Caldwell County, NC

County

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2024 Population

80,536

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

45.4

0.22% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

13.4%

5.43% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$56,425

1.85% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$192,200

10.5% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

36,924

0.174% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Caldwell 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.

98% of the residents in Caldwell County, NC are U.S. citizens.

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

In 2024, the median property value in Caldwell County, NC was $192,200, and the homeownership rate was 73.5%.

Most people in Caldwell County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Caldwell County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Caldwell County, NC borders Alexander County, NC, Avery County, NC, Burke County, NC, Catawba County, NC, Watauga County, NC, and Wilkes County, NC.

United States North Carolina Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

Population & Diversity

Caldwell County, NC is home to a population of 80.5k people, from which 98% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.03% of Caldwell County, NC residents were born outside of the country (2.44k people).

In 2024, there were 21.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (68.7k people) in Caldwell County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 3.26k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 2.98k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98%

2024 Citizenship

97.7%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98% of Caldwell County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Caldwell County, NC was 97.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Caldwell County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
68.7k ± 105
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
3.26k ± 481
Other (Hispanic)
2.98k ± 616

6.68%

Hispanic Population

5.38k people

6.68% of the people in Caldwell County, NC are hispanic (5.38k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Caldwell 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

3.03%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

2.44k people

3.33%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

2.68k people

As of 2024, 3.03% of Caldwell County, NC residents (2.44k 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 County, NC was 3.33%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,682 ± 265
Gulf War (2001-)
1,044 ± 357
Gulf War (1990s)
362 ± 129

Caldwell County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.61 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Caldwell County, NC employs 36.9k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Caldwell County, NC were Manufacturing (7,406 people), Retail Trade (4,408 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (4,309 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($72,253), Information ($69,526), and Public Administration ($56,422).

Employment

Occupations

36.9k

2024 Value

± 1,712

0.174%

1 Year growth

± 6.36%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Caldwell County, NC grew at a rate of 0.174%, from 36.9k employees to 36.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Caldwell County, NC, are Production Occupations (3,885 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (3,833 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (3,781 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Caldwell 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

36.9k

2024 Value

± 1,712

0.174%

1 Year growth

± 6.36%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Caldwell County, NC grew at a rate of 0.174%, from 36.9k employees to 36.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Caldwell County, NC, are Manufacturing (7,406 people), Retail Trade (4,408 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (4,309 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Caldwell County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Caldwell County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$48,113

Median earning men ± $2,693

$34,384

Median earning women ± $1,759

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($78,343), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($68,125), and Wholesale Trade ($63,920).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($49,041), Wholesale Trade ($46,356), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($45,348).

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

126
Other Services (except Public Administration)
102
Retail Trade
86
Retail Trade

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

$353k
Manufacturing
$225k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$147k
Wholesale Trade

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

Education

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

Most students graduating from Universities in Caldwell County, 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 County, NC by number of degrees awarded are Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute (1,022 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Caldwell County, 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 County, 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 County, 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 County, 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 County, 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.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Caldwell County, NC was $192,200 in 2024, which is 0.578 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $174,000 to $192,200, a 10.5% increase. The homeownership rate in Caldwell County, NC is 73.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Caldwell County, NC have an average commute time of 25.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Caldwell 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 Caldwell County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.31%.

Housing

Property

$192,200

Median Property Value 2024

±$9,416

$24,209

Median Property Taxes

±$1,278

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 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 Caldwell County, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

73.5%

Homeownership

2024

66.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 73.5% of the housing units in Caldwell County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 74%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Caldwell 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.

$56,425

Median Household Income

± $2,209

32.9k

Number of Households

± 1,580

In 2024, the median household income of the 32.9k households in Caldwell County, NC grew to $56,425 from the previous year's value of $55,401.

The following chart displays the households in Caldwell 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 Caldwell 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 (81.6%)
Carpooled (9.8%)
Worked At Home (7.12%)

In 2024, 81.6% of workers in Caldwell County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.8%) and those who worked at home (7.12%).

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

25.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Caldwell County, NC have a shorter commute time (25.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.39% of the workforce in Caldwell County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Caldwell 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 Caldwell County, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Caldwell County, NC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 11.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Caldwell County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.31%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

13.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Caldwell County, NC (10.6k out of 79.5k 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 65 - 74, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 35 - 44.

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

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, 18.1% of the children was living in poverty in Caldwell County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 10.5%.

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 169 in Caldwell County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 6.63 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

89.5% of the population of Caldwell County, NC has health coverage, with 38.8% on employee plans, 19.9% on Medicaid, 16.3% on Medicare, 12.1% on non-group plans, and 2.33% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Caldwell County, NC see 2,012 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,012 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2981 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 905 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.8% were men and 50.2% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,012 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Caldwell County, NC

Primary care physicians in Caldwell County, NC see an average of 2,012 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,012 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Caldwell County, NC 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, 17.8% between 18 and 34 years, 39.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.8% were men and 50.2% were women.

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

Uninsured People

10.5%

Uninsured

38.8%

Employer Coverage

19.9%

Medicaid

16.3%

Medicare

12.1%

Non-Group

2.33%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Caldwell County, NC declined by 7.34% from 11.3% to 10.5%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Caldwell 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 67.8 in Caldwell County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Caldwell 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 35% in Caldwell County, NC.

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