Jackson County, North Carolina
Located in North Carolina, Jackson County has a population of 43,771 residents and a median age of 38.1 years, making it the #1,126 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 18.0%. The median home value is $284,700, and the median household income is $55,815, which is 26% below the national median.
Demographics
Jackson County has a population of 43,771, making it the #1,126 most populous county in the US. The median age is 38.1 years, which is 2.1% below 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 Jackson County is $55,815, ranking #2,418 out of 3,222 counties — 25.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 18.0% and unemployment stands at 4.9%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Jackson County is $284,700 (+1.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $904/mo and the homeownership rate is 60.8%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Jackson County, 31.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 7.7% below the national average, ranking #692 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Jackson County is 76.3 years. 17.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 15.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
16.1% of adults in Jackson County smoke , 32.4% are obese , and 20.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 51.4 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Jackson County is 3.6 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 19.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 14.9 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
21.3% of children in Jackson County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.9 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 11.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Jackson County is 61.1%. The mean commute time is 22.7 min, which is 17.6% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Jackson County voted Republican with a margin of 9.4%. The vote was 44.6% Dem / 54% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.2 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Jackson County, North Carolina
Jackson County, North Carolina has a total population of 43,771, making it the 1,126th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Jackson County is 38.1 years, which is 2.1% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Jackson County is $55,815, which ranks #2,418 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 25.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 18.0%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.9%.
The median home value in Jackson County is $284,700, 1.0% above the national median. Renters in Jackson County pay a median gross rent of $904 per month. The homeownership rate is 60.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Jackson County, 31.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 7.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 84.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.7 min.
Jackson County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 78.4% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (8.0%) and American Indian (non-Hispanic) (6.4%).
All data for Jackson 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.