Mitchell County vs Swain County
A side-by-side comparison of Mitchell County and Swain County: population, income, housing, and more.
Mitchell County and Swain County are counties in North Carolina. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Mitchell County has the higher population (14,973 vs 14,065 in Swain County). Mitchell County has the higher median household income ($58,089 vs $55,429 in Swain County). Swain County has the higher median home value ($209,800 vs $202,100 in Mitchell County).
Population, income & housing
| Mitchell County | Swain County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,973 | 14,065 |
| Median age | 48.0 yrs | 42.6 yrs |
| Median household income | $58,089 | $55,429 |
| Median home value | $202,100 | $209,800 |
| Median gross rent | $744 | $715 |
| Housing units | 8,673 | 8,529 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.6% | 73.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.1% | 21.3% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.5% | 8.3% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Mitchell County | Swain County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,004 → 14,973 (-0.2%) | 14,260 → 14,065 (-1.4%) |
| Median household income | $46,103 → $58,089 (+26.0%) | $39,317 → $55,429 (+41.0%) |
| Median home value | $157,400 → $202,100 (+28.4%) | $139,100 → $209,800 (+50.8%) |
| Median gross rent | $611 → $744 (+21.8%) | $642 → $715 (+11.4%) |
Mitchell County
15,00414,973
$46,103$58,089
$157,400$202,100
$611$744
Swain County
14,26014,065
$39,317$55,429
$139,100$209,800
$642$715
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Mitchell County | Swain County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 4.5% | 4.9% |
| 5 to 17 | 13.4% | 17.2% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.5% | 8.7% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.1% | 11.3% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.2% | 11.7% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.5% | 13.0% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.3% | 13.5% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.7% | 11.4% |
| 75 and over | 10.8% | 8.3% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Mitchell County | Swain County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 91.5% | 60.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.8% | 1.5% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.3% | 28.2% |
| Asian | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.2% | 0.0% |
| Two or more races | 1.5% | 4.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5.3% | 5.1% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Mitchell County | Swain County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 10.3% | 12.9% |
| High school graduate | 29.7% | 35.2% |
| Some college or associate's | 36.9% | 30.7% |
| Bachelor's degree | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 9.6% | 9.0% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Mitchell County | Swain County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 80.9% | 81.6% |
| Carpooled | 9.1% | 8.6% |
| Public transit | 0.1% | 1.3% |
| Walked | 1.9% | 1.2% |
| Bicycle | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Worked from home | 6.9% | 5.4% |
| Other means | 1.1% | 1.9% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Mitchell County | Swain County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 75.7% | 67.1% |
| 1-unit, attached | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| 2 to 4 units | 4.0% | 3.6% |
| 5 to 19 units | 1.9% | 2.0% |
| 20 or more units | 1.4% | 0.2% |
| Mobile home & other | 16.3% | 26.2% |
Poverty & households
| Mitchell County | Swain County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 13.0% | 21.1% |
| Average household size | 2.27 | 2.35 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 24 | 21 |
| Median year structure built | 1978 | 1989 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
21- Largest by population — counties in North Carolina
- Most densely populated — counties in North Carolina
- Highest median household income — counties in North Carolina
- Highest median home value — counties in North Carolina
- Most affordable home values — counties in North Carolina
- Highest median gross rent — counties in North Carolina
- Cheapest median gross rent — counties in North Carolina
- Oldest by median age — counties in North Carolina
- Youngest by median age — counties in North Carolina
- Most college-educated — counties in North Carolina
- Highest poverty rate — counties in North Carolina
- Lowest poverty rate — counties in North Carolina
- Highest homeownership rate — counties in North Carolina
- Lowest homeownership rate — counties in North Carolina
- Longest commutes — counties in North Carolina
- Shortest commutes — counties in North Carolina
- Largest households — counties in North Carolina
- Newest housing — counties in North Carolina
- Oldest housing — counties in North Carolina
- Fastest-growing (2019–2023) — counties in North Carolina
- Fastest-shrinking (2019–2023) — counties in North Carolina