Catawba County, North Carolina
Located in North Carolina, Catawba County has a population of 163,573 residents and a median age of 42.1 years, making it the #421 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.7%. The median home value is $241,600, and the median household income is $67,864, which is 10% below the national median.
Demographics
Catawba County has a population of 163,573, making it the #421 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.1 years, which is 8.2% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Catawba County is $67,864, ranking #1,357 out of 3,222 counties — 9.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 12.7% and unemployment stands at 3.7%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Catawba County is $241,600 (-14.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $965/mo and the homeownership rate is 72.2%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Catawba County, 26.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 22.4% below the national average, ranking #1,093 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Catawba County is 73.9 years. 17.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.0% of adults in Catawba County smoke , 34.1% are obese , and 20.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 38.5 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Catawba County is 6.5 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 16.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 16.6 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
15.6% of children in Catawba County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.5 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 16.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Catawba County is 71.0%. The mean commute time is 25.5 min, which is 7.6% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Catawba County voted Republican with a margin of 38.0%. The vote was 30.6% Dem / 68.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.0 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Catawba County, North Carolina
Catawba County, North Carolina has a total population of 163,573, making it the 421st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Catawba County is 42.1 years, which is 8.2% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Catawba County is $67,864, which ranks #1,357 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 9.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.7%.
The median home value in Catawba County is $241,600, 14.3% below the national median. Renters in Catawba County pay a median gross rent of $965 per month. The homeownership rate is 72.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Catawba County, 26.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 22.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 89.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.5 min.
Catawba County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 71.9% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (11.5%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (7.7%).
All data for Catawba County, North Carolina comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.