Macon County, North Carolina Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Macon County, North Carolina, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Macon County, North Carolina. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Macon County, North Carolina. The estimated population of Macon County, North Carolina is 36,532 people, with a median age of 50.1.

We can look at the total population in Macon County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
36,532
+3.87%
+6.94%
2020
35,172
+1.03%
-
2019
34,813
+1.17%
-
2018
34,410
+0.73%
-
2017
34,160
 - -

Population of Macon County, North Carolina by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
88.4%
89.5%
 -1.23%
Black/African American
1.3%
1.3%
 0.00%
Native
0.4%
0.6%
 -33.33%
Hispanic
7.5%
6.8%
 +10.29%
Asian
0.6%
0.8%
 -25.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
1.6%
0.9%
 +77.78%
Other
0.2%
0.1%
 +100.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Macon County, North Carolina by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 50.1 -0.6% 48 -0.62% 52.5 +0.38%
2020 50.4 +0.6% 48.3 +1.9% 52.3 +0.77%
2019 50.1 +0.6% 47.4 +0.85% 51.9 +0.19%
2018 49.8 +1.01% 47 +1.08% 51.8 +1.77%
2017 49.3 - 46.5 - 50.9 -

The median age of Macon County, North Carolina gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 1,746 +6.47% 1,535 -8.67% 1,843 1,397
10 to 19 1,884 +8.88% 1,770 +11.2% 2,054 1,972
20 to 29 1,653 +4.42% 1,688 +0.56% 1,725 1,695
30 to 39 1,877 -7.66% 1,943 -6.54% 1,724 1,814
40 to 49 1,642 +22.71% 1,589 +22.98% 2,034 1,975
50 to 59 2,167 +19.37% 2,560 +5.11% 2,607 2,689
60 to 69 2,448 +10.54% 2,967 +10.45% 2,712 3,288
70+ 3,050 +4.96% 3,641 +4.33% 3,203 3,800

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Macon County, North Carolina is $48,169.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Macon County.

  • Under 25
    $34,123.00
  • 25 to 44
    $61,760.00
  • 45 to 64
    $49,882.00
  • 65 and over
    $42,239.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Macon County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Macon County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Macon County, North Carolina is currently $66,284.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

3.78% of households in Macon County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Macon County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    27.15%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    23.94%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    19.21%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    11.54%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    10.86%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    3.52%
  • $200,000 or more
    3.78%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Macon County is $30,526.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Macon County by the total population of Macon County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Macon County, North Carolina, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Macon County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    11.72%
  • Bachelor's degree
    28.54%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    10.97%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    46.83%
  • Less than high school diploma
    1.94%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Macon County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Macon County over the age of 16 is 30,788.

Of those people, a total of 51.60% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Macon County is 49.40%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 1,522 46.80% 7.60%
20 to 24 years 1,780 71.50% 7.50%
25 to 29 years 1,640 87.50% 4.30%
30 to 34 years 1,899 83.70% 6.50%
35 to 44 years 3,698 77.20% 4.40%
45 to 54 years 4,191 76.60% 2.00%
55 to 59 years 3,055 63.00% 2.80%
60 to 64 years 2,678 42.90% 1.00%
65 to 74 years 6,115 23.30% 5.90%
75 years and over 4,210 7.50% 4.80%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Macon County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 28,627 51.20% 3.50%
Black or African American 508 71.70% 3.30%
American Indian and Alaska Native 125 96.00% 51.70%
Asian 223 58.70% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 574 59.10% 2.40%
Two or more races 731 39.90% 24.30%
Hispanic or Latino 1,583 68.20% 10.20%
Not Hispanic or Latino 27,776 50.50% 3.50%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Macon County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Macon County is 15,221, with median earnings of $33,277.00.

