Catawba County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Catawba County, NC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 73% of counties in North Carolina
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Catawba County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 163,556 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 393.4 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.62% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.0 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 66,225 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Catawba County grew by 5.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 163,556 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Catawba County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.1% of residents. That is 1.5 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 33,505 20.5% -1.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 32,275 19.7% -1.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 36,132 22.1% +1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 29,718 18.2% +1.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below North Carolina, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.2% of the people living in Catawba County and men 48.8%.
- Women 51.2% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 48.8% North Carolina 48.9%
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Economy
Catawba County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Catawba County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,947 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.18% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Catawba County is about 6% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Catawba County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $224,804 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $965 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.2% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Catawba County is about 19.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $965 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Catawba County spend about 38 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 157 hours, about 6.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Catawba County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.9 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.7 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 157 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,873 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.2% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,751 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,140 | 1,609 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
North Carolina:
Macon County (17.2 min), Watauga County (17.2 min), Dare County (17.4 min).
Slowest:
Gates County (35.9 min), Currituck County (33.9 min), Tyrrell County (33.6 min).
The average commute time in Catawba County is 19 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in North Carolina.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Catawba County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Catawba County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.3% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.43 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.5), Wake County (0.4), Durham County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hyde County (0.2), Greene County (0.2), Tyrrell County (0.2).
Health
Catawba County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Catawba County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.9 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.0% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.3% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.8), Wake County (0.8), Watauga County (0.8).
Lowest:
Robeson County (0.8), Lenoir County (0.8), Halifax County (0.8).
Catawba County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Catawba County, NC is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 163,556 residents against a local median of 92,729. Catawba County, NC's commute, at 18.9 min, runs 15% below the 22.2 min typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 6.8 min on commute, so Catawba County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Catawba County, NC has the lowest commute of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catawba County, NC | 163,556 | $67,947 #3/6 | $224,804 #3/6 | 18.9 min #1/6 |
| Lincoln County, NC | 92,729 | $78,296 | $165,739 | 27.9 min |
| Alexander County, NC | 36,412 | $64,655 | $270,833 | 22.2 min |
| Gaston County, NC | 234,809 | $67,093 | $208,491 | 23.8 min |
| Iredell County, NC | 196,543 | $81,685 | $210,260 | 21.1 min |
| Caldwell County, NC | 80,517 | $56,350 | $269,620 | 22.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Catawba County, North Carolina.
What is the population of Catawba County, North Carolina?
About 163,556 people live in Catawba County, North Carolina, in 66,225 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 43.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Catawba County, North Carolina urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Catawba County, North Carolina has 393 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 4.6 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Catawba County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 3.3 times the median household income ($224,804 against $67,947), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $965 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Catawba County, North Carolina?
Unemployment in Catawba County, North Carolina is only 3.7%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Catawba County, North Carolina?
23.3% of adults in Catawba County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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