Mitchell County, North Carolina

County in NC, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

14,992

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

years ∙ half population younger than 48, half older

Diversity Index

16.8%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

2.4%

foreign-born population

97.6%Native

2.4% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Mitchell County is a county in North Carolina, United States.

Location

County in NC, US

Co-ordinates

DEC36.013102° N, 82.163554° W

DMS36° 00′ 47.17″ N, 82° 09′ 48.79″ W

Population Density & area

67.75/sq mi (26.16/km²)

Total Area

221.9 sq mi (574.6 km²)

Land Area

221.3 sq mi (573 km²) · 99.72%

Water Area

0.6 sq mi (1.6 km²) · 0.28%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

48.9% male

Male 48.9%

Female 51.1%

males per 100 females

Mitchell County 95.7

North Carolina 95.6

United States 98

Nativity

2.4%

foreign-born population

97.6%Native

2.4% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Mitchell County 2.4%

North Carolina 9.1%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

years ∙ half population younger than 48, half older

Mitchell County

North Carolina

39.1

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

77.1

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Mitchell County 77.1

North Carolina 63.8

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Mitchell County	North Carolina	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	17.6%	21.8%	22%
Working age (18-64)	56.4%	61%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	26%	17.2%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	77.1	63.8	64.4
Child dependency ratio	31.2	35.6	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	46	28.2	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

91%

Black

0.9%

Asian

0.5%

Hispanic

5.6%

Other

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

16.8%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Mitchell County 16.8%

North Carolina 58.4%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Mitchell County population

	Mitchell County	North Carolina	United States
Hispanic or Latino	5.6%	11.3%	19.3%
Mexican	3.8%	5.6%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.4%	1.3%	1.8%
Cuban	0.4%	0.3%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	1%	4.1%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	94.4%	88.7%	80.7%
One race	92.8%	84.6%	76.4%
White	91%	60%	57.4%
Black or African American	0.9%	20%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.3%	0.8%	0.5%
Asian	0.5%	3.3%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0.1%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.2%	0.5%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	1.6%	4.1%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

63.4% family

Family 63.4%

Non family 36.6%

% family households

Mitchell County 63.4%

North Carolina 64.3%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.21

persons per household

Mitchell County

2.21

North Carolina

2.44

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Mitchell County population

	Mitchell County	North Carolina	United States
Total households	6,587	4,282,345	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.21	2.44	2.53
Family households	4,176	2,753,022	82,990,528
Average family size	2.77	3.03	3.14
Married couple family	3,285	2,021,951	60,637,388
Other families	891	731,071	22,353,140
Male householder	240	195,051	6,572,819
Female householder	651	536,020	15,780,321
Non-family households	2,411	1,529,323	46,236,968
One-person households	2,155	1,258,822	37,140,836
Male householder	750	544,050	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	391	160,332	5,225,110
Female householder	1,405	714,772	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	834	342,051	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	256	270,501	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

8,697

housing units

Mitchell County 8,697

North Carolina 4,895,668

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

75.7% occupied

Occupied 75.7%

Vacant 24.3%

vacancy rate

Mitchell County 24.3%

North Carolina 12.5%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

77.4%

Single family houses

77.4%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

7.2%

Mobile homes

15.4%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1979

Half of houses were built before 1979, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

9.2%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

30.7%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

42%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

18.3%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Mitchell County	North Carolina	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.3	5.6	5.5
1–3 rooms	11.5%	11.4%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	62.2%	54.9%	51.6%
7+ rooms	26.2%	33.6%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1%	1.9%	2.9%
1 bedroom	7.8%	7.1%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	30.2%	23.8%	25%
3 bedrooms	50.7%	46.2%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	10.2%	21%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1979	1992	1981
Total housing units	8,697	4,895,668	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

