Catawba County, NC

County

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2024 Population

163,573

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

42.1

0.718% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

12.7%

0.625% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$67,864

5.14% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$241,600

10.8% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

77,278

0.39% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Catawba County, NC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96.4% of the residents in Catawba County, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Catawba County, NC are Catawba Valley Community College (1,388 degrees awarded in 2023) and Lenoir-Rhyne University (634 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Catawba County, NC was $241,600, and the homeownership rate was 72.2%.

Most people in Catawba County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Catawba County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Catawba County, NC borders Alexander County, NC, Burke County, NC, Caldwell County, NC, Iredell County, NC, and Lincoln County, NC.

United States North Carolina Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

Population & Diversity

Catawba County, NC is home to a population of 164k people, from which 96.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 6.93% of Catawba County, NC residents were born outside of the country (11.3k people).

In 2024, there were 9.39 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (118k people) in Catawba County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 12.5k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 6.96k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.4%

2024 Citizenship

96.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.4% of Catawba County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Catawba County, NC was 96.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Catawba County, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Catawba County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
118k ± 708
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
12.5k ± 724
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
6.96k ± 592

11.5%

Hispanic Population

18.8k people

11.5% of the people in Catawba County, NC are hispanic (18.8k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Catawba County, NC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
224,963 ± 11,520 people
India
83,219 ± 7,055 people
Honduras
48,247 ± 5,380 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 224,963 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 83,219 and Honduras with 48,247.

Foreign-Born Population

6.93%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

11.3k people

6.74%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

10.9k people

As of 2024, 6.93% of Catawba County, NC residents (11.3k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Catawba County, NC was 6.74%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Catawba County, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
3,021 ± 422
Gulf War (2001-)
2,050 ± 398
Gulf War (1990s)
1,283 ± 250

Catawba County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.47 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Catawba County, NC.

Economy

The economy of Catawba County, NC employs 77.3k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Catawba County, NC were Manufacturing (20,340 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (9,480 people), and Retail Trade (8,802 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($84,383), Management of Companies & Enterprises ($73,482), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($72,623).

Employment

Occupations

77.3k

2024 Value

± 2,468

0.39%

1 Year growth

± 4.38%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Catawba County, NC grew at a rate of 0.39%, from 77k employees to 77.3k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Catawba County, NC, are Production Occupations (11,549 people), Management Occupations (8,725 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (7,744 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Catawba County, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

77.3k

2024 Value

± 2,468

0.39%

1 Year growth

± 4.38%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Catawba County, NC grew at a rate of 0.39%, from 77k employees to 77.3k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Catawba County, NC, are Manufacturing (20,340 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (9,480 people), and Retail Trade (8,802 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Catawba County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Catawba County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$50,428

Median earning men ± $1,613

$39,340

Median earning women ± $2,449

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($66,852), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($60,476), and Public Administration ($59,773).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($73,211), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($62,309), and Public Administration ($58,395).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Y-Axis

3.04%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in North Carolina.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

293
Other Services (except Public Administration)
267
Retail Trade
250
Construction

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$1.27M
Manufacturing
$659k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$356k
Wholesale Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2023, universities in Catawba County, NC awarded 2,022 degrees. The student population of Catawba County, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 2,831 male students and 3,812 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Catawba County, NC are White (1,366 and 68.8%), Hispanic or Latino (252 and 12.7%), Black or African American (134 and 6.75%), and Asian (122 and 6.15%).

The largest universities in Catawba County, NC by number of degrees awarded are Catawba Valley Community College (1,388 and 68.6%) and Lenoir-Rhyne University (634 and 31.4%).

The most popular majors in Catawba County, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (423 and 20.9%), General Business Administration & Management (192 and 9.5%), and Registered Nursing (113 and 5.59%).

The median tuition cost in Catawba County, NC for private four year colleges is $30,000.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Catawba County, NC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 80.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 7.42%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 6,643 (42.6% men and 57.4% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 6,643 students enrolled in Catawba County, NC, 42.6% men and 57.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 4,291 records, of which 58.2% were women and 41.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
64 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
29 degrees awarded
Liberal Arts & Sciences
423 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Catawba County, NC was Registered Nursing with 64 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Catawba County, NC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Catawba Valley Community College
1,388 degrees awarded
Lenoir-Rhyne University
634 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Catawba Valley Community College with 1,388 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 863 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Catawba County, NC, which is 0.745 times less than the 1,159 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,366 degrees mean that there were 5.42 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 252 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($30,000) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($900) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,900) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Catawba County, NC was $241,600 in 2024, which is 0.726 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $218,100 to $241,600, a 10.8% increase. The homeownership rate in Catawba County, NC is 72.2%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Catawba County, NC have an average commute time of 23.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Catawba County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 11.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Catawba County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.09%.

Housing

Property

$241,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$6,013

$47,794

Median Property Taxes

±$1,791

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Catawba County, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Catawba County, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

72.2%

Homeownership

2024

67.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 72.2% of the housing units in Catawba County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 72.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Catawba County, NC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$67,864

Median Household Income

± $2,779

66.2k

Number of Households

± 2,232

In 2024, the median household income of the 66.2k households in Catawba County, NC grew to $67,864 from the previous year's value of $64,544.

The following chart displays the households in Catawba County, NC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Catawba County, NC is from North Carolina.

0.467

2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.467 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.639% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in North Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (79.8%)
Carpooled (10.5%)
Worked At Home (8.23%)

In 2024, 79.8% of workers in Catawba County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.5%) and those who worked at home (8.23%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

23.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Catawba County, NC have a shorter commute time (23.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.5% of the workforce in Catawba County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Catawba County, NC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Catawba County, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Catawba County, NC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 11.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Catawba County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.09%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

12.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Catawba County, NC (20.4k out of 160k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 55 - 64 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Catawba County, NC is White, followed by Hispanic and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 15.6% of the children was living in poverty in Catawba County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 13.3%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 267 in Catawba County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 74 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

89.4% of the population of Catawba County, NC has health coverage, with 44.2% on employee plans, 16% on Medicaid, 14.6% on Medicare, 13.3% on non-group plans, and 1.34% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Catawba County, NC see 1,570 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,570 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1618 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 364 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49% were men and 51% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,570 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Catawba County, NC

Primary care physicians in Catawba County, NC see an average of 1,570 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,570 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Catawba County, NC in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.1% under 18 years, 19.5% between 18 and 34 years, 39% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49% were men and 51% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

10.6%

Uninsured

44.2%

Employer Coverage

16%

Medicaid

14.6%

Medicare

13.3%

Non-Group

1.34%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Catawba County, NC declined by 10.2% from 11.8% to 10.6%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Catawba County, NC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 55.3 in Catawba County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Catawba County, NC.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 34.1% in Catawba County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Catawba County, NC.