Spruce Pine, NC

Town in Mitchell County, NC, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

2,398

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

Median Age

48.6

years ∙ half population younger than 48.6, half older

Diversity Index

29.9%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

8.1%

foreign-born population

91.9%Native

8.1% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Spruce Pine is a town within Mitchell County, North Carolina, United States.

Location

Town in Mitchell County, NC, US

Co-ordinates

DEC35.913964° N, 82.069702° W

DMS35° 54′ 50.27″ N, 82° 04′ 10.93″ W

Population Density & area

590.6/sq mi (227.9/km²)

Total Area

4.06 sq mi (10.52 km²)

Land Area

4.06 sq mi (10.52 km²) · 100%

Water Area

0 sq mi (0 km²) · 0%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

49.3% male

Male 49.3%

Female 50.7%

males per 100 females

Spruce Pine 97.4

Mitchell County 95.7

North Carolina 95.6

Nativity

8.1%

foreign-born population

91.9%Native

8.1% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Spruce Pine 8.1%

Mitchell County 2.4%

North Carolina 9.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

48.6

years ∙ half population younger than 48.6, half older

Spruce Pine

48.6

Mitchell County

North Carolina

39.1

Dependency ratio

58.1

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Spruce Pine 58.1

Mitchell County 77.1

North Carolina 63.8

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Spruce Pine	Mitchell County	North Carolina
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	15.1%	17.6%	21.8%
Working age (18-64)	63.2%	56.4%	61%
Senior (65+)	21.7%	26%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	58.1	77.1	63.8
Child dependency ratio	23.8	31.2	35.6
Old-age dependency ratio	34.3	46	28.2

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

82.8%

Black

0.8%

Asian

0.3%

Hispanic

11.9%

Other

4.2%

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

29.9%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Spruce Pine 29.9%

Mitchell County 16.8%

North Carolina 58.4%

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 Spruce Pine population

Racial and ethnic composition — Spruce Pine vs Mitchell County vs North Carolina. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
	Spruce Pine	Mitchell County	North Carolina
Hispanic or Latino	11.9%	5.6%	11.3%
Mexican	8.5%	3.8%	5.6%
Puerto Rican	0%	0.4%	1.3%
Cuban	0%	0.4%	0.3%
Other Hispanic / Latino	3.4%	1%	4.1%
Not Hispanic or Latino	88.1%	94.4%	88.7%
One race	84.4%	92.8%	84.6%
White	82.8%	91%	60%
Black or African American	0.8%	0.9%	20%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.5%	0.3%	0.8%
Asian	0.3%	0.5%	3.3%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.1%
Some Other Race	0%	0.2%	0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	3.7%	1.6%	4.1%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

53.8% family

Family 53.8%

Non family 46.2%

% family households

Spruce Pine 53.8%

Mitchell County 63.4%

North Carolina 64.3%

Average household size

2.09

persons per household

Spruce Pine

2.09

Mitchell County

2.21

North Carolina

2.44

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Spruce Pine population

	Spruce Pine	Mitchell County	North Carolina
Total households	1,111	6,587	4,282,345
Average houshold size	2.09	2.21	2.44
Family households	598	4,176	2,753,022
Average family size	2.94	2.77	3.03
Married couple family	445	3,285	2,021,951
Other families	153	891	731,071
Male householder	42	240	195,051
Female householder	111	651	536,020
Non-family households	513	2,411	1,529,323
One-person households	496	2,155	1,258,822
Male householder	141	750	544,050
Senior (65+) living alone	58	391	160,332
Female householder	355	1,405	714,772
Senior (65+) living alone	95	834	342,051
Other living arrangements	17	256	270,501

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

1,228

housing units

Spruce Pine 1,228

Mitchell County 8,697

North Carolina 4,895,668

Occupancy status

90.5% occupied

Occupied 90.5%

Vacant 9.5%

vacancy rate

Spruce Pine 9.5%

Mitchell County 24.3%

North Carolina 12.5%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

68.3%

Single family houses

68.3%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

25.4%

Mobile homes

6.4%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1970

Half of houses were built before 1970, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

7.6%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

45.2%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

42.2%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

5.1%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Spruce Pine	Mitchell County	North Carolina
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.2	5.3	5.6
1–3 rooms	13.1%	11.5%	11.4%
4–6 rooms	62.5%	62.2%	54.9%
7+ rooms	24.3%	26.2%	33.6%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	0%	1%	1.9%
1 bedroom	12.4%	7.8%	7.1%
2 bedrooms	36.9%	30.2%	23.8%
3 bedrooms	42.9%	50.7%	46.2%
4+ bedrooms	7.8%	10.2%	21%
At a glance
Median year built	1970	1979	1992
Total housing units	1,228	8,697	4,895,668

