Jackson County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Jackson 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 74% of counties in North Carolina
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 72% of counties in North Carolina
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 81% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Jackson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 43,786 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 88.5 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.75% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.7 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 18,443 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Jackson County grew by 20.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 43,786 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Jackson County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 28.2% of residents. That is 6.4 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 12,361 28.2% +6.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,665 17.5% -3.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,226 18.8% -1.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,838 20.2% +3.2 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 50.9% of the people living in Jackson County and men 49.1%.
- Women 50.9% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 49.1% North Carolina 48.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Jackson County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Jackson County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Jackson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,909 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.24% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Jackson County is about 23% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Jackson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $679,186 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $904 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 60.8% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Jackson County is about 62.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $904 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Jackson County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 149 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Jackson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.9 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.7 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 149 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,617 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.8% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,796 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 654 | 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 Jackson County is 18 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
Jackson County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Jackson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.7% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.16 | 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
Jackson County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Jackson County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.3 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.0% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.3% | 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).
Jackson County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Jackson County, NC is the 2nd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 43,786 residents against a local median of 37,947. Where Jackson County, NC breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 153% above the local median of $268,060 at $679,186.
The counties themselves sit within $205,030 of each other on median home price, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Jackson County, NC, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Jackson County, NC has the highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County, NC | 43,786 | $55,909 #4/4 | $679,186 #1/4 | 17.9 min #2/4 |
| Haywood County, NC | 59,366 | $63,952 | $268,060 | 20.7 min |
| Macon County, NC | 37,947 | $59,398 | $173,347 | 17.2 min |
| Transylvania County, NC | 33,685 | $65,479 | $378,378 | 18.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Jackson County, North Carolina.
What is the population of Jackson County, North Carolina?
About 43,786 people live in Jackson County, North Carolina, in 18,443 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 36.7, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Jackson County, North Carolina?
Averaged over its land area, Jackson County, North Carolina has 88 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Jackson County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 12.1 times the median household income ($679,186 against $55,909), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $904 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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