County profile

Montgomery County

North Carolina · ACS 2020–2024

Download data

Latest estimates

At a glance

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Total population
26,007
Median household income
$57,766
People below poverty
15.4%
Median home value
$161,700

Income

The median income of households in Montgomery County, North Carolina was $57,766. An estimated 3.3% of households had income below $10,000 a year and 5.7% had income of $200,000 or more.

Household Income in Montgomery County, North Carolina in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Less than $10,000 3.3
$10,000 to $14,999 5.8
$15,000 to $24,999 10.6
$25,000 to $34,999 9.4
$35,000 to $49,999 15.2
$50,000 to $74,999 20.6
$75,000 to $99,999 11
$100,000 to $149,999 12.7
$150,000 to $199,999 5.7
$200,000 or more 5.7

Median Earnings for Full-Time Year-Round Workers by Sex in Montgomery County, North Carolina in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Dollars
Male 50142
Female 42767

An estimated 70.3% of households received earnings. An estimated 44.5% of households received Social Security and an estimated 24 % of households received retirement income other than Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $21,082. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

Proportion of Households with Various Income Sources in Montgomery County, North Carolina in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Earnings 70.3
Social Security 44.5
Retirement income 24
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 5.3
Cash public assistance income 1.1

Poverty and Participation in Government Programs

In 2020-2024, 15.4 % of people were in poverty. An estimated 20.3% of children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 10.4% of people 65 years old and over. An estimated 15.6% of people 18 to 64 years were below the poverty level.

Poverty Rates in Montgomery County, North Carolina in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
People in poverty 15.4
Children under 18 years below poverty 20.3
People 65 years old and over below poverty 10.4
People 18 to 64 years below poverty 15.6

In 2020-2024, 18.6 % of households received SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). An estimated 56.6% of households that received SNAP had children under 18, and 43.2% of households that received SNAP had one or more people 60 years and over. An estimated 44% of all households receiving SNAP were families with a female householder and no spouse present.


Among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in Montgomery County, North Carolina in 2020-2024, 87.5% had health insurance coverage and 12.5% did not have health insurance coverage. Private coverage was 54.4% and public coverage was 47.9%, respectively. The percentage of children under the age of 19 with no health insurance coverage was 4.9%.


In 2020-2024, Montgomery County, North Carolina had a total population of 26,007 - 13,286 (51.1%) females and 12,721 (48.9%) males. The median age was 44 years. An estimated 20.4% of the population was under 18 years, 29.3% was 19 to 44 years, 26.1% was 45 to 64 years, and 22.3 % was 65 years and older.

Population by Age and Sex for Montgomery County, North Carolina in 2020-2024

Male Female
Under 5 665 643
5 to 9 732 733
10 to 14 817 809
15 to 19 718 684
20 to 24 636 631
25 to 29 929 940
30 to 34 718 821
35 to 39 550 723
40 to 44 1013 654
45 to 49 562 804
50 to 54 747 910
55 to 59 1016 985
60 to 64 929 851
65 to 69 1053 949
70 to 74 576 840
75 to 79 559 694
80 to 84 305 388
85 and over 196 227

Hispanic Origin and Race

For people reporting one race alone, 64.5% were White; 16.2% were Black or African American; 14.3% were American Indian and Alaska Native; 1.5% were Asian; 7.8% were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 0% were Some Other Race. An estimated 8.6% reported Two or More Races. An estimated 15.8% of the people in Montgomery County, North Carolina were Hispanic or Latino. An estimated 62.7% of the people in Montgomery County, North Carolina were White alone, non-Hispanic. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race.


Households and Families

In 2020-2024, there were 10,643 households in Montgomery County, North Carolina. The average household size was 2.37 people.

Married-couple households made up 51.3% of the households in Montgomery County, North Carolina while cohabiting couple households made up 6.1% of households. Female householders with no spouse or partner present were 26.5% of all households, while 16.2% of households had male householders with no spouse or partner present. Some households had one person, as 11.3% of households were male householders living alone, and 13.7% were female householders living alone, for a total of 25% of all households.

In Montgomery County, North Carolina, 28.7% of all households had one or more people under the age of 18; 40.4% of all households had one or more people 65 years and over.

Types of Households in Montgomery County, North Carolina in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Married-couple households 51.3
Cohabiting Couples 6.1
Male Householder
No spouse/partner present
16.2
Female Householder
No spouse/partner present
26.5

Marital Status

Among persons 15 and older, 54% of males and 52% of females were currently married.

Population 15 years and over Percent
Males
Percent
Females
Never married 29.7 27.1
Now married, except separated 54 52
Separated 2.7 2
Widowed 3.3 9.7
Divorced 10.3 9.2

Grandparents and Grandchildren

In Montgomery County, North Carolina, 633 grandparents lived with their grandchildren under 18 years old. Of those grandparents, 49.8% were responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren.


Nativity and Foreign-Born

In 2020-2024, an estimated 92.1% of the people living in Montgomery County, North Carolina were U.S. natives. 73.8% of the Montgomery County, North Carolina population were living in the state where they were born.

Approximately 7.9% of Montgomery County, North Carolina residents in 2020-2024 were foreign-born. 31.7% of foreign-born were naturalized U.S. citizens and an estimated 79.8 % entered the country before the year 2010.

