Swain County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Swain 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 94% of counties in North Carolina
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 74% of counties in North Carolina
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Swain County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,014 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 25.9 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.29% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.8 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,956 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Swain County grew by 4.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 14,014 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Swain County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.6% of residents. That is about the same share as North Carolina.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,769 19.8% -2.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,719 19.4% -2.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,893 20.6% on par
- Boomers 61–79 2,785 19.9% +2.9 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 51.9% of the people living in Swain County and men 48.1%.
- Women 51.9% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 48.1% North Carolina 48.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Swain County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Swain County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Swain County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,019 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.49% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.6% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Swain County is about 24% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Swain County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $9,346 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $741 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.7% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Swain County is about 1.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $741 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Swain County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 146 hours, about 6.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Swain County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.5 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.1 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 146 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,533 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.0% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,167 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 599 | 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 Swain 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
Swain County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Swain County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.0% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.27 | 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
Swain County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Swain County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.5 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.9% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.8% | 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).
Swain County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Swain County, NC is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 14,014 residents against a local median of 71,719. Where Swain County, NC breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 97% below the local median of $349,349 at $9,346.
The counties themselves spread $505,839 on median home price, so Swain County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Swain County, NC has the 5th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swain County, NC | 14,014 | $55,019 #5/5 | $9,346 #5/5 | 17.5 min #2/5 |
| Sevier County, TN | 99,652 | $62,889 | $363,698 | 23.9 min |
| Macon County, NC | 37,947 | $59,398 | $173,347 | 17.2 min |
| Jackson County, NC | 43,786 | $55,909 | $679,186 | 17.9 min |
| Blount County, TN | 139,333 | $78,165 | $334,999 | 22.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Swain County, North Carolina.
What is the population of Swain County, North Carolina?
About 14,014 people live in Swain County, North Carolina, in 5,956 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 43.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 7 years.
How densely populated is Swain County, North Carolina?
Averaged over its land area, Swain County, North Carolina has 26 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 30% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Swain County, North Carolina an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.2 times the median household income ($9,346 against $55,019), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $741 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Swain County, North Carolina?
Unemployment in Swain County, North Carolina is 7.6%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Swain County, North Carolina?
19.0% of adults in Swain 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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