Scotland County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Scotland 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 90% of counties in North Carolina
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D
Income Well below averageAmong the 3 least wealthy counties in North Carolina
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 72% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Scotland County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,590 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 104.8 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.77% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.2 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,580 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Scotland County declined by 7.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 33,590 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Scotland County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.6% of residents. That is 0.3 points below North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,239 21.6% -0.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,489 19.3% -2.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,633 19.7% -0.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,185 18.4% +1.4 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 50.0% of the people living in Scotland County and men 50.0%.
- Women 50.0% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 50.0% North Carolina 48.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Scotland County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Scotland County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Scotland County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $45,742 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.49% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 10.9% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Scotland County is about 37% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Scotland County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $109,821 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $778 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.8% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Scotland County is about 11.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $778 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Scotland County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 154 hours, about 6.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Scotland County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.5 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.1 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 154 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,786 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.6% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,192 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,017 | 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 Scotland 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
Scotland County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Scotland County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.7% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.49 | 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
Scotland County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Scotland County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.6 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.5% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 25.2% | 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).
Scotland County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Scotland County, NC is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 33,590 residents against a local median of 42,335. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Scotland County, NC an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is commute, 14% below the local median at 18.5 min against 21.4 min. Scotland County, NC has the lowest commute of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland County, NC | 33,590 | $45,742 #3/6 | $109,821 #3/6 | 18.5 min #1/6 |
| Hoke County, NC | 53,784 | $64,852 | $197,321 | 27.6 min |
| Marlboro County, SC | 25,963 | $34,094 | $96,855 | 22.3 min |
| Richmond County, NC | 42,335 | $44,874 | $157,265 | 18.8 min |
| Robeson County, NC | 116,854 | $42,419 | $94,967 | 21.4 min |
| Dillon County, SC | 27,862 | $46,591 | $57,413 | 21.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Scotland County, North Carolina.
What is the population of Scotland County, North Carolina?
About 33,590 people live in Scotland County, North Carolina, in 12,580 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 37.2, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Scotland County, North Carolina?
Averaged over its land area, Scotland County, North Carolina has 105 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Scotland County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 2.4 times the median household income ($109,821 against $45,742), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $778 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Scotland County, North Carolina?
Unemployment in Scotland County, North Carolina is 10.9%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Scotland County, North Carolina?
13.7% of adults in Scotland County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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