Chowan County, North Carolina
Located in North Carolina, Chowan County has a population of 13,836 residents and a median age of 48.6 years, making it the #2,236 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 19.1%. The median home value is $235,800, and the median household income is $53,864, which is 28% below the national median.
Demographics
Chowan County has a population of 13,836, making it the #2,236 most populous county in the US. The median age is 48.6 years, which is 24.9% 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 Chowan County is $53,864, ranking #2,541 out of 3,222 counties — 28.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 19.1% and unemployment stands at 4.1%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Chowan County is $235,800 (-16.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $681/mo and the homeownership rate is 70.5%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Chowan County, 25.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 25.8% below the national average, ranking #1,226 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Chowan County is 74.4 years. 20.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.7% of adults in Chowan County smoke , 39.4% are obese , and 17.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 33.8 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Chowan County is 11.2 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 13.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 19.4 per 100,000.
Firearm Fatalities Trend
Families & Children
24.6% of children in Chowan County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 23.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Chowan County is 70.7%. The mean commute time is 28.9 min, which is 4.7% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Chowan County voted Republican with a margin of 22.5%. The vote was 38.4% Dem / 60.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.8 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Chowan County, North Carolina
Chowan County, North Carolina has a total population of 13,836, making it the 2,236th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Chowan County is 48.6 years, which is 24.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Chowan County is $53,864, which ranks #2,541 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 28.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 19.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.1%.
The median home value in Chowan County is $235,800, 16.4% below the national median. Renters in Chowan County pay a median gross rent of $681 per month. The homeownership rate is 70.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Chowan County, 25.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 25.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.9 min.
Chowan County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 60.4% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (32.4%) and Hispanic or Latino (4.0%).
All data for Chowan 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.