Swain County, North Carolina
Located in North Carolina, Swain County has a population of 14,013 residents and a median age of 42.6 years, making it the #2,225 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 $207,000, and the median household income is $52,349, which is 30% below the national median.
Demographics
Swain County has a population of 14,013, making it the #2,225 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.6 years, which is 9.5% 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 Swain County is $52,349, ranking #2,640 out of 3,222 counties — 30.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 19.1% and unemployment stands at 7.6%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Swain County is $207,000 (-26.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $742/mo and the homeownership rate is 72.7%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Swain County, 21.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 36.4% below the national average, ranking #1,744 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Swain County is 67.3 years. 22.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 19.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
21.3% of adults in Swain County smoke , 36.8% are obese , and 19.6% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 63.9 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Swain County is 10.1 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 26.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 17.1 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
23.3% of children in Swain County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 38.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Swain County is 65.4%. The mean commute time is 22.4 min, which is 19.0% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Swain County voted Republican with a margin of 23.7%. The vote was 37.6% Dem / 61.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.1 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Swain County, North Carolina
Swain County, North Carolina has a total population of 14,013, making it the 2,225th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Swain County is 42.6 years, which is 9.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Swain County is $52,349, which ranks #2,640 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 30.3% 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 7.6%.
The median home value in Swain County is $207,000, 26.6% below the national median. Renters in Swain County pay a median gross rent of $742 per month. The homeownership rate is 72.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Swain County, 21.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 36.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 76.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.4 min.
Swain County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 59.2% of the population, followed by American Indian (non-Hispanic) (27.3%) and Hispanic or Latino (5.5%).
All data for Swain 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.