Demographics of McDowell County, North Carolina

McDowell County, North Carolina had 45,198 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate: +644 since July 2020. Age, income, poverty, housing and origin below come from the American Community Survey, averaged over 2020–2024, each with its margin of error.

McDowell County, in four figures

45,198
Population: July 1, 2025, Vintage 2025 estimate.; +1.4%
Change since July 2020: +644 people.; 44.3 ±0.3
Median age: ACS 2020–⁠2024.; $57,168 ±$4,181
Median household income: ACS 2020–⁠2024, in 2024 dollars.

Population, year by year

July 1 estimates from the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025. Each year's change is births less deaths, net moves from abroad and net moves from elsewhere in the country, with the Bureau's small residual. The 2020 row's components run 3 months, from the April census to July 1.

McDowell County, North Carolina's population grew 1.4% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally

The July 1 estimate of McDowell County, North Carolina's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).

U.S. Census Bureau — Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change

About this chart

The figures

McDowell County, North Carolina's population grew 1.4% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally. The July 1 estimate of McDowell County, North Carolina's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).
July 1	Population	Index	United States
2020	44,554	100.0	100.0
2021	44,541	100.0	100.2
2022	44,745	100.4	100.7
2023	44,946	100.9	101.6
2024	45,298	101.7	102.5
2025	45,198	101.4	103.1

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Population of McDowell County, North Carolina on July 1 of each year, Vintage 2025
July 1	Population	Change	Births less deaths	From abroad	From elsewhere in the country
2020	44,554	−30	−32	+1	−12
2021	44,541	−13	−288	+15	+228
2022	44,745	+204	−346	+64	+471
2023	44,946	+201	−284	+117	+366
2024	45,298	+352	−281	+210	+422
2025	45,198	−100	−280	+71	+107

Age, 2020–2024

The median age is 44.3 ±0.3: for men 42.6 ±0.6 and for women 46.1 ±0.4. Shares are of everyone the survey counts, in the Bureau’s sex-by-age table (B01001).

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People in McDowell County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Under 5	2,020 ±139	4.5% ±0.3	5.6% ±<0.1	5.6% ±<0.1
5 to 17	6,672 ±457	14.9% ±1.0	16.1% ±0.1	16.3% ±<0.1
18 to 24	3,212 ±399	7.2% ±0.9	9.5% ±0.1	9.1% ±<0.1
25 to 44	10,939 ±486	24.4% ±1.1	26.2% ±0.1	26.9% ±<0.1
45 to 64	12,573 ±546	28.1% ±1.2	25.4% ±0.1	24.8% ±<0.1
65 and over	9,401 ±605	21.0% ±1.4	17.2% ±0.1	17.2% ±<0.1

Income and poverty, 2020–2024

Median household income is $57,168 ±$4,181, and income per person $30,395 ±$1,351, in 2024 dollars. The median is $72,388 ±$324 in North Carolina and $80,734 ±$166 in the United States.

Households by income

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Households in McDowell County by income, ACS 2020–2024
Household income	Households	Share	North Carolina	United States
Under $25,000	3,607 ±452	19.4% ±2.4	15.8% ±0.2	14.6% ±<0.1
$25,000 to $49,999	4,324 ±550	23.2% ±2.9	19.1% ±0.2	16.7% ±<0.1
$50,000 to $74,999	3,878 ±502	20.8% ±2.6	16.8% ±0.2	15.5% ±<0.1
$75,000 to $99,999	2,583 ±355	13.9% ±1.9	13.0% ±0.1	12.6% ±<0.1
$100,000 to $149,999	2,564 ±371	13.8% ±2.0	16.6% ±0.2	17.5% ±<0.1
$150,000 to $199,999	932 ±225	5.0% ±1.2	8.3% ±0.1	9.6% ±<0.1
$200,000 or more	750 ±218	4.0% ±1.2	10.4% ±0.1	13.4% ±0.1

Poverty by age

The poverty rate is the share of people whose family income is below the federal threshold for their family’s size, of everyone for whom the Bureau determines it (B17020).

