Montgomery County, North Carolina Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Montgomery County is located in North Carolina with a total population of 26,007. It is the 74th most populous county out of 100 in North Carolina. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Montgomery County is 44.0 years. This is 13% higher than the state median of 39.1 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Montgomery County is $57,766. This is 20% lower than the state median of $72,388. It is also 28% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 15.4%. This is 18% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.0%. The unemployment rate is 2.9%. This is 40% lower than the state rate of 4.7%. The median home value is $161,700. Housing costs are 44% lower than the state median of $288,900. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.8x, Montgomery County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 75.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 13% higher than the state average of 66.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Montgomery County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 62.7% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 16.0%. The Asian population (1.5%) is well below the state average of 3.3%.

Education

19.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 46% 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 83.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Montgomery County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against North Carolina and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.