Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC

Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA)

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2024 Population

116,948

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Poverty Rate

13.1%

5.07% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$58,421

1.35% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$199,000

11.2% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

49,617

1.9% 1-year growth

About

5.86% of the households in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, 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.

98.2% of the residents in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC are Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute (1,022 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC was $199,000, and the homeownership rate was 75.7%.

Most people in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC was 2 cars per household.

Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC borders Boone High Country--Watauga, Ashe, Yancey, Avery & Mitchell Counties PUMA, NC, Wilkesboro High Country--Surry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC, Davie, Yadkin & Iredell (North) Counties PUMA, NC, Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC, and Catawba County--Hickory City PUMA, NC.

United States North Carolina

Population & Diversity

Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC is home to a population of 117k people, from which 98.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.03% of Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC residents were born outside of the country (3.54k people).

In 2024, there were 19.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (99.8k people) in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 5.09k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 3.52k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary language in households in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC are Spanish (5,106 households), German (299 households), and Other Indo-European Languages (196 households).

Population & Diversity

Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY

58,217

Women

49.7%

58,836

Men

50.3%

The resident population of United States in 2023 was 117,053 inhabitants, with 50.3% men, and 49.7% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC.

With the upper buttons you can add a filter by race.

Citizenship

98.2%

2024 Citizenship

98.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.2% of Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC was 98.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
99.8k ± 111
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
5.09k ± 536
Other (Hispanic)
3.52k ± 720

6.34%

Hispanic Population

7.41k people

6.34% of the people in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC are hispanic (7.41k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Mexico
1,323 ± 888 people
Honduras
477 ± 535 people
Guatemala
245 ± 384 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC was Mexico, the natal country of 1,323 Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC residents, followed by Honduras with 477 and Guatemala with 245.

Foreign-Born Population

3.03%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

3.54k people

3.08%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

3.61k people

As of 2024, 3.03% of Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC residents (3.54k 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 Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC was 3.08%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
5,106 households (4.59%)
German
299 households (0.269%)
Other Indo-European Languages
196 households (0.176%)

5.86% of the households in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is lower than the national average of 22.3%. 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.

In 2024, the most common non-English language spoken in households in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC was Spanish. 4.59% of the households in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,484 ± 324
Gulf War (2001-)
1,421 ± 390
Gulf War (1990s)
700 ± 190

Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.75 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC.

Economy

The economy of Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC employs 49.6k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC were Furniture & related product manufacturing (4,726 people), Restaurants & Food Services (3,093 people), and Construction (3,033 people), and the highest paying industries were Securities, commodities, funds, trusts & other financial investments ($205,853), Miscellaneous paper & pulp products ($131,298), and Management, scientific & technical consulting services ($102,200).

Males in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC have an average income that is 1.26 times higher than the average income of females, which is $47,691. The income inequality in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC (measured using the Gini index) is 0.387, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

23,443

Women

47.2%

26,174

Men

52.8%

The workforce of Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC in 2023 was 49,617 people, with 47.2% woman, and 52.8% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC.

With the upper buttons you can see the distribution of the average salary and add a filter by race.

Occupations

49.6k

2023 Value

1.9%

1 Year growth

± 1.9%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC grew at a rate of 1.9%, from 48.7k employees to 49.6k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC, are Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (1,907 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (1,455 people), and Laborers & freight, stock, & material movers, hand (1,170 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, 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

49.6k

2023 Value

1.9%

1 Year growth

± 1.9%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC grew at a rate of 1.9%, from 48.7k employees to 49.6k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC, are Furniture & related product manufacturing (4,726 people), Restaurants & Food Services (3,093 people), and Construction (3,033 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC, though some of these residents may live in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$47,704

Median earning men ± $1,890

$35,221

Median earning women ± $1,628

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($79,041), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($68,761), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($63,979).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($46,782), Public Administration ($45,089), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($44,050).

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.

Education

In 2023, universities in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC awarded 1,022 degrees. The student population of Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,454 male students and 2,310 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC are White (821 and 80.6%), Hispanic or Latino (89 and 8.74%), Black or African American (33 and 3.24%), and Unknown (29 and 2.85%).

The largest universities in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC by number of degrees awarded are Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute (1,022 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (374 and 36.6%), Registered Nursing (65 and 6.36%), and Information Technology (55 and 5.38%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 3,764 students enrolled in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC, 38.6% men and 61.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,897 records, of which 61.6% were women and 38.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
374 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
65 degrees awarded
Other Liberal Arts & Sciences, General Studies, & Humanities
50 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 374 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

1,022 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute with 1,022 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 394 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC, which is 0.627 times less than the 628 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 821 degrees mean that there were 9.22 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 89 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

Public, 2-year ($2,432) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($105) 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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Measure

In 2023, 1.11% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.914% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (33.5k), Some college (20.7k), and Secondary Education (18.2k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC was $199,000 in 2024, which is 0.598 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $179,000 to $199,000, a 11.2% increase. The homeownership rate in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC is 75.7%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC have an average commute time of 25.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$199,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$7,902

$35,606

Median Property Taxes

±$1,529

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 Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

75.7%

Homeownership

2024

66.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 75.7% of the housing units in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 76.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, 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.

$58,421

Median Household Income

± $2,799

47k

Number of Households

± 1,888

In 2024, the median household income of the 47k households in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC grew to $58,421 from the previous year's value of $57,643.

The following chart displays the households in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, 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

0.387

2023 Wage GINI in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC

0.388

2022 Wage GINI in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC

In 2023, the income inequality in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC was 0.387 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.319% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (82.6%)
Carpooled (9.18%)
Worked At Home (6.82%)

In 2024, 82.6% of workers in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.18%) and those who worked at home (6.82%).

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

25.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC have a shorter commute time (25.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.17% of the workforce in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

13.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC (15k out of 114k 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 35 - 44, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, 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.

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.

Health

90.3% of the population of Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC has health coverage, with 39.6% on employee plans, 19.6% on Medicaid, 16.6% on Medicare, 12.4% on non-group plans, and 1.99% 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, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

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

1,413 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in North Carolina

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see an average of 1,413 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,413 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.1% under 18 years, 17.9% between 18 and 34 years, 39.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

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

Uninsured People

9.75%

Uninsured

39.6%

Employer Coverage

19.6%

Medicaid

16.6%

Medicare

12.4%

Non-Group

1.99%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC declined by 7.45% from 10.5% to 9.75%.

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