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Poverty rate in McDowell County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	Below poverty	Rate	North Carolina	United States
All ages	6,447 ±929	14.8% ±2.1	13.0% ±0.2	12.5% ±0.1
Under 18	1,654 ±362	19.3% ±4.0	17.7% ±0.3	16.1% ±0.1
18 to 59	2,935 ±545	13.2% ±2.4	12.1% ±0.2	11.6% ±0.1
60 and over	1,858 ±393	14.5% ±3.0	10.9% ±0.2	11.0% ±<0.1

Housing, 2020–2024

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Housing in McDowell County, ACS 2020–2024
Measure	McDowell County	North Carolina	United States
Housing units	21,575 ±70	4,895,668 ±642	143,775,355 ±10,234
Occupied	86.4% ±2.0	87.5% ±0.2	89.9% ±0.1
Vacant	13.6% ±2.1	12.5% ±0.2	10.1% ±0.1
Owner occupied	75.6% ±2.3	66.6% ±0.3	65.2% ±0.3
Renter occupied	24.4% ±2.7	33.4% ±0.2	34.8% ±0.1
Median home value	$171,100 ±$10,414	$288,900 ±$1,086	$332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent	$806 ±$45	$1,228 ±$5	$1,413 ±$2
Median year built	1984 ±2	1991 ±1	1980 ±1

Occupied and vacant are shares of all housing units; owner and renter occupied are shares of occupied units. Value and rent are medians in 2024 dollars.

Origin and place of birth, 2020–2024

Hispanic or Latino origin is not a race in the Census Bureau’s tables. Here the people of Hispanic origin, of any race, are one row, and everyone else is counted by race alone (B03002), so the rows add to the whole.

Hispanic origin and race

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People in McDowell County by Hispanic origin and race, ACS 2020–2024
Origin	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Hispanic or Latino	3,170 ±0	7.1% ±<0.1	11.3% ±<0.1	19.3% ±<0.1
White alone, not Hispanic	38,364 ±108	85.6% ±0.2	60.0% ±<0.1	57.4% ±<0.1
Black alone, not Hispanic	1,724 ±154	3.8% ±0.3	20.0% ±0.1	11.9% ±<0.1
Asian alone, not Hispanic	506 ±30	1.1% ±0.1	3.3% ±<0.1	5.9% ±<0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	138 ±61	0.3% ±0.1	0.8% ±<0.1	0.5% ±<0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0 to 29	0% to 0.1%	0.1% ±<0.1	0.2% ±<0.1
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0 to 20	0% to < 0.1%	0.5% ±<0.1	0.6% ±<0.1
Two or more races, not Hispanic	908 ±196	2.0% ±0.4	4.1% ±0.1	4.3% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Place of birth and citizenship

“Born a citizen outside the states” counts people born in Puerto Rico, the island areas, or abroad to American parents. Naturalized citizens and those who are not citizens together make up the people born abroad (B05002).

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People in McDowell County by place of birth and citizenship, ACS 2020–2024
Born	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Born in the state	32,310 ±829	72.1% ±1.8	53.6% ±0.2	57.3% ±<0.1
Born in another state	10,646 ±805	23.8% ±1.8	35.9% ±0.2	26.9% ±<0.1
Born a citizen outside the states	435 ±210	1.0% ±0.5	1.4% ±<0.1	1.7% ±<0.1
Born abroad	1,426 ±243	3.2% ±0.5	9.1% ±0.1	14.1% ±<0.1
Naturalized citizens	419 ±187	0.9% ±0.4	3.8% ±0.1	7.4% ±<0.1
Not citizens	1,007 ±287	2.2% ±0.6	5.2% ±0.1	6.8% ±<0.1

McDowell County among the counties of North Carolina

57th of 100 by population, July 2025. Every one is listed on the North Carolina page.

Counties of North Carolina near McDowell County in population, July 2025
County	July 2025	Change since 2020
Columbus County	50,487	0%
Edgecombe County	49,121	+0.7%
Halifax County	46,534	−3.9%
Stokes County	46,126	+3.5%
Davie County	45,855	+6.9%
McDowell County	45,198	+1.4%
Jackson County	45,039	+6.9%
Beaufort County	44,670	−0.1%
Vance County	42,638	+0.2%
Pasquotank County	42,201	+4.5%
Richmond County	42,041	−1.6%

Elsewhere on the site

Sources

Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change — U.S. Census Bureau · U.S. Government work · retrieved September 25, 2026
American Community Survey 5-year estimates — table-based Summary File · U.S. Government work

Data retrieved September 25, 2026