Montgomery County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Montgomery 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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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 71% of counties in North Carolina
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 71% of counties in North Carolina
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 79% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Montgomery County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,004 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 51.9 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.66% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.5 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,643 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Montgomery County declined by 5.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 26,004 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Montgomery County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.9% of residents. That is 1.3 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,052 19.4% -2.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,890 18.8% -2.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,689 21.9% +1.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,275 20.3% +3.3 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 Montgomery 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 Montgomery County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Montgomery County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Montgomery County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,435 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.32% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Montgomery County is about 22% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Montgomery County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $172,580 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $766 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.0% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Montgomery County is about 18.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $766 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Montgomery County spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 189 hours, about 7.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Montgomery County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.7 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.3 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 189 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,856 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.9% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,255 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 535 | 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 Montgomery County is 23 minutes, longer 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
Montgomery County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Montgomery County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.7% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.38 | 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
Montgomery County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Montgomery County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.1 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.2% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.5% | 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).
Montgomery County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Montgomery County, NC is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 26,004 residents against a local median of 64,639. Montgomery County, NC's median home price, at $172,580, runs 19% below the $212,004 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $173,760 on median home price, so Montgomery County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Montgomery County, NC has the 4th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County, NC | 26,004 | $56,435 #4/6 | $172,580 #4/6 | 22.7 min #3/6 |
| Stanly County, NC | 64,639 | $60,751 | $296,127 | 22.9 min |
| Richmond County, NC | 42,335 | $44,874 | $157,265 | 18.8 min |
| Randolph County, NC | 146,354 | $60,953 | $212,004 | 21.8 min |
| Anson County, NC | 22,289 | $48,739 | $122,368 | 27.2 min |
| Moore County, NC | 104,876 | $84,708 | $265,450 | 22.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Montgomery County, North Carolina.
How many people live in Montgomery County, North Carolina?
About 26,004 people live in Montgomery County, North Carolina, in 10,643 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 41.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Montgomery County, North Carolina urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Montgomery County, North Carolina has 52 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 60% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Montgomery County, North Carolina an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.1 times the median household income ($172,580 against $56,435), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $766 a month takes about 16% 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 Montgomery County, North Carolina?
Unemployment in Montgomery County, North Carolina is only 2.8%, 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 Montgomery County, North Carolina?
18.7% of adults in Montgomery County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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