical rent is about $806 a month.

How educated are people in McDowell County, North Carolina?

About 18.1% of adults age 25 and over in McDowell County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 14.8% of people in McDowell County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has McDowell County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, McDowell County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 9,136 residents, a change of about 26 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 →

McDowell County, North Carolina: demographics, income & housing data · CensusEasy