McDowell County, North Carolina
McDowell County, North Carolina · ZIP 28167, 28711, 28749
- Census data · ACS 2019-2023
- 45,269 (2024 estimate)Population
- 18,445Households
- $55,527Median household income
- $168,300Median home value
- 5Towns with a page
- 6ZIP codes
McDowell County in numbersOfficial sources, refreshed yearly
| Census | Population |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 42,151 |
| 2010 | 44,996 |
| 2020 | 44,578 |
As counted at each census, within the boundaries the area had then; the current estimate is in the glance card.
Sources: Census 2000 Summary File 1: total population, county level, state 37, retrieved November 14, 2026; Census 2010 Summary File 1: total population, county level, state 37, retrieved November 14, 2026; Census 2020 Redistricting Data (P.L. 94-171): total population, county level, state 37, retrieved November 14, 2026.
Median household income $55,527 · Share of households by income, American Community Survey 5-year 2019-2023, table S1901.
Source: American Community Survey 5-year subject table S1901 (household income) 2019–2023, county level, state 37, retrieved November 14, 2026.
- Owner occupied
- 13,657 units
- Renter occupied
- 4,788 units
- Vacancy rate
- 14.1%
Occupied housing units by tenure and the share of all units vacant, American Community Survey 5-year 2019-2023, table DP04.
Source: American Community Survey 5-year data profile 2019–2023, county level, state 37, retrieved November 14, 2026.
13,495 employees in 822 establishments with payroll in 2023, all sectors; employers themselves are not named in the source. County Business Patterns counts are published with noise.
Source: County Business Patterns 2023: employment by sector, county level, state 37, retrieved November 14, 2026.
| Measure | McDowell County | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 44,679 | 10,584,340 |
| Median household income | $55,527 | $69,904 |
| Median age | 44.3 | 39.1 |
| Median home value | $168,300 | $259,400 |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher | 17.6% | 34.7% |
| Foreign-born residents | 3.8% | 8.7% |
| Owner-occupied homes | 74.0% | 66.4% |
| Mean commute to work | 24.9 minutes | 25.1 minutes |
Source: American Community Survey 5-year data profile 2019–2023, county level, state 37, retrieved November 14, 2026.
Townships, towns and villages in McDowell County5 with a page · sort by any column
| Type | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Marion | City | 7,534 | 6.85 sq mi |
| Nebo | Census designated place | 1,608 | 5.30 sq mi |
| West Marion | Census designated place | 1,018 | 1.51 sq mi |
| Old Fort | Town | 833 | 1.22 sq mi |
| Glenwood | Census designated place | 181 | 1.61 sq mi |
Populations: Census Population Estimates, Vintage 2024: subcounty totals, state 37 (2024). Land areas: Census Gazetteer 2025: counties. A dash means the figure is not in the cited file.
County officialsFrom public records
No county official is published yet. Names appear once a researcher drafts them from the county’s own site and a second person approves; office contacts only, never personal details.
Across McDowell County
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Neighboring counties
Neighboring counties
- Avery CountyPopulation 17,811 (2024 estimate)
- Buncombe CountyPopulation 279,210 (2024 estimate)
- Burke CountyPopulation 88,545 (2024 estimate)
- Mitchell CountyPopulation 15,030 (2024 estimate)
- Rutherford CountyPopulation 65,587 (2024 estimate)
- Yancey CountyPopulation 18,993 (2024 estimate)
Sources: Census county adjacency file 2024, retrieved November 14, 2026; Census Population Estimates, Vintage 2024: subcounty totals, state 37, retrieved November 14, 2026.