Haywood County, North Carolina

NC · FIPS 37087 Republican

Located in North Carolina, Haywood County has a population of 62,662 residents and a median age of 47.8 years, making it the #867 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.1%. The median home value is $279,200, and the median household income is $61,912, which is 18% below the national median.

62,662
Population
#867 of 3,222
$61,912
Median Income
-17.6% #1,904 of 3,222
47.8 years
Median Age
+22.9% #373 of 3,222
13.1%
Poverty Rate
+4.2% #1,557 of 3,222

Demographics

Haywood County has a population of 62,662, making it the #867 most populous county in the US. The median age is 47.8 years, which is 22.9% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.2%
Native Born
2.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Haywood County is $61,912, ranking #1,904 out of 3,222 counties — 17.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.1% and unemployment stands at 3.1%.

Income#1,904
$61,912
-17.6%
vs nation
41th percentile
Per Capita#1,367
$36,367
-11.9%
vs nation
58th percentile
Poverty#1,557
13.1%
+4.2%
vs nation
52th percentile
Unemployment#717
3.1%
-41.9%
vs nation
78th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Haywood County is $279,200 (-1.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,067/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.9%.

Home Value#735
$279,200
-1.0%
vs nation
77th percentile
Rent#795
$1,067
-8.3%
vs nation
75th percentile
Homeownership#1,551
74.9%
+16.3%
vs nation
52th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Haywood County, 29.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 12.4% below the national average, ranking #801 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
29.5% −12.4% vs nation
Rank #801 of 3,222
75th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Haywood County is 74.6 years. 15.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,763
74.6
-0.8%
vs nation
43th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#723
15.7%
-19.7%
vs nation
77th percentile
Diabetes#648
9.2%
-17.4%
vs nation
79th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#275
31.5%
-15.6%
vs nation
91th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#625
5.1
-9.1%
vs nation
80th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#942
4.1
-8.9%
vs nation
70th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,158
12.2%
+16.1%
vs nation
31th percentile
Physical Inactivity#406
20.7%
-21.5%
vs nation
87th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,945
15.3%
+6.2%
vs nation
38th percentile

Substance Use

14.3% of adults in Haywood County smoke , 31.5% are obese , and 20.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 40.4 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#504
14.3%
-20.4%
vs nation
84th percentile
Adult Obesity#289
31.5%
-16.9%
vs nation
91th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,714
20.3%
+2.3%
vs nation
46th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,607
40.4
+25.0%
vs nation
24th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Haywood County is 4.2 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 20.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 16.4 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#462
4.2
-48.1%
vs nation
70th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,620
20.5
+4.1%
vs nation
37th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,237
16.6
-6.8%
vs nation
50th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,140
16.4
-19.2%
vs nation
60th percentile

Families & Children

17.3% of children in Haywood County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.0 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 17.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#823
7.0
+2.8%
vs nation
40th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,181
17.3
-20.6%
vs nation
61th percentile
Child Poverty#1,485
17.3%
-8.9%
vs nation
53th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Haywood County is 73.2%. The mean commute time is 26.0 min, which is 5.9% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
73.2% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
26.0 min −5.9% vs nation
Rank #1,711 of 3,222
47th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Haywood County voted Republican with a margin of 25.1%. The vote was 36.9% Dem / 62% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +1.4 toward Democrats .

2024 REP +25.1%
36.9% 62%
Dem 37,724 votes Rep
2020 REP +26.5%
36% 62.5%
Dem 36,542 votes Rep
2016 REP +28.0%
34.5% 62.5%
Dem 30,156 votes Rep
2012 REP +13.8%
42.4% 56.2%
Dem 27,679 votes Rep
2008 REP +7.7%
45.4% 53.1%
Dem 28,067 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Haywood County, North Carolina

Haywood County, North Carolina has a total population of 62,662, making it the 867th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Haywood County is 47.8 years, which is 22.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Haywood County is $61,912, which ranks #1,904 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 17.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.1%.

The median home value in Haywood County is $279,200, 1.0% below the national median. Renters in Haywood County pay a median gross rent of $1,067 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Haywood County, 29.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 12.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 88.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.0 min.

Haywood County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 90.4% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (5.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).

All data for Haywood 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.