Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC

Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA)

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2024 Population

132,612

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

44.7

0.224% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

15.3%

7.7% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$58,103

4.46% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$179,900

5.95% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

56,914

1.76% 1-year growth

About

8.61% of the households in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, 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.

97.6% of the residents in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC are Western Piedmont Community College (565 degrees awarded in 2024) and McDowell Technical Community College (428 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC was $179,900, and the homeownership rate was 74.9%.

Most people in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC was 2 cars per household.

Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC borders Boone High Country--Watauga, Ashe, Yancey, Avery & Mitchell Counties PUMA, NC, Caldwell & Alexander Counties PUMA, NC, Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC, Buncombe County (Northwest) PUMA, NC, Rutherford, Cleveland (West) & Polk Counties--Shelby City PUMA, NC, Lincoln & Cleveland (East) Counties PUMA, NC, and Catawba County--Hickory City PUMA, NC.

United States North Carolina

Population & Diversity

Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC is home to a population of 133k people, from which 97.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 4.6% of Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC residents were born outside of the country (6.1k people).

In 2024, there were 15.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (108k people) in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 7.04k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 4.65k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary language in households in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC are Spanish (7,236 households), Hmong (1,654 households), and Other & Unspecified Languages (370 households).

Population & Diversity

Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY

66,332

Women

50%

66,310

Men

50%

The resident population of United States in 2024 was 132,642 inhabitants, with 50% men, and 50% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC.

With the upper buttons you can add a filter by race.

Citizenship

97.6%

2024 Citizenship

97.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.6% of Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC was 97.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
108k ± 200
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
7.04k ± 331
Other (Hispanic)
4.65k ± 862

8.01%

Hispanic Population

10.6k people

8.01% of the people in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC are hispanic (10.6k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Guatemala
1,558 ± 963 people
Mexico
1,440 ± 927 people
Laos
720 ± 657 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC was Guatemala, the natal country of 1,558 Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC residents, followed by Mexico with 1,440 and Laos with 720.

Foreign-Born Population

4.6%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

6.1k people

2023 Foreign-Born Population

6.62k people

As of 2024, 4.6% of Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC residents (6.1k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC was 5%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
7,236 households (5.73%)
Hmong
1,654 households (1.31%)
Other & Unspecified Languages
370 households (0.293%)

8.61% of the households in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is lower than the national average of 22.3%. 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.

In 2024, the most common non-English language spoken in households in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC was Spanish. 5.73% of the households in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,942 ± 392
Gulf War (2001-)
1,390 ± 309
Gulf War (1990s)
687 ± 164

Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.12 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC.

Health

88.8% of the population of Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC has health coverage, with 39.1% on employee plans, 18% on Medicaid, 16.2% on Medicare, 13.6% on non-group plans, and 1.86% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see 1,413 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,413 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1634 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 299 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.4% were men and 50.6% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

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

1,413 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in North Carolina

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see an average of 1,413 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,413 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20% under 18 years, 18.4% between 18 and 34 years, 40.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.4% were men and 50.6% were women.

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

Uninsured People

11.2%

Uninsured

39.1%

Employer Coverage

18%

Medicaid

16.2%

Medicare

13.6%

Non-Group

1.86%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC declined by 3.08% from 11.5% to 11.2%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Economy

The economy of Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC employs 56.9k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC were Construction (3,331 people), Elementary & secondary schools (3,306 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (2,941 people), and the highest paying industries were Veterinary services ($173,873), Machinery, equipment, & supplies merchant wholesalers ($113,260), and Banking & related activities ($101,181).

Males in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC have an average income that is 1.19 times higher than the average income of females, which is $49,779. The income inequality in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC (measured using the Gini index) is 0.4, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

26,800

Women

47.1%

30,114

Men

52.9%

The workforce of Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC in 2024 was 56,914 people, with 47.1% woman, and 52.9% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC.

With the upper buttons you can see the distribution of the average salary and add a filter by race.

Occupations

56.9k

2024 Value

1.76%

1 Year growth

± 1.76%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC grew at a rate of 1.76%, from 55.9k employees to 56.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC, are Miscellaneous production workers, including semiconductor processors (2,107 people), Registered nurses (1,720 people), and Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (1,674 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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.

Industries

Employment by Industries

56.9k

2024 Value

1.76%

1 Year growth

± 1.76%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC grew at a rate of 1.76%, from 55.9k employees to 56.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC, are Construction (3,331 people), Elementary & secondary schools (3,306 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (2,941 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC, though some of these residents may live in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$43,087

Median earning men ± $1,883

$36,087

Median earning women ± $1,272

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($75,380), Wholesale Trade ($54,144), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($52,841).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($43,217), Wholesale Trade ($43,117), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($42,204).

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.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in North Carolina went to Donald J. Trump with 50.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (47.6%), followed by Other (0.675%).

Thom Tillis and Ted Budd are the senators currently representing the state of North Carolina. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

North Carolina is currently represented by 14 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC. Showing the available data for North Carolina.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (50.9%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (47.6%)
Democratic Party
Other (0.675%)
Other Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in North Carolina went to Donald J. Trump with 50.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (47.6%), followed by Other (0.675%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in North Carolina for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from North Carolina

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Thom Tillis

Senator from North Carolina

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Ted Budd

Senator from North Carolina

Assumed office on January 3, 2023

Thom Tillis and Ted Budd are the senators currently representing North Carolina.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in North Carolina over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2024, universities in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC awarded 993 degrees. The student population of Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 1,182 male students and 1,880 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC are White (739 and 74.7%), Hispanic or Latino (120 and 12.1%), Asian (57 and 5.76%), and Black or African American (44 and 4.45%).

The largest universities in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC by number of degrees awarded are Western Piedmont Community College (565 and 56.9%) and McDowell Technical Community College (428 and 43.1%).

The most popular majors in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (280 and 28.2%), Accounting & Finance (65 and 6.55%), and Early Childhood Education & Teaching (59 and 5.94%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 3,062 students enrolled in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC, 38.6% men and 61.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,227 records, of which 62.6% were women and 37.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
280 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
48 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
29 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 280 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Western Piedmont Community College
565 degrees awarded
McDowell Technical Community College
428 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Western Piedmont Community College with 565 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 390 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC, which is 0.647 times less than the 603 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 739 degrees mean that there were 6.16 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 120 degrees awarded.

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.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($2,128) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($213) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,350) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Measure

In 2024, 1.92% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.57% of women were in the same situation.

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

Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC in 2024 were High School or Equivalent (37.3k), Some college (21.7k), and Secondary Education (17.4k).

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 Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC was $179,900 in 2024, which is 0.541 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $169,800 to $179,900, a 5.95% increase. The homeownership rate in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC is 74.9%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC have an average commute time of 23.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$179,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$9,812

$41,142

Median Property Taxes

±$1,527

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 Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

74.9%

Homeownership

2024

67.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 74.9% of the housing units in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 74.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

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

$58,103

Median Household Income

± $2,652

54.9k

Number of Households

± 1,797

In 2024, the median household income of the 54.9k households in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC grew to $58,103 from the previous year's value of $55,623.

The following chart displays the households in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, 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 $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

0.4

2024 Wage GINI in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC

0.402

2023 Wage GINI in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC

In 2024, the income inequality in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC was 0.4 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.601% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (83.7%)
Carpooled (9.26%)
Worked At Home (5.59%)

In 2024, 83.7% of workers in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.26%) and those who worked at home (5.59%).

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

23.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC have a shorter commute time (23.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.04% of the workforce in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

15.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC (19.8k out of 129k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 45 - 54 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, 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.