COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS

McDowell County

North Carolina · 35,681 residents · 440 sq mi

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McDowell County is home to 35,681 people in North Carolina. 8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 20% national rate. 77% of homes are owner-occupied. Median home value sits at $44,800. Renters pay $296 a month at the median. There are 6,470 fewer people here than in 2000.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Older

median age 35.9

US median: 33.0

Less educated

8% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

More affordable

home values down 9%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

35,681

−15%vs 2000

vs 42,151 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

35.9

−5%vs 2000

vs 38.0 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

440 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202445K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 56.2%(2,220)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 96.2%(2,210)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 146.3%(2,265)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 198%(2,842)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 246.3%(2,257)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3415.5%(5,528)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4415.1%(5,373)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 5411.7%(4,163)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 6410.2%(3,623)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 748.6%(3,051)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 844.8%(1,710)

US avg: 4%

85 and over1.2%(439)

US avg: 1.2%

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Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$22,562

−8%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $32,396 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$10,516

−35%vs 2000

vs $16,109 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

11.4%

−0.2 ptsvs 2000

vs 11.6% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$44,800

−9%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $64,800 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$296

−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $411 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

77.1%

−0.2 ptsvs 2000

vs 77.2% in 2000

22.9% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic91%(38,373)

Black4.1%(1,716)

Hispanic / Latino2.9%(1,214)

Asian0.9%(387)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic95.3%(34,018)

Black3.9%(1,383)

Hispanic / Latino0.3%(121)

Asian0.4%(148)

Other0.4%(132)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Mexican4.4%(1,994)

Central American0.7%(301)

Dominican0.5%(240)

Puerto Rican0.5%(234)

Cuban0.5%(203)

Guatemalan0.2%(108)

South American0.1%(61)

Spaniard0.1%(58)

Costa Rican0.1%(57)

Honduran0.1%(54)

Panamanian0.1%(50)

Venezuelan0.1%(33)

+ 4 more hispanic origin groups with data

Nicaraguan0.1%(24)

Peruvian0%(22)

Salvadoran0%(8)

Colombian0%(6)

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)

Subsaharan African0.4%(188)

Swedish0.3%(132)

+ 22 more ancestry groups with data

French Canadian0.3%(117)

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)

West Indian0%(11)

Arab0%(9)

Lebanese0%(9)

Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(7)

Barbadian0%(4)

RANKED:Largest English population · Largest American population · Largest Irish population · Largest German population · Largest Mexican population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

8.1%

−0.9 ptsvs 2000

vs 9.0% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

58.5%

−11.6 ptsvs 2000

vs 70.2% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

2.9%

+0.2 ptsvs 2000

vs 2.6% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

19.8 min

+19%vs 2000

vs 16.6 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

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

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

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.

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