McDowell County, NC

County

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2024 Population

44,817

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Poverty Rate

14.8%

5.95% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$57,168

2.96% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$171,100

1.66% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

19,385

3.78% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in McDowell 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.

97.8% of the residents in McDowell County, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in McDowell County, NC are McDowell Technical Community College (385 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in McDowell County, NC was $171,100, and the homeownership rate was 75.6%.

Most people in McDowell County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.7 minutes. The average car ownership in McDowell County, NC was 2 cars per household.

McDowell County, NC borders Avery County, NC, Buncombe County, NC, Burke County, NC, Mitchell County, NC, Rutherford County, NC, and Yancey County, NC.

United States North Carolina Marion, NC

Population & Diversity

McDowell County, NC is home to a population of 44.8k people, from which 97.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.18% of McDowell County, NC residents were born outside of the country (1.43k people).

In 2024, there were 22.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (38.4k people) in McDowell County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.72k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 1.15k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.8%

2024 Citizenship

97.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.8% of McDowell County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in McDowell County, NC was 97.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in McDowell County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
38.4k ± 108
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.72k ± 154
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
1.15k ± 398

7.07%

Hispanic Population

3.17k people

7.07% of the people in McDowell County, NC are hispanic (3.17k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in McDowell 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

3.18%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.43k people

3.85%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.72k people

As of 2024, 3.18% of McDowell County, NC residents (1.43k 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 McDowell County, NC was 3.85%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,076 ± 215
Gulf War (2001-)
517 ± 203
Gulf War (1990s)
270 ± 111

McDowell County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.08 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of McDowell County, NC employs 19.4k people. In 2024, the largest industries in McDowell County, NC were Manufacturing (4,463 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,206 people), and Retail Trade (2,036 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($98,030), Finance & Insurance ($65,806), and Utilities ($58,343).

Employment

Occupations

19.4k

2024 Value

± 1,154

3.78%

1 Year growth

± 8.18%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in McDowell County, NC grew at a rate of 3.78%, from 18.7k employees to 19.4k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in McDowell County, NC, are Production Occupations (3,033 people), Management Occupations (1,758 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (1,502 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of McDowell 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

19.4k

2024 Value

± 1,154

3.78%

1 Year growth

± 8.18%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in McDowell County, NC grew at a rate of 3.78%, from 18.7k employees to 19.4k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in McDowell County, NC, are Manufacturing (4,463 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,206 people), and Retail Trade (2,036 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of McDowell County, NC, though some of these residents may live in McDowell County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$42,104

Median earning men ± $2,163

$40,126

Median earning women ± $3,567

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($81,042), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($65,806), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($57,612).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($47,804), Wholesale Trade ($47,378), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($45,158).

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

69
Construction
67
Retail Trade
61
Other Services (except Public Administration)

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

$287k
Manufacturing
$70.5k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$54.9k
Retail Trade

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

Education

In 2023, universities in McDowell County, NC awarded 385 degrees. The student population of McDowell County, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 486 male students and 717 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in McDowell County, NC are White (332 and 86.2%), Hispanic or Latino (24 and 6.23%), Black or African American (11 and 2.86%), and Two or More Races (10 and 2.6%).

The largest universities in McDowell County, NC by number of degrees awarded are McDowell Technical Community College (385 and 100%).

The most popular majors in McDowell County, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (103 and 26.8%), Accounting & Finance (28 and 7.27%), and Welding Technology (27 and 7.01%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 1,203 students enrolled in McDowell County, NC, 40.4% men and 59.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 798 records, of which 58.5% were women and 41.5% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
103 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
11 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
11 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in McDowell County, NC was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 103 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

McDowell Technical Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

385 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was McDowell Technical Community College with 385 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 168 men were awarded degrees from institutions in McDowell County, NC, which is 0.774 times less than the 217 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 332 degrees mean that there were 13.8 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 24 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 ($1,824) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($134) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,500) 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 McDowell County, NC was $171,100 in 2024, which is 0.514 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $168,300 to $171,100, a 1.66% increase. The homeownership rate in McDowell County, NC is 75.6%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in McDowell County, NC have an average commute time of 24.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in McDowell County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 9.31% of the population was living with severe housing problems in McDowell County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.19%.

Housing

Property

$171,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$10,414

$14,088

Median Property Taxes

±$892

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 McDowell County, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

75.6%

Homeownership

2024

67.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 75.6% of the housing units in McDowell County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 74%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in McDowell 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.

$57,168

Median Household Income

± $4,181

18.6k

Number of Households

± 1,058

In 2024, the median household income of the 18.6k households in McDowell County, NC grew to $57,168 from the previous year's value of $55,527.

The following chart displays the households in McDowell 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 McDowell 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 (83.4%)
Carpooled (8.57%)
Worked At Home (6%)

In 2024, 83.4% of workers in McDowell County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.57%) and those who worked at home (6%).

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

24.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in McDowell County, NC have a shorter commute time (24.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.17% of the workforce in McDowell County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 9.31% of the population was living with severe housing problems in McDowell County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.19%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

14.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in McDowell County, NC (6.45k out of 43.5k 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 55 - 64, followed by Males 55 - 64 and then Females 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in McDowell County, 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.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 20.1% of the children was living in poverty in McDowell County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 10.3%.

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 158 in McDowell County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 20.2 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

88.5% of the population of McDowell County, NC has health coverage, with 37.7% on employee plans, 18.7% on Medicaid, 15.6% on Medicare, 14.4% on non-group plans, and 2.04% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in McDowell County, NC see 2,981 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,981 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2238 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 473 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,981 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in McDowell County, NC

Primary care physicians in McDowell County, NC see an average of 2,981 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,981 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.8% under 18 years, 17.9% between 18 and 34 years, 40.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

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

Uninsured People

11.5%

Uninsured

37.7%

Employer Coverage

18.7%

Medicaid

15.6%

Medicare

14.4%

Non-Group

2.04%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in McDowell County, NC declined by 1.41% from 11.7% to 11.5%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in McDowell 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 33.4 in McDowell County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in McDowell 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 33.3% in McDowell County, NC.

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