McDowell County, NC
Demographics & Statistics
Updated: 2025-10-25
Updated: 2025-10-25
Life in Mcdowell County research summary. HomeSnacks has been researching the quality of life in Mcdowell County over the past eight years using Census data, FBI crime data, cost of living data, and other primary sources. Based on the most recently available data, we found the following about life in Mcdowell County:
The population in Mcdowell County is 44,679.
The median home value in Mcdowell County is $257,201.
The median income in Mcdowell County is $55,527.
The median rent in Mcdowell County is $741.
The unemployment rate in Mcdowell County is 4.7%.
The poverty rate in Mcdowell County is 14.0%.
The average high in Mcdowell County is 71.5° and there are 130.3 inches of rainfall annually.
The average high in Mcdowell County is 71.5°.
There are 93.51 nice days each year.
Expect an average of 130.3 inches of rain each year with 5.3 inches of snow.
There is an average of 5:07 hours of sun each day in Mcdowell County.
| Stat | Mcdowell County |
|---|---|
| Mean High | 71.5 |
| Nice Days | 93.51 |
| Rainfall | 130.3 |
| Snowfall | 5.3 |
| Sunny Hours | 5:07 |
The current population in Mcdowell County is 44,679. The population has decreased -1.5% from 2019.
| Year | Population | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 44,527 | -1.9% |
| 2022 | 45,402 | 0.4% |
| 2021 | 45,227 | - |
Mcdowell County is 49.8% female with 22,236 female residents.
Mcdowell County is 50.2% male with 22,442 male residents.
| Gender | Mcdowell County | NC | USA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 49.8% | 51.1% | 50.5% |
| Male | 50.2% | 48.9% | 49.5% |
Mcdowell County is:
86.3% White with 38,572 White residents.
3.9% African American with 1,723 African American residents.
0.4% American Indian with 158 American Indian residents.
1.1% Asian with 483 Asian residents.
0.0% Hawaiian with 0 Hawaiian residents.
0.0% Other with 0 Other residents.
1.6% Two Or More with 715 Two Or More residents.
6.8% Hispanic with 3,028 Hispanic residents.
| Race | Mcdowell County | NC | USA |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.3% | 60.6% | 58.2% |
| African American | 3.9% | 20.3% | 12.0% |
| American Indian | 0.4% | 0.8% | 0.5% |
| Asian | 1.1% | 3.1% | 5.7% |
| Hawaiian | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Other | 0.0% | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Two Or More | 1.6% | 3.7% | 3.9% |
| Hispanic | 6.8% | 10.9% | 19.0% |
4.8% of households in Mcdowell County earn Less than $10,000.
5.2% of households in Mcdowell County earn $10,000 to $14,999.
9.6% of households in Mcdowell County earn $15,000 to $24,999.
9.5% of households in Mcdowell County earn $25,000 to $34,999.
15.7% of households in Mcdowell County earn $35,000 to $49,999.
20.6% of households in Mcdowell County earn $50,000 to $74,999.
13.2% of households in Mcdowell County earn $75,000 to $99,999.
13.0% of households in Mcdowell County earn $100,000 to $149,999.
4.9% of households in Mcdowell County earn $150,000 to $199,999.
3.4% of households in Mcdowell County earn $200,000 or more.
| Income | Mcdowell County | NC | USA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than $10,000 | 4.8% | 5.0% | 4.9% |
| $10,000 to $14,999 | 5.2% | 3.9% | 3.6% |
| $15,000 to $24,999 | 9.6% | 7.6% | 6.6% |
| $25,000 to $34,999 | 9.5% | 7.8% | 6.8% |
| $35,000 to $49,999 | 15.7% | 12.0% | 10.4% |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 20.6% | 17.0% | 15.7% |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 13.2% | 13.0% | 12.7% |
| $100,000 to $149,999 | 13.0% | 16.5% | 17.4% |
| $150,000 to $199,999 | 4.9% | 7.8% | 9.3% |
| $200,000 or more | 3.4% | 9.5% | 12.6% |
5.0% of adults in Mcdowell County completed < 9th grade.
10.0% of adults in Mcdowell County completed 9-12th grade.
35.0% of adults in Mcdowell County completed high school / ged.
20.0% of adults in Mcdowell County completed some college.
13.0% of adults in Mcdowell County completed associate's degree.
12.0% of adults in Mcdowell County completed bachelor's degree.
4.0% of adults in Mcdowell County completed master's degree.
1.0% of adults in Mcdowell County completed professional degree.
0.0% of adults in Mcdowell County completed doctorate degree.
| Education | Mcdowell County | NC | USA |
|---|---|---|---|
| < 9th Grade | 4% | 3% | 5% |
| 9-12th Grade | 10% | 6% | 6% |
| High School / GED | 35% | 25% | 26% |
| Some College | 20% | 20% | 19% |
| Associate's Degree | 13% | 10% | 9% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 12% | 22% | 21% |
| Master's Degree | 4% | 9% | 10% |
| Professional Degree | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| Doctorate Degree | 0% | 2% | 2% |
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