Cullowhee, NC

Census Place

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2024 Population
7,973
US Senator
Thom Tillis
Republican Party
US Senator
Ted Budd
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
21
0.478% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
45.8%
10.6% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$35,929
2.43% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$382,300
2024 Employed Population
3,956
10.3% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Cullowhee, 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.

96.1% of the residents in Cullowhee, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Cullowhee, NC are Western Carolina University (3,458 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Cullowhee, NC was $382,300, and the homeownership rate was 10.9%.

Most people in Cullowhee, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Cullowhee, NC was 2 cars per household.

United StatesNorth CarolinaJackson County, NCCullowhee, NCJackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC

Population & Diversity

Cullowhee, NC is home to a population of 7.97k people, from which 96.1% are citizens. As of 2024, 5.92% of Cullowhee, NC residents were born outside of the country (472 people).

In 2024, there were 12.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (6.3k people) in Cullowhee, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 519 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 442 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.1%
2024 Citizenship
95.4%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.1% of Cullowhee, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Cullowhee, NC was 95.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Cullowhee, NC
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    6.3k ± 654
  2. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    519 ± 371
  3. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    442 ± 141
10.5%
Hispanic Population
837 people

In 2024, there were 12.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (6.3k people) in Cullowhee, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 519 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 442 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

10.5% of the people in Cullowhee, NC are hispanic (837 people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    224,963 ± 11,520 people
  2. India
    83,219 ± 7,055 people
  3. 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.

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Foreign-Born Population

5.92%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
472 people
6.07%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
443 people

As of 2024, 5.92% of Cullowhee, NC residents (472 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 Cullowhee, NC was 6.07%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Gulf War (2001-)
    127 ± 135
  2. Vietnam
    68 ± 86

Cullowhee, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.87 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Cullowhee, NC employs 3.96k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Cullowhee, NC were Retail Trade (862 people), Educational Services (647 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (613 people), and the highest paying industries were Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($35,595), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($35,387), and Administrative & Support & Waste Management Services ($33,933).

Employment

Occupations

3.96k
2024 Value
± 623
10.3%
1 Year growth
± 20.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Cullowhee, NC grew at a rate of 10.3%, from 3.59k employees to 3.96k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Cullowhee, NC, are Sales & Related Occupations (656 people), Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (593 people), and Personal Care & Service Occupations (373 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Cullowhee, NC.

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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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

3.96k
2024 Value
± 623
10.3%
1 Year growth
± 20.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Cullowhee, NC grew at a rate of 10.3%, from 3.59k employees to 3.96k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Cullowhee, NC, are Retail Trade (862 people), Educational Services (647 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (613 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Cullowhee, NC, though some of these residents may live in Cullowhee, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$17,305
Median earning men ± $7,289
$10,677
Median earning women ± $2,388

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($26,464), Construction ($26,384), and Other Services Except Public Administration ($25,568).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($36,071), Retail Trade ($11,451), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($9,063).

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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.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Cullowhee, NC awarded 3,458 degrees. The student population of Cullowhee, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 4,736 male students and 6,892 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Cullowhee, NC are White (2,761 and 82%), Hispanic or Latino (239 and 7.09%), Black or African American (165 and 4.9%), and Two or More Races (97 and 2.88%).

The largest universities in Cullowhee, NC by number of degrees awarded are Western Carolina University (3,458 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Cullowhee, NC are Registered Nursing (277 and 8.01%), General Business Administration & Management (277 and 8.01%), and General Psychology (158 and 4.57%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $1,000 for in-state students and $5,000 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Cullowhee, NC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 86.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 13.3%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 11,628 (40.7% men and 59.3% 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.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 11,628 students enrolled in Cullowhee, NC, 40.7% men and 59.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 8,813 records, of which 59.6% were women and 40.4% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Business Administration & Management
    253 degrees awarded
  2. Registered Nursing
    238 degrees awarded
  3. Criminal Justice - Safety Studies
    156 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Cullowhee, NC was General Business Administration & Management with 253 degrees awarded.

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

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Universities

Gender
Race
Western Carolina University
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
3,458 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Western Carolina University with 3,458 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 1,362 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Cullowhee, NC, which is 0.65 times less than the 2,096 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 2,761 degrees mean that there were 11.6 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 239 degrees awarded.

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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.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($1,000) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($3,532) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($664) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

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Housing & Living

People in Cullowhee, NC have an average commute time of 19.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Cullowhee, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$382,300
Median Property Value 2024
±$67,020
$242
Median Property Taxes
±$136

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 Cullowhee, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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

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Rent vs Own

10.9%
Homeownership
2024
81.7%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 10.9% of the housing units in Cullowhee, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 7.74%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$35,929
Median Household Income
± $9,937
2.23k
Number of Households
± 488

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.23k households in Cullowhee, NC grew to $35,929 from the previous year's value of $35,076.

The following chart displays the households in Cullowhee, 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 < $10k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Cullowhee, 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (68.1%)
  2. Walked (14.1%)
  3. Worked At Home (10.1%)

In 2024, 68.1% of workers in Cullowhee, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who walked to work (14.1%) and those who worked at home (10.1%).

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.

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Commute Time

19.3 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Cullowhee, NC have a shorter commute time (19.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0% of the workforce in Cullowhee, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

45.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Cullowhee, NC (1.93k out of 4.21k 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 Males 18 - 24, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Cullowhee, NC is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

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.

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Health

90.9% of the population of Cullowhee, NC has health coverage, with 58.6% on employee plans, 9.03% on Medicaid, 3.88% on Medicare, 17.1% on non-group plans, and 2.31% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see 1,413 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,413 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1634 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 299 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.6% were men and 52.4% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 14.4% under 18 years, 73.6% between 18 and 34 years, 9.03% between 35 and 64 years, and 3.02% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.6% were men and 52.4% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

9.09%
Uninsured
58.6%
Employer Coverage
9.03%
Medicaid
3.88%
Medicare
17.1%
Non-Group
2.31%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Cullowhee, NC declined by 0.18% from 9.11% to 9.09%.

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

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