McDowell County, North Carolina
Located in North Carolina, McDowell County has a population of 44,817 residents and a median age of 44.3 years, making it the #1,105 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 14.8%. The median home value is $171,100, and the median household income is $57,168, which is 24% below the national median.
Demographics
McDowell County has a population of 44,817, making it the #1,105 most populous county in the US. The median age is 44.3 years, which is 13.9% 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 McDowell County is $57,168, ranking #2,316 out of 3,222 counties — 23.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 14.8% and unemployment stands at 4.1%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in McDowell County is $171,100 (-39.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $806/mo and the homeownership rate is 75.6%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In McDowell County, 18.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 46.3% below the national average, ranking #2,347 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in McDowell County is 74.3 years. 23.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
22.8% of adults in McDowell County smoke , 33.3% are obese , and 20.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 39.2 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in McDowell County is 6.6 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 14.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 12.6 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
20.1% of children in McDowell County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.0 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 22.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in McDowell County is 65.6%. The mean commute time is 27.1 min, which is 1.9% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, McDowell County voted Republican with a margin of 49.2%. The vote was 25% Dem / 74.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.2 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About McDowell County, North Carolina
McDowell County, North Carolina has a total population of 44,817, making it the 1,105th most populous county in the United States. The median age in McDowell County is 44.3 years, which is 13.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in McDowell County is $57,168, which ranks #2,316 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 23.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 14.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.1%.
The median home value in McDowell County is $171,100, 39.3% below the national median. Renters in McDowell County pay a median gross rent of $806 per month. The homeownership rate is 75.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In McDowell County, 18.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 46.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 88.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.1 min.
McDowell County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 85.6% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.1%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (3.8%).
All data for McDowell 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.