Mexican Population in Catawba County, NC by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The Mexican population in Catawba County, NC is reported at 10,649 residents, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. Several cities in Catawba County - including Hickory, Newton, Conover, and others - contribute to the Mexican population, but the total county figure of 10,649 indicates additional presence beyond municipal borders. The sections below explores how Mexican residents are distributed in North Carolina and the U.S.

Top 5 cities with the largest Mexican population in Catawba County

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  • 1
    Hickory
    Mexican population in Hickory is 3,512
    8.03% of Hickory population is Mexican
  • 2
    Newton
    Mexican population in Newton is 1,004
    7.59% of Newton population is Mexican
  • 3
    Conover
    Mexican population in Conover is 934
    11.00% of Conover population is Mexican
  • 4
    Long View
    Mexican population in Long View is 595
    11.98% of Long View population is Mexican
  • 5
    Catawba
    Mexican population in Catawba is 24
    3.80% of Catawba population is Mexican

Overview of Mexican population in Catawba County

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data shows Catawba County contains 10,649 Mexican residents (6.6% of 162,051 total county population), ranking the jurisdiction at the 88th percentile nationally among counties and 84th percentile within North Carolina for Mexican demographic concentrations across both absolute and proportional measures.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: Census Bureau's ACS indicate Catawba County's Mexican population of 6.6% exceeds North Carolina's state average of 5.5% while remaining below the national average of 11.3%, placing the county above regional demographic benchmarks while below national concentration levels.
  • Share of Total State Population: Official American Community Survey show Catawba County's 10,649 Mexican residents constitute 1.8% of North Carolina's total Mexican population of 586,611.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey indicate Catawba County's density of 26.5 Mexican Americans per square mile exceeds North Carolina's average of 12.1 per square mile by just over double, establishing the county as a significant concentration center for Mexican demographic communities.
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7 Cities in Catawba County Ranked by Mexican Population

View Methodology
ACS data [1] show Mexican populations distributed across multiple cities in the county, led by Hickory, Newton, Conover, and Long View. The table below provides additional context, including total population, population density, and demographic distributions, based on current ACS data for 7 incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in Catawba County, NC ranked by Mexican population count
Rank by Mexican Population
City
Mexican Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total Catawba County Mexican Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Hickory 3,512 8.03% 32.98%
2 Newton 1,004 7.59% 9.43%
3 Conover 934 11.00% 8.77%
4 Long View 595 11.98% 5.59%
5 Catawba 24 3.80% 0.23%
6 Claremont 17 0.83% 0.16%
7 Maiden 0 - -
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Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks city in Catawba County, NC by their Mexican population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines Mexican population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having Mexican ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as Mexican alone, while others identify as Mexican along with another race (such as Mexican and German).
  • We’ve used the “Mexican alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Mexican population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Mexican alone or in combination in city. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Mexican .
  2. % of Total Catawba County Mexican Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Mexican population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small Mexican populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • City that don’t have any reported Mexican population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where Mexican populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.