County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — McDowell County
- What is the median household income in McDowell County?
- The median household income in McDowell County is $55,527 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in McDowell County?
- The poverty rate in McDowell County is 9.2% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in McDowell County?
- $168,300 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in McDowell County?
- The median gross rent in McDowell County is $741 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of McDowell County residents have a college degree?
- 17.6% of adults in McDowell County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
44,679
Median Income
$55,527
Median Home Value
$168,300
Poverty Rate
9.2%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
4.7%
Median Age
44.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$11,881 (+27.2%)
Home Value:
+$49,100 (+41.2%)
Poverty Rate:
-3.1 pp (-25.2%)
Bachelor's+:
+0.2 pp (+1.1%)
Unemployment:
-1.0 pp (-17.5%)
Demographics
Total Population
44,679
Median Age
44.0
Female
49.8%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 6.8%
White (non-Hisp.) 86.3%
Black 3.9%
Asian 1.1%
Two or More 4.0%
Other 2.1%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Filipino
0.4%
Chinese
0.1%
Vietnamese
0.1%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
4.5%
Puerto Rican
0.4%
Cuban
0.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$55,527
±$3,603
-$14,377 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$70,235
Median Family Income
$68,570
Poverty Rate
9.2%
-0.2 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
15.3%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
18.3%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
31.8%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
4.8%
$10–15k
5.2%
$15–25k
9.6%
$25–35k
9.5%
$35–50k
15.7%
$50–75k
20.6%
$75–100k
13.2%
$100–150k
13.0%
$150–200k
4.9%
$200k+
3.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
21,475
Owner-Occupied
74.0%
Renter-Occupied
26.0%
Vacancy Rate
14.1%
Median Home Value
$168,300
-$91,100 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$741
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
13.8%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
29.0%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
11.9%
$50–100k
16.5%
$100–200k
15.9%
$200–300k
20.4%
$300–500k
15.0%
$500k–$1M
4.4%
$1M+
2.7%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
13.8%
$500–1k
64.2%
$1–1.5k
18.0%
$1.5–2k
1.8%
$3.5k+
2.2%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
6.4%
1 vehicle
24.8%
2 vehicles
39.6%
3+
29.3%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
68.5%
Single-fam. att.
1.1%
2–4 units
1.3%
5–19 units
1.1%
20+ units
0.9%
Mobile home
25.1%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
7.2%
1940–1969
4.9%
1970–1999
14.4%
2000–2009
15.6%
2010+
7.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
86.1%
Bachelor's or Higher
17.6%
-17.1 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
5.4%
Some College / Associate
20.4%
Less Than High School
4.3%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
53.2%
Unemployment Rate
4.7%
-0.1 pp vs. state
Work from Home
5.3%
Self-Employed
5.7%
Government Workers
17.6%
Private For-Profit
76.5%
Industry
Manufacturing
24.0%
Edu/Health
22.7%
Retail
12.1%
Construction
7.2%
Transportation
6.8%
Arts/Entmt.
5.5%
Prof. Services
5.1%
Public Admin
4.7%
Finance
2.6%
Agriculture
2.4%
Information
1.3%
Wholesale
1.3%
Occupation
Management
28.6%
Production
26.2%
Food Prep
16.7%
Sales
15.7%
Construction
12.9%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
24.9 min
Drove Alone
83.6%
Carpool
8.9%
Public Transit
0.0%
Work from Home
5.3%
Walked
1.3%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
18,445
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
52.8%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
17.0%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
4.6%
5–9
5.6%
10–14
5.9%
15–19
5.8%
20–24
5.0%
25–34
12.2%
35–44
12.0%
45–54
13.3%
55–64
6.6%
65–74
8.3%
75–84
12.5%
85+
5.9%
Under 18: 19.7%
Working age (18–64): 80.3%
65 and over: 20.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
3.8%
Naturalized Citizen
26.4%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
2.5%
Foreign-Born Origin
Latin America
73.7%
Asia
16.6%
Europe
4.8%
Africa
0.1%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
7.7%
With a Disability
17.3%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
88.3%
Uninsured
11.7%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
83.0%
Has a Computer
89.8%
Same House 1 Year Ago
89.8%
Moved from Abroad
0.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare McDowell County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to McDowell County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Other flows - South | 227 | 381 |
| Buncombe County | 218 | 373 |
| Burke County | 92 | 152 |
| Other flows - West | 64 | 96 |
| Other flows - Northeast | 47 | 84 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 46 | 81 |
| Rutherford County | 31 | 61 |
| Henderson County | 27 | 59 |
| Mitchell County | 26 | 55 |
| Catawba County | 26 | 47 |