McDowell County, North Carolina

McDowell County, North Carolina, had an estimated population of 45,198 in 2025 across 1,139 km². The figures below come from the US Census Bureau's population estimates and the American Community Survey, each shown with its own vintage and its rank among North Carolina's counties and nationally.

Population: 45,198; 2025 estimate
Area: 1,139 km²
Density: 40; per km²
Median income: $57,168; household, ACS 2024
Median age: 44.3; years, ACS 2024

How North Carolina's counties spread

Amenities & Infrastructure

Indicator	Value	In North Carolina	In the US
Households with Broadband2024	83.6%	69 / 100	2,318 / 3,144
Median Gross Rent2024	$806	72 / 100	2,056 / 3,137
Median Home Value2024	$171,100	72 / 100	1,783 / 3,139
Owner-Occupied Homes2024	75.6%	33 / 100	1,415 / 3,144
Vacant Homes2024	13.6%	48 / 100	1,623 / 3,144

Demography

Indicator	Value	In North Carolina	In the US
Aged 65 and Over2024	21.0%	48 / 100	1,230 / 3,144
American Indian & Alaska Native2024	0.3%	29 / 100	922 / 3,144
Asian, non-Hispanic2024	1.1%	32 / 100	931 / 3,144
Average Household Size2024people	2.3	61 / 100	2,177 / 3,144
Black, non-Hispanic2024	3.8%	79 / 100	1,241 / 3,144
Foreign-Born2024	3.2%	71 / 100	1,452 / 3,144
Hispanic or Latino2024	7.1%	58 / 100	1,207 / 3,144
Median Age2024years	44.3	42 / 100	814 / 3,144
Sex Ratio2024per 1,000 males	995	80 / 100	1,688 / 3,144
Speak a Language Other Than English2024	7.2%	56 / 100	1,245 / 3,144
Under 182024	19.4%	60 / 100	2,429 / 3,144
Veterans2024	7.6%	42 / 100	1,292 / 3,144
White, non-Hispanic2024	85.6%	14 / 100	1,210 / 3,144

Economy

Indicator	Value	In North Carolina	In the US
Below Poverty Line2024	14.8%	49 / 100	1,220 / 3,144
Households on SNAP2024	18.3%	31 / 100	548 / 3,144
Income Inequality2024index	0.422	86 / 100	2,404 / 3,144
Median Household Income2024	$57,168	64 / 100	2,316 / 3,143
Per Capita Income2024	$30,395	78 / 100	2,352 / 3,144
Unemployment Rate2024	4.1%	72 / 100	1,758 / 3,144

Education

Indicator	Value	In North Carolina	In the US
Bachelor's Degree or Higher2024	18.1%	74 / 100	2,267 / 3,144
High School or Higher2024	85.3%	74 / 100	2,487 / 3,144

Health Coverage

Indicator	Value	In North Carolina	In the US
No Health Insurance2024	11.5%	26 / 100	746 / 3,144
With a Disability2024	17.8%	36 / 100	1,051 / 3,144

Population & Density

Indicator	Value	In North Carolina	In the US
Population2025	45,198	57 / 100	1,093 / 3,144
Population Density2025/km²	40	54 / 100	874 / 3,144

Work & Commute

Indicator	Value	In North Carolina	In the US
Commute by Public Transit2024	0.0%	63 / 100	2,161 / 3,144
Households with No Vehicle2024	6.2%	34 / 100	1,130 / 3,144
Mean Commute Time2024minutes	24.7	67 / 100	1,433 / 3,143
Work from Home2024	6.0%	80 / 100	2,358 / 3,144

Other counties of North Carolina

Compare McDowell County against every other county on a map, add layers and run a scatter — open the atlas. Sources and vintages for every figure on this page are listed under datasets, or browse all 3,144 counties.