Mitchell County, NC

County

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2023 Population

14,973

0.107% 1-year decline

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

1.27% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

13%

3.3% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$58,089

4.6% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$202,100

5.59% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

6,633

1.45% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Mitchell County, NC had a population of 15k people with a median age of 48 and a median household income of $58,089. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Mitchell County, NC declined from 14,989 to 14,973, a −0.107% decrease and its median household income grew from $55,534 to $58,089, a 4.6% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Mitchell County, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (91.5%), Other (Hispanic) (2.31%), Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) (1.92%), Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) (1.38%), and Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (0.788%).

None of the households in Mitchell 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.

98.2% of the residents in Mitchell County, NC are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Mitchell County, NC was $202,100, and the homeownership rate was 77.6%.

Most people in Mitchell County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Mitchell County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Mitchell County, NC borders Avery County, NC, McDowell County, NC, Yancey County, NC, Carter County, TN, and Unicoi County, TN.

United States North Carolina

Population & Diversity

Mitchell County, NC is home to a population of 15k people, from which 98.2% are citizens. As of 2023, 3.09% of Mitchell County, NC residents were born outside of the country (463 people).

In 2023, there were 39.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (13.7k people) in Mitchell County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 346 Other (Hispanic) and 287 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.2%

2023 Citizenship

97.7%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 98.2% of Mitchell County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Mitchell County, NC was 97.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Mitchell County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
13.7k ± 48
Other (Hispanic)
346 ± 121
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
287 ± 132

5.28%

Hispanic Population

790 people

5.28% of the people in Mitchell County, NC are hispanic (790 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Mitchell 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

3.09%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

463 people

3.61%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

541 people

As of 2023, 3.09% of Mitchell County, NC residents (463 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Mitchell County, NC was 3.61%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
441 ± 128
Gulf War (2001-)
144 ± 105
Korea
99 ± 76

Mitchell County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.06 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Mitchell County, NC employs 6.63k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Mitchell County, NC were Health Care & Social Assistance (1,262 people), Manufacturing (884 people), and Educational Services (797 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($79,609), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($78,385), and Utilities ($73,611).

Employment

Occupations

6.63k

2023 Value

± 621

1.45%

1 Year growth

± 13.1%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Mitchell County, NC grew at a rate of 1.45%, from 6.54k employees to 6.63k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Mitchell County, NC, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (680 people), Management Occupations (609 people), and Production Occupations (502 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Mitchell 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

6.63k

2023 Value

± 621

1.45%

1 Year growth

± 13.1%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Mitchell County, NC grew at a rate of 1.45%, from 6.54k employees to 6.63k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Mitchell County, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,262 people), Manufacturing (884 people), and Educational Services (797 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Mitchell County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Mitchell County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$47,091

Median earning men ± $2,810

$35,410

Median earning women ± $2,994

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($79,565), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($60,982), and Construction ($53,194).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($65,547), Public Administration ($51,029), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($39,007).

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

46
Other Services (except Public Administration)
31
Retail Trade
26
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

$36.5k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$35.8k
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
$23.1k
Manufacturing

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

Education

Completions

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2023, 0.995% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.855% of women were in the same situation.

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

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (2.18M), Some college (1.81M), and Bachelors Degree (1.69M).

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 Mitchell County, NC was $202,100 in 2023, which is 0.666 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $191,400 to $202,100, a 5.59% increase. The homeownership rate in Mitchell County, NC is 77.6%, which is higher than the national average of 65%.

People in Mitchell County, NC have an average commute time of 24.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Mitchell County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Mitchell County, NC is $58,089. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Mitchell County, NC was Census Tract 9504, Mitchell County, NC with a value of $68,397, followed by Census Tract 9502, Mitchell County, NC and Census Tract 9501, Mitchell County, NC, with respective values of $58,333 and $44,977.

In 2024, 10.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Mitchell County, NC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 0.975%.

Housing

Property

$202,100

Median Property Value 2023

±$14,298

$4,973

Median Property Taxes

±$465

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

Rent vs Own

77.6%

Homeownership

2023

66.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 77.6% of the housing units in Mitchell County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 79.5%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9504, Mitchell County, NC
Census Tract 9502, Mitchell County, NC
Census Tract 9501, Mitchell County, NC

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Mitchell County, NC was Census Tract 9504, Mitchell County, NC with a value of $68,397, followed by Census Tract 9502, Mitchell County, NC and Census Tract 9501, Mitchell County, NC, with respective values of $58,333 and $44,977.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Mitchell County, NC colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$58,089

Median Household Income

± $5,374

6.41k

Number of Households

± 561

In 2023, the median household income of the 6.41k households in Mitchell County, NC grew to $58,089 from the previous year's value of $55,534.

The following chart displays the households in Mitchell 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 Mitchell 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 2023

Drove Alone (80.9%)
Carpooled (9.11%)
Worked At Home (6.85%)

In 2023, 80.9% of workers in Mitchell County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.11%) and those who worked at home (6.85%).

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

24.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Mitchell County, NC have a shorter commute time (24.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.39% of the workforce in Mitchell County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2024, 10.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Mitchell County, NC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 0.975%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

13% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Mitchell County, NC (1.89k out of 14.6k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Females 75+ and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Mitchell 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 2024, 21.7% of the children was living in poverty in Mitchell County, NC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 7.6%.

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.

Health

90% of the population of Mitchell County, NC has health coverage, with 40.2% on employee plans, 12.4% on Medicaid, 18.6% on Medicare, 17.3% on non-group plans, and 1.53% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Mitchell County, NC see 2,138 patients per year on average, which represents a 29.3% increase from the previous year (1,653 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1509 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 794 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.4% were men and 50.6% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,138 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Mitchell County, NC

Primary care physicians in Mitchell County, NC see an average of 2,138 patients per year. This represents a 29.3% increase from the previous year (1,653 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.4% under 18 years, 17.3% between 18 and 34 years, 38.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 25.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.4% were men and 50.6% were women.

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

Uninsured People

10%

Uninsured

40.2%

Employer Coverage

12.4%

Medicaid

18.6%

Medicare

17.3%

Non-Group

1.53%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Mitchell County, NC declined by 5.61% from 10.6% to 10%.

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