Swain County, North Carolina Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Swain County is located in North Carolina with a total population of 14,065. It is the 88th most populous county out of 100 in North Carolina. The county encompasses 1 Census-designated place.

Age Demographics

The median age in Swain County is 42.6 years. This is 9% higher than the state median of 39.1 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Swain County is $55,429. This is 21% lower than the state median of $69,904. It is also 29% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 21.1%. This is 60% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.2%. 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 8.3%. This is 72% higher than the state rate of 4.8%. The median home value is $209,800. Housing costs are 19% lower than the state median of $259,400. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.8x. 73.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 10% higher than the state average of 66.4%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Swain County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 60.3% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 5.1%. The Black or African American population (1.5%) is well below the state average of 20.3%. The Hispanic or Latino population (5.1%) is well below the state average of 10.9%. The Asian population (0.4%) is well below the state average of 3.1%.

Education

21.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 39% lower than the state rate of 34.7%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 87.1%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Swain County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), 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.