Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC

Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA)

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2024 Population

122,884

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

47.8

0.209% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

14.1%

12.2% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$56,174

6.1% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$255,300

10% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

48,810

2.52% 1-year growth

About

6.49% of the households in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay 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.

97.5% of the residents in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC are Western Carolina University (3,458 degrees awarded in 2023), Southwestern Community College (199731) (853 degrees), and Tri-County Community College (251 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC was $255,300, and the homeownership rate was 73.8%.

Most people in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC was 2 cars per household.

Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC borders Northwest Georgia Regional Commission (Northeast) PUMA, GA, Georgia Mountains Regional Commission (North & Northwest) PUMA, GA, Haywood, Madison, Swain, Graham & Jackson (North) Counties PUMA, NC, Henderson & Transylvania Counties PUMA, NC, Pickens (Southwest Corner) & Oconee (West, Central) Counties--Seneca & Clemson Cities PUMA, SC, Bradley & Polk Counties--Cleveland city PUMA, TN, and Loudon & Monroe Counties--Lenoir City PUMA, TN.

United States Georgia North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee

Population & Diversity

Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC is home to a population of 123k people, from which 97.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 4.21% of Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC residents were born outside of the country (5.17k people).

In 2024, there were 30.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (104k people) in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 3.36k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 3.27k American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary language in households in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC are Spanish (5,501 households), Other Native Languages of North America (707 households), and Ukrainian or Other Slavic Languages (208 households).

Population & Diversity

Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY

61,464

Women

50.7%

59,783

Men

49.3%

The resident population of United States in 2023 was 121,247 inhabitants, with 49.3% men, and 50.7% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC.

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

Citizenship

97.5%

2024 Citizenship

97.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.5% of Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay 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 Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC was 97.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
104k ± 295
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
3.36k ± 616
American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
3.27k ± 304

7.22%

Hispanic Population

8.88k people

7.22% of the people in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC are hispanic (8.88k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Mexico
2,409 ± 1,193 people
Germany
301 ± 425 people
Romania
213 ± 358 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC was Mexico, the natal country of 2,409 Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC residents, followed by Germany with 301 and Romania with 213.

Foreign-Born Population

4.21%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

5.17k people

4.21%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

5.1k people

As of 2024, 4.21% of Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC residents (5.17k 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 Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC was 4.21%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
5,501 households (4.66%)
Other Native Languages of North America
707 households (0.599%)
Ukrainian or Other Slavic Languages
208 households (0.176%)

6.49% of the households in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay 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 Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC was Spanish. 4.66% of the households in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay 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
3,528 ± 441
Gulf War (2001-)
1,408 ± 332
Gulf War (1990s)
1,178 ± 265

Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.51 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC.

Economy

The economy of Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC employs 48.8k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC were Construction (4,487 people), Restaurants & Food Services (3,984 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (3,007 people), and the highest paying industries were Agencies, brokerages, and other insurance related activities ($94,454), Travel arrangements & reservation services ($93,356), and Legal services ($91,066).

Males in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC have an average income that is 1.08 times higher than the average income of females, which is $51,738. The income inequality in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC (measured using the Gini index) is 0.433, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

23,783

Women

48.7%

25,027

Men

51.3%

The workforce of Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC in 2023 was 48,810 people, with 48.7% woman, and 51.3% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC.

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

Occupations

48.8k

2023 Value

2.52%

1 Year growth

± 2.52%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC grew at a rate of 2.52%, from 47.6k employees to 48.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC, are Cashiers (1,569 people), Retail salespersons (1,325 people), and Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (1,257 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Georgia (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

48.8k

2023 Value

2.52%

1 Year growth

± 2.52%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC grew at a rate of 2.52%, from 47.6k employees to 48.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC, are Construction (4,487 people), Restaurants & Food Services (3,984 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (3,007 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC, though some of these residents may live in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$40,592

Median earning men ± $1,200

$33,181

Median earning women ± $1,903

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($67,436), Information ($63,333), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($61,979).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($59,272), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($52,308), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($48,654).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.94%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.87M people employed in Georgia. This represents a 2.94% 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 11.9%.

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC awarded 4,562 degrees. The student population of Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 5,918 male students and 8,788 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC are White (3,629 and 81.3%), Hispanic or Latino (305 and 6.83%), Black or African American (188 and 4.21%), and American Indian or Alaska Native (127 and 2.84%).

The largest universities in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC by number of degrees awarded are Western Carolina University (3,458 and 75.8%), Southwestern Community College (199731) (853 and 18.7%), and Tri-County Community College (251 and 5.5%).

The most popular majors in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC are General Business Administration & Management (395 and 8.66%), Registered Nursing (314 and 6.88%), and Liberal Arts & Sciences (277 and 6.07%).

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 Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, 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 14,706 (40.2% men and 59.8% 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 14,706 students enrolled in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC, 40.2% men and 59.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 11,134 records, of which 60% were women and 40% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
253 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
238 degrees awarded
Criminal Justice - Safety Studies
156 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, 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 Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Western Carolina University
3,458 degrees awarded
Southwestern Community College (199731)
853 degrees awarded
Tri-County Community College
251 degrees awarded

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

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 1,725 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC, which is 0.608 times less than the 2,837 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 3,629 degrees mean that there were 11.9 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 305 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

Public, 2-year ($3,888) 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, 2-year ($1,511) 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, 0.88% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.726% 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 Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (29.4k), Some college (26.7k), and Bachelors Degree (15.1k).

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 Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC was $255,300 in 2024, which is 0.767 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $232,100 to $255,300, a 10% increase. The homeownership rate in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC is 73.8%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC have an average commute time of 22.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$255,300

Median Property Value 2024

±$10,638

$40,694

Median Property Taxes

±$1,579

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 Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay 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 Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

73.8%

Homeownership

2024

70.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 73.8% of the housing units in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 73.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay 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.

$56,174

Median Household Income

± $2,528

55.2k

Number of Households

± 1,944

In 2024, the median household income of the 55.2k households in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC grew to $56,174 from the previous year's value of $52,946.

The following chart displays the households in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay 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

0.433

2023 Wage GINI in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC

0.446

2022 Wage GINI in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC

In 2023, the income inequality in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC was 0.433 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 2.92% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (79.5%)
Worked At Home (9.03%)
Carpooled (7.76%)

In 2024, 79.5% of workers in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (9.03%) and those who carpooled to work (7.76%).

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

22.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC have a shorter commute time (22.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.36% of the workforce in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay 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 Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay 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 Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

14.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC (16.6k out of 118k 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 18 - 24, followed by Females 75+ and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay 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

85.6% of the population of Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC has health coverage, with 31.2% on employee plans, 15.9% on Medicaid, 21% on Medicare, 15.1% on non-group plans, and 2.48% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Georgia see 1,517 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,517 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1856 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 525 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.3% were men and 50.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

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

1,517 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Georgia

Primary care physicians in Georgia see an average of 1,517 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,517 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.1% under 18 years, 19.1% between 18 and 34 years, 36.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 26.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.3% were men and 50.7% were women.

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

Uninsured People

14.4%

Uninsured

31.2%

Employer Coverage

15.9%

Medicaid

21%

Medicare

15.1%

Non-Group

2.48%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC declined by 3.44% from 14.9% to 14.4%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Jackson (South), Macon, Cherokee & Clay Counties PUMA, NC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.