Iredell County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Iredell 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 averageHealthier than 83% of counties in North Carolina
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 91% of counties in North Carolina
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 76% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Iredell County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 196,543 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 329.3 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 2.01% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.6 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 76,283 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Iredell County grew by 30.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 196,543 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Iredell County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.1% of residents. That is 2.6 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 39,295 20.0% -1.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 40,445 20.6% -0.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 45,468 23.1% +2.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 32,665 16.6% -0.4 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 51.0% of the people living in Iredell County and men 49.0%.
- Women 51.0% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 49.0% North Carolina 48.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Iredell County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Iredell County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Iredell County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $81,685 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.28% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Iredell County is about 13% higher than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Iredell County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $210,260 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,252 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.9% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Iredell County is about 14.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,252 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Iredell County spend about 42 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 176 hours, about 7.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Iredell County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.1 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.2 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 176 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,445 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 14.6% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,521 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,032 | 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 Iredell County is 21 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
Iredell County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Iredell County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.4% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.55 | 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
Iredell County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Iredell County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.0 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.6% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.9% | 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).
Iredell County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Iredell County, NC is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 196,543 residents against a local median of 44,122. The measure that sets Iredell County, NC apart most is median household income: $81,685, 24% above the local median of $65,782. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $210,260 against a local median of $250,144, 16% below it. The counties themselves spread $12,514 on median household income, so Iredell County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Iredell County, NC has the highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iredell County, NC | 196,543 | $81,685 #1/6 | $210,260 #5/6 | 21.1 min #2/6 |
| Alexander County, NC | 36,412 | $64,655 | $270,833 | 22.2 min |
| Davie County, NC | 44,122 | $75,112 | $352,469 | 25.1 min |
| Catawba County, NC | 163,556 | $67,947 | $224,804 | 18.9 min |
| Rowan County, NC | 149,851 | $65,782 | $250,144 | 22.2 min |
| Yadkin County, NC | 37,554 | $62,598 | $199,183 | 25.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Iredell County, North Carolina.
How many people live in Iredell County, North Carolina?
About 196,543 people live in Iredell County, North Carolina, in 76,283 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 41.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Iredell County, North Carolina?
Averaged over its land area, Iredell County, North Carolina has 329 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 3.8 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Iredell County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 2.6 times the median household income ($210,260 against $81,685), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,252 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Iredell County, North Carolina?
Unemployment in Iredell County, North Carolina is only 4.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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