76.3% owners

Renter-occupied 23.7%

Owner-occupied 76.3%

homeownership rate

Mitchell County 76.3%

North Carolina 66.6%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.23

Owner-occupied

2.12

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Mitchell County 2.23

North Carolina 2.54

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Mitchell County	North Carolina	United States
Total occupied units	6,587	4,282,345	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	18.7%	26.2%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	32.4%	39.2%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	17%	16.2%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	31.8%	18.5%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	99.3%	97.8%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0.7%	1.5%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0%	0.7%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	8.1%	5.3%	8.4%
1 vehicle	28.4%	31.4%	33.1%
2 vehicles	33%	38%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	30.4%	25.2%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	22.3%	30.5%	51.4%
Electricity	39.5%	65.5%	41.3%
Solar	0.1%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	28.8%	2%	3.9%
All other fuels	9%	1.3%	2%
No fuel used	0.4%	0.7%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.9%	0.3%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.8%	0.6%	0.8%
No telephone service available	1.2%	0.8%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$220,100

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Mitchell County

$220,100

North Carolina

$288,900

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

22.3%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

22.3%

Owners without a mortgage

13.8%

Renters

40.8%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Mitchell County	North Carolina	United States
Property value
Median Value	$220,100	$288,900	$332,700
Under $100,000	11.6%	12.7%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	32.1%	18.9%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	25.1%	20.5%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	22.4%	28.3%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	8.1%	16.3%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	0.7%	3.3%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	41.2%	61.3%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	58.8%	38.7%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,275	$1,631	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$389	$490	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$813	$1,228	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

24.2%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Mitchell County 24.2%

North Carolina 35.7%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

9.3%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Mitchell County 9.3%

North Carolina 9.9%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

2,878

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

K–12

62.9%

College / Undergraduate

27.8%

Graduate / Professional

2.4%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

51.7%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Mitchell County

51.7%

North Carolina

39.3%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Mitchell County	North Carolina	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	2,878	2,530,102	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	7%	5.3%	5.7%
K–12	62.9%	67.4%	67.6%
Kindergarten	3%	4.9%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	19.6%	20%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	21.2%	21%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	19.1%	21.5%	21.7%
College or graduate school	30.2%	27.3%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	27.8%	21.7%	21%
Graduate, professional school	2.4%	5.6%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	51.7%	39.3%	40.9%
School type
Public school	84.1%	82.3%	82%
Private school	15.9%	17.7%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

11,218

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

2.8%

9th-12th, no diploma

6.5%

HS graduate

29.2%

Some college no degree

23.7%

Associates degree

13.7%

Bachelors degree

14.7%

Graduate or professional degree

9.5%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

54.8% · 45.2%

9th-12th, no diploma

65.6% · 34.4%

HS graduate

53.5% · 46.5%

Some college no degree

47.6% · 52.4%

Associates degree

36.4% · 63.6%

Bachelors degree

40.5% · 59.5%

Graduate or professional degree

49.5% · 50.5%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Mitchell County	North Carolina	United States
Population (25+)	11,218	7,380,330	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	2.8%	3.9%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	6.5%	6%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	29.2%	24.8%	26%
Some college, no degree	23.7%	19.6%	19.1%
Associate's degree	13.7%	10.1%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	24.2%	35.7%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	14.7%	22.2%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	9.5%	13.5%	14.1%
High School or higher	90.7%	90.1%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$41,288

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$31,094

HS graduate

$31,966

Some college or associates

$40,613

Bachelors degree

$44,792

Graduate or professional degree

$61,689

Poverty Rate

9.6%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

36.9%

HS graduate

16%

Some college or associates

7.9%

Bachelors degree or higher

9.6%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Mitchell County	North Carolina	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$41,288	$49,275	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$31,094	$31,234	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$31,966	$37,346	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$40,613	$43,525	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$44,792	$64,395	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$61,689	$80,986	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	36.9%	26.6%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	16%	15.2%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	7.9%	10%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	9.6%	4.2%	4.5%

Insights for Mitchell County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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