Women in Macon County, North Carolina earning approximately 76.40% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 15,221 $33,277.00
Male 8,422 $37,580.00
Female 6,799 $28,708.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 1,684 $56,139.00
Business and Financial 299 $75,230.00
Computer and Mathematical 292 $80,714.00
Architecture and Engineering 153 $66,192.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 83 $44,471.00
Community and Social Service 413 $32,513.00
Legal 100 $39,063.00
Educational and Library 742 $24,348.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 233 $26,094.00
Healthcare Practitioners 967 $57,484.00
Healthcare Support 626 $30,387.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 308 $26,167.00
Law Enforcement 75 $40,662.00
Food Preparation and Serving 1,185 $18,666.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 1,119 $23,488.00
Personal Care and Service 387 $19,107.00
Sales 1,309 $28,475.00
Office and Administrative Support 1,820 $33,042.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 80 $7,024.00
Construction and Extraction 1,206 $35,990.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 614 $46,418.00
Production 543 $39,196.00
Transportation and Material Moving 478 $36,250.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 1,200 $62,926.00 484 $36,389.00
Business and Financial 176 $76,750.00 123 $55,750.00
Computer and Mathematical 230 $80,714.00 62 $66,250.00
Architecture and Engineering 130 $65,523.00 23 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 39 $43,702.00 44 $51,538.00
Community and Social Service 211 $18,250.00 202 $33,030.00
Legal 47 $38,516.00 53 $61,750.00
Educational and Library 189 $45,487.00 553 $23,931.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 101 $22,386.00 132 $26,500.00
Healthcare Practitioners 127 $65,156.00 840 $57,308.00
Healthcare Support 57 $52,798.00 569 $30,282.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 256 $26,084.00 52 $26,694.00
Law Enforcement 75 $40,662.00 0 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 515 $19,096.00 670 $18,148.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 907 $25,824.00 212 $12,632.00
Personal Care and Service 145 $25,529.00 242 $12,378.00
Sales 660 $29,821.00 649 $21,161.00
Office and Administrative Support 284 $35,205.00 1,536 $31,739.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 53 $5,417.00 27 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 1,189 $36,200.00 17 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 603 $46,623.00 11 $0.00
Production 419 $40,141.00 124 $28,991.00
Transportation and Material Moving 372 $45,338.00 106 $15,726.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 17,161 households in Macon County, with an average household size of 2.11 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 10,552 families in Macon County with an average family size of 2.65 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 8,485 610 1,457 6,609
Average Household Size 2.68 2.54 3 1.15
Total Families 8,485 610 1,457 0
Average Household Size 2.67 2.32 2.7 0

Poverty

Of the 10,552 families in Macon County, 11.20% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Macon County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 26,767 housing units in Macon County, North Carolina.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 17,161 64.11%
Vacant 9,606 35.89%

14.59% of the total 26,767 housing units in Macon County are rental units. This is approximately 3,905 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 12,500 are occupied by the owner - or 46.70% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Macon County is $771.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Macon County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    756
  • Less than $500
    473
  • $500 to $999
    2,693
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    583
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    54
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    102
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in Macon County is $176,900.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Macon County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    845
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    1,507
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    2,530
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    2,238
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    2,480
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    1,752
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    833
  • $1,000,000 or more
    315

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Macon County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Macon County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    1,139
  • 1940 to 1949
    977
  • 1950 to 1959
    1,890
  • 1960 to 1969
    2,172
  • 1970 to 1979
    4,794
  • 1980 to 1989
    5,352
  • 1990 to 1999
    4,876
  • 2000 to 2009
    4,626
  • 2010 to 2013
    929
  • 2014 or later
    12

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Macon County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    1,127
  • 1 vehicle available
    5,404
  • 2 vehicles available
    6,195
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    4,435

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Macon County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Macon County that commute to work in a particular way.

21.7 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Macon County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    794
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    2,057
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    2,809
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    2,580
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    1,572
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    469
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    1,365
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    171
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    502
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    1,194
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    410
  • 90 or more minutes
    318

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Macon County, North Carolina in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Macon County, North Carolina

We have data for 11 places in Macon County, North Carolina. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.