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

64.4% owners

Renter-occupied 35.6%

Owner-occupied 64.4%

homeownership rate

Spruce Pine 64.4%

Mitchell County 76.3%

North Carolina 66.6%

Average household size

2.09

Owner-occupied

2.09

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Spruce Pine 2.09

Mitchell County 2.23

North Carolina 2.54

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Spruce Pine	Mitchell County	North Carolina
Total occupied units	1,111	6,587	4,282,345
Year moved in
2020 or later	24.1%	18.7%	26.2%
2010 to 2019	40.5%	32.4%	39.2%
2000 to 2009	11.7%	17%	16.2%
1999 or earlier	23.8%	31.8%	18.5%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.2%	99.3%	97.8%
1.01 to 1.50	1.8%	0.7%	1.5%
1.51 or more	0%	0%	0.7%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	9.5%	8.1%	5.3%
1 vehicle	40.9%	28.4%	31.4%
2 vehicles	26.1%	33%	38%
3 or more vehicles	23.6%	30.4%	25.2%
House heating fuel used
Gas	19.1%	22.3%	30.5%
Electricity	56.3%	39.5%	65.5%
Solar	0%	0.1%	0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	20.3%	28.8%	2%
All other fuels	3.5%	9%	1.3%
No fuel used	0.9%	0.4%	0.7%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	1.4%	0.9%	0.3%
Lacking complete kitchen	1.4%	0.8%	0.6%
No telephone service available	0.6%	1.2%	0.8%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$207,500

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Spruce Pine

$207,500

Mitchell County

$220,100

North Carolina

$288,900

Housing Cost Burden

24.1%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

24.1%

Owners without a mortgage

14.9%

Renters

46.7%

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

	Spruce Pine	Mitchell County	North Carolina
Property value
Median Value	$207,500	$220,100	$288,900
Under $100,000	11.6%	11.6%	12.7%
$100,000 - $200,000	35.4%	32.1%	18.9%
$200,000 - $300,000	24.8%	25.1%	20.5%
$300,000 - $500,000	23.5%	22.4%	28.3%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	3.5%	8.1%	16.3%
$1,000,000 and more	1.3%	0.7%	3.3%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	41.7%	41.2%	61.3%
Without a mortgage	58.3%	58.8%	38.7%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,402	$1,275	$1,631
Without a mortgage	$394	$389	$490
Gross rent
Median rent	$837	$813	$1,228

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

24.4%

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

Spruce Pine 24.4%

Mitchell County 24.2%

North Carolina 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

19%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Spruce Pine 19%

Mitchell County 9.3%

North Carolina 9.9%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

428

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

10.3%

K–12

62.4%

College / Undergraduate

18%

Graduate / Professional

9.3%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

17.4%

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

Spruce Pine

17.4%

Mitchell County

51.7%

North Carolina

39.3%

Enrollment & school type

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

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Spruce Pine	Mitchell County	North Carolina
Total enrolled (age 3+)	428	2,878	2,530,102
Nursery / preschool	10.3%	7%	5.3%
K–12	62.4%	62.9%	67.4%
Kindergarten	6.8%	3%	4.9%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	23.1%	19.6%	20%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	11%	21.2%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	21.5%	19.1%	21.5%
College or graduate school	27.3%	30.2%	27.3%
College, undergraduate	18%	27.8%	21.7%
Graduate, professional school	9.3%	2.4%	5.6%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	17.4%	51.7%	39.3%
School type
Public school	79%	84.1%	82.3%
Private school	21%	15.9%	17.7%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

1,801

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

5.6%

9th-12th, no diploma

13.4%

HS graduate

23.4%

Some college no degree

23.9%

Associates degree

9.3%

Bachelors degree

12.8%

Graduate or professional degree

11.6%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

51.5% · 48.5%

9th-12th, no diploma

71.4% · 28.6%

HS graduate

46.3% · 53.7%

Some college no degree

44.1% · 55.9%

Associates degree

24.4% · 75.6%

Bachelors degree

32.2% · 67.8%

Graduate or professional degree

39.7% · 60.3%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Spruce Pine	Mitchell County	North Carolina
Population (25+)	1,801	11,218	7,380,330
Less than 9th grade	5.6%	2.8%	3.9%
9th–12th, no diploma	13.4%	6.5%	6%
High school diploma or GED	23.4%	29.2%	24.8%
Some college, no degree	23.9%	23.7%	19.6%
Associate's degree	9.3%	13.7%	10.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher	24.4%	24.2%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	12.8%	14.7%	22.2%
Graduate or professional	11.6%	9.5%	13.5%
High School or higher	81%	90.7%	90.1%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$32,326

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$32,212

HS graduate

$18,306

Some college or associates

$31,389

Bachelors degree

$53,403

Graduate or professional degree

$29,406

Poverty Rate

11.4%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

25.2%

HS graduate

20.7%

Some college or associates

19.7%

Bachelors degree or higher

11.4%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Spruce Pine	Mitchell County	North Carolina
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$32,326	$41,288	$49,275
Less than high school graduate	$32,212	$31,094	$31,234
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$18,306	$31,966	$37,346
Some college or associate's degree	$31,389	$40,613	$43,525
Bachelor's degree	$53,403	$44,792	$64,395
Graduate or professional degree	$29,406	$61,689	$80,986
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	25.2%	36.9%	26.6%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	20.7%	16%	15.2%
Some college or associate's degree	19.7%	7.9%	10%
Bachelor's degree or higher	11.4%	9.6%	4.2%

Insights for Spruce Pine, 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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