Scotland County, North Carolina

NC · FIPS 37165 Republican

Located in North Carolina, Scotland County has a population of 33,590 residents and a median age of 38.7 years, making it the #1,381 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 25.8%. The median home value is $114,900, and the median household income is $45,730, which is 39% below the national median.

33,590
Population
#1,381 of 3,222
$45,730
Median Income
-39.1% #2,944 of 3,222
38.7 years
Median Age
-0.5% #2,446 of 3,222
25.8%
Poverty Rate
+104.9% #3,020 of 3,222

Demographics

Scotland County has a population of 33,590, making it the #1,381 most populous county in the US. The median age is 38.7 years, which is 0.5% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

96.5%
Native Born
3.5%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Scotland County is $45,730, ranking #2,944 out of 3,222 counties — 39.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 25.8% and unemployment stands at 10.9%.

Income#2,944
$45,730
-39.1%
vs nation
9th percentile
Per Capita#2,663
$28,395
-31.2%
vs nation
17th percentile
Poverty#3,020
25.8%
+104.9%
vs nation
6th percentile
Unemployment#3,129
10.9%
+105.6%
vs nation
3th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Scotland County is $114,900 (-59.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $778/mo and the homeownership rate is 61.8%.

Home Value#2,768
$114,900
-59.2%
vs nation
14th percentile
Rent#2,286
$778
-33.1%
vs nation
29th percentile
Homeownership#2,923
61.8%
-4.1%
vs nation
9th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Scotland County, 16.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 50.6% below the national average, ranking #2,560 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
16.6% −50.6% vs nation
Rank #2,560 of 3,222
21th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Scotland County is 69.5 years. 25.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,911
69.5
-7.5%
vs nation
5th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,769
25.4%
+29.8%
vs nation
12th percentile
Diabetes#2,948
14.8%
+33.0%
vs nation
6th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,622
41.3%
+10.7%
vs nation
17th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,498
5.6
-0.7%
vs nation
52th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,562
5.1
+13.5%
vs nation
19th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,936
11.1%
+5.8%
vs nation
38th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,442
30.3%
+14.8%
vs nation
22th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,894
19.4%
+34.7%
vs nation
8th percentile

Substance Use

21.3% of adults in Scotland County smoke , 41.1% are obese , and 16.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 53.4 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,586
21.3%
+18.6%
vs nation
18th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,389
41.1%
+8.4%
vs nation
24th percentile
Excessive Drinking#412
16.2%
-18.3%
vs nation
87th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,874
53.4
+65.1%
vs nation
11th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Scotland County is 22.2 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 10.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 28.4 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,465
22.2
+177.7%
vs nation
5th percentile
Suicide Rate#140
10.4
-47.4%
vs nation
95th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,248
29.5
+65.3%
vs nation
9th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,304
28.4
+40.2%
vs nation
18th percentile

Families & Children

42.9% of children in Scotland County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 9.1 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 38.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,184
9.1
+34.0%
vs nation
13th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,776
38.5
+76.5%
vs nation
8th percentile
Child Poverty#3,108
42.9%
+125.9%
vs nation
1th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Scotland County is 55.8%. The mean commute time is 26.1 min, which is 5.4% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
55.8% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
26.1 min −5.4% vs nation
Rank #1,676 of 3,222
48th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Scotland County voted Republican with a margin of 7.0%. The vote was 46.2% Dem / 53.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.0 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +7.0%
46.2% 53.2%
Dem 14,613 votes Rep
2020 REP +2.0%
48.6% 50.6%
Dem 14,775 votes Rep
2016 DEM +7.8%
53% 45.2%
Dem 13,743 votes Rep
2012 DEM +16.6%
58% 41.4%
Dem 14,020 votes Rep
2008 DEM +15.1%
57.3% 42.2%
Dem 14,217 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Scotland County, North Carolina

Scotland County, North Carolina has a total population of 33,590, making it the 1,381st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Scotland County is 38.7 years, which is 0.5% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Scotland County is $45,730, which ranks #2,944 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 39.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 25.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 10.9%.

The median home value in Scotland County is $114,900, 59.2% below the national median. Renters in Scotland County pay a median gross rent of $778 per month. The homeownership rate is 61.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Scotland County, 16.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 50.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 90.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.1 min.

Scotland County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 40.1% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (37.0%) and American Indian (non-Hispanic) (11.5%).

All data for Scotland 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.