Bakersville, North Carolina Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 747, Bakersville's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Bakersville is a small community located in North Carolina, within Mitchell County. The total population is 747. It ranks as the 516th most populous out of 772 Census-designated places in North Carolina.

Age Demographics

The median age in Bakersville is 48.3 years. This is 24% higher than the state median of 39.1 years. Only 14.2% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Bakersville is $50,263. This is 31% lower than the state median of $72,388. It is also 38% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 22.4%. This is 72% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.0%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 25.5%. This is 439% higher than the state rate of 4.7%. The median home value is $231,300. Housing costs are 20% lower than the state median of $288,900. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.6x. 62.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 6% lower than the state average of 66.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

Bakersville has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 94.8% of all residents. Black or African American residents account for 2.3%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (94.8% vs 60.0%). The Black or African American population (2.3%) is well below the state average of 20.0%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.0%) is well below the state average of 11.3%.

Education

11.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 67% lower than the state rate of 35.6%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 86.6%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Bakersville, North Carolina is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against North Carolina state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 772 Census-designated places in North Carolina. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.