Macon County, NC

County

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2023 Population

37,533

1.2% 1-year growth

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

50.1

0.988% 1-year decrease

2023 Poverty Rate

14.4%

6.67% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$53,298

4.42% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$229,000

8.58% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

16,315

3.81% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Macon County, NC had a population of 37.5k people with a median age of 50.1 and a median household income of $53,298. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Macon County, NC grew from 37,088 to 37,533, a 1.2% increase and its median household income grew from $51,042 to $53,298, a 4.42% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Macon County, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (85.7%), Other (Hispanic) (4.74%), White (Hispanic) (2.94%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.24%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (1.81%).

None of the households in Macon County, NC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96.8% of the residents in Macon County, NC are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Macon County, NC was $229,000, and the homeownership rate was 76.3%.

Most people in Macon County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Macon County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Macon County, NC borders Rabun County, GA, Cherokee County, NC, Clay County, NC, Graham County, NC, Jackson County, NC, Swain County, NC, and Oconee County, SC.

United States North Carolina

Population & Diversity

Macon County, NC is home to a population of 37.5k people, from which 96.8% are citizens. As of 2023, 5.7% of Macon County, NC residents were born outside of the country (2.14k people).

In 2023, there were 18.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (32.2k people) in Macon County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.78k Other (Hispanic) and 1.1k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.8%

2023 Citizenship

96.9%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 96.8% of Macon County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Macon County, NC was 96.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Macon County, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Macon County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
32.2k ± 128
Other (Hispanic)
1.78k ± 411
White (Hispanic)
1.1k ± 319

9.68%

Hispanic Population

3.63k people

9.68% of the people in Macon County, NC are hispanic (3.63k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Macon County, NC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
214,508 ± 11,254 people
India
79,868 ± 6,912 people
Honduras
39,759 ± 4,886 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 214,508 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 79,868 and Honduras with 39,759.

Foreign-Born Population

5.7%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

2.14k people

5.14%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

1.91k people

As of 2023, 5.7% of Macon County, NC residents (2.14k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Macon County, NC was 5.14%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Macon County, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,367 ± 233
Gulf War (1990s)
281 ± 160
Gulf War (2001-)
221 ± 106

Macon County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 4.86 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Macon County, NC employs 16.3k people. The largest industries in Macon County, NC are Construction (2,174 people), Retail Trade (1,855 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (1,678 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($80,909), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($60,541), and Transportation & Warehousing ($60,270).

Males in North Carolina have an average income that is 1.31 times higher than the average income of females, which is $57,464. The income inequality in North Carolina (measured using the Gini index) is 0.47, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

16.3k

2023 Value

± 1,098

3.81%

1 Year growth

± 9.15%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Macon County, NC grew at a rate of 3.81%, from 15.7k employees to 16.3k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Macon County, NC, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,973 people), Construction & Extraction Occupations (1,677 people), and Management Occupations (1,591 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Macon County, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

16.3k

2023 Value

± 1,098

3.81%

1 Year growth

± 9.15%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Macon County, NC grew at a rate of 3.81%, from 15.7k employees to 16.3k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Macon County, NC, are Construction (2,174 people), Retail Trade (1,855 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (1,678 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Macon County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Macon County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$41,416

Median earning men ± $1,256

$32,984

Median earning women ± $3,136

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Information ($84,091), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($61,039), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($60,912).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($53,125), Manufacturing ($50,545), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($46,250).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Y-Axis

3.04%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in North Carolina.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

155
Construction
122
Retail Trade
95
Other Services (except Public Administration)

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$69.6k
Retail Trade
$69.6k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$55.3k
Accommodation and Food Services

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Measure

In 2022, 0.944% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.805% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (2.16M), Some college (1.84M), and Bachelors Degree (1.63M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Macon County, NC was $229,000 in 2023, which is 0.755 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $210,900 to $229,000, a 8.58% increase. The homeownership rate in Macon County, NC is 76.3%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Macon County, NC have an average commute time of 22.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Macon County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Macon County, NC is $53,298. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Macon County, NC was Census Tract 9705.02 with a value of $67,574, followed by Census Tract 9705.01 and Census Tract 9706, with respective values of $65,662 and $63,279.

In 2023, 12% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Macon County, NC. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 2.43%.

Housing

Property

$229,000

Median Property Value 2023

±$9,909

$13,811

Median Property Taxes

±$948

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Macon County, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Macon County, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

76.3%

Homeownership

2023

69%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 76.3% of the housing units in Macon County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 73.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Macon County, NC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9705.02
Census Tract 9705.01
Census Tract 9706

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Macon County, NC was Census Tract 9705.02 with a value of $67,574, followed by Census Tract 9705.01 and Census Tract 9706, with respective values of $65,662 and $63,279.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Macon County, NC colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$53,298

Median Household Income

± $3,676

18.1k

Number of Households

± 1,129

In 2023, the median household income of the 18.1k households in Macon County, NC grew to $53,298 from the previous year's value of $51,042.

The following chart displays the households in Macon County, NC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $60k - $75k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Macon County, NC is from North Carolina.

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.47

2021 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2022, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.47 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0732% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in North Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (81.7%)
Carpooled (8.02%)
Worked At Home (6.97%)

In 2023, 81.7% of workers in Macon County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.02%) and those who worked at home (6.97%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

22.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Macon County, NC have a shorter commute time (22.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.22% of the workforce in Macon County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Macon County, NC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Macon County, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Macon County, NC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 12% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Macon County, NC. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 2.43%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

14.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Macon County, NC (5.34k out of 37.1k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 75+, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Macon County, NC is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 21.8% of the children was living in poverty in Macon County, NC. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 12.8%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

85.6% of the population of Macon County, NC has health coverage, with 28.3% on employee plans, 14.9% on Medicaid, 21.6% on Medicare, 17.6% on non-group plans, and 3.22% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Macon County, NC see 1565 patients per year on average, which represents a 3.99% decrease from the previous year (1630 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1878 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 437 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.8% were men and 52.2% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,565 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Macon County, NC

Primary care physicians in Macon County, NC see an average of 1,565 patients per year. This represents a 3.99% decrease from the previous year (1,630 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Macon County, NC in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19% under 18 years, 15.5% between 18 and 34 years, 36.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 28.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.8% were men and 52.2% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

14.4%

Uninsured

28.3%

Employer Coverage

14.9%

Medicaid

21.6%

Medicare

17.6%

Non-Group

3.22%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Macon County, NC declined by 6.94% from 15.5% to 14.4%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Macon County, NC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 41.8 in Macon County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Macon County, NC.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 32.6% in Macon County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Macon County, NC.