Foreign-born residents of Montgomery County, North Carolina come from different parts of the world. The bar graph below displays the percentage of foreign-born from each world region of birth in 2020-2024 for Montgomery County, North Carolina.

Region of Birth for the Foreign-Born Population in Montgomery County, North Carolina in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Latin America 76.8
Asia 13.7
Europe 4.1
Africa 4.3
Northern America 1.1
Oceania 0

Language

Among people at least five years old living in Montgomery County, North Carolina in 2020-2024, 15.9 % spoke a language other than English at home. Spanish was spoken by 13.9% of people at least five years old; 5.9% reported that they did not speak English "very well."

Percentage of the Population 5 years and over who Speak a Language other than English in Montgomery County, North Carolina in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Spanish 13.9
Other Indo-European languages 0.7
Asian and Pacific Islander languages 1.2
Other languages 0

Geographic Mobility

In 2020-2024, 90.1 % of the people at least one year old living in Montgomery County, North Carolina were living in the same house one year earlier.

Geographic Mobility of Residents of Montgomery County, North Carolina in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Same house 90.1
Different house, same county 3.1
Different county, same state 5.7
Different state 1.2
Abroad 0

Education

In 2020-2024, 83.5 % of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 19.2% had a bachelor's degree or higher. An estimated 16.5% did not complete high school.

The total school enrollment in Montgomery County, North Carolina was 5,354 in 2020-2024. Nursery school enrollment was 212 and kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment was 4,006. College or graduate school enrollment was 1,136.

Educational Attainment of People in Montgomery County, North Carolina in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Less than high school diploma 16.5
High school diploma or equivalency 31.9
Some college, no degree 20.3
Associate's degree 12.1
Bachelor's degree 12.3
Graduate or professional degree 6.9

Disability

In Montgomery County, North Carolina, among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in 2020-2024, 19.7 % reported a disability. The likelihood of having a disability varied by age - from 10.4% of people under 18 years old, to 16.2% of people 18 to 64 years old, and to 37.2% of those 65 and over.


Employment Status and Type of Employer

In Montgomery County, North Carolina, 51.7 % of the population 16 and over were employed; 46.8% were not currently in the labor force.

An estimated 76.4% of the people employed were private wage and salary workers; 15.4% were federal, state, or local government workers; and 8 % were self-employed in their own (not incorporated) business.

Class of worker Number Percent
Private wage and salary workers 8,450 76.4
Federal, state, or local government workers 1,703 15.4
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business 882 8

Industries

In 2020-2024, the civilian employed population 16 years and older in Montgomery County, North Carolina worked in the following industries:

Percent by Industry in Montgomery County, North Carolina in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 4.6
Construction 11.2
Manufacturing 19.1
Wholesale trade 0.7
Retail trade 11.5
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 3.2
Information 0.4
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 4.8
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 4
Educational services, and health care and social assistance 21.8
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation, and food services 8.4
Other Services, except public administration 5
Public administration 5.5

Occupations

Occupations for the Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and over in Montgomery County, North Carolina in 2020-2024

Civilian employed population 16 years and over Number Percent
Management, business, sciences, and arts occupations 3,258 29.4
Service occupations 1,999 18.1
Sales and office occupations 2,126 19.2
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 1,476 13.3
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 2,204 19.9

Commuting to Work

An estimated 84% of Montgomery County, North Carolina workers drove to work alone in 2020-2024, and 7.7% carpooled. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 27.1 minutes to get to work.

Percent of Workers 16 and over Commuting by Mode in Montgomery County, North Carolina in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Car, truck, van -- drove alone 84
Car, truck, van -- carpooled 7.7
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 0
Walked 1.3
Other means 1.1
Worked from home 5.9

In 2020-2024, Montgomery County, North Carolina had a total of 14,998 housing units. Of these housing units, 64.9% were single-family houses either not attached to any other structure or attached to one or more structures (commonly referred to as "townhouses" or "row houses"). 5.1% of the housing units were located in multi-unit structures, or those buildings that contained two or more apartments. 29.4% were mobile homes, while any remaining housing units were classified as "other," which included boats, recreational vehicles, vans, etc.

Types of Housing Units in Montgomery County, North Carolina in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Single-family houses 64.9
Apartments in multi-unit structures 5.1
Mobile homes 29.4
Boat, RV, van, etc 0.7

8% of the housing inventory was comprised of houses built since 2010, while 8.9% of the houses were first built in 1939 or earlier. The median number of rooms in all housing units in Montgomery County, North Carolina was 5.2 rooms, and of these housing units 60.3% had three or more bedrooms.


In 2020-2024, Montgomery County, North Carolina had 10,643 housing units that were occupied or had people living in them, while the remaining 4,355 were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, the percentage of these houses occupied by owners (also known as the homeownership rate) was 75% while renters occupied 25%. The average household size of owner-occupied houses was 2.34 and in renter-occupied houses it was 2.47.

5.3% of householders of these occupied houses had moved into their house since 2021, while 16.9% moved into their house in 1989 or earlier. Households without a vehicle available for personal use comprised 4.8% and another 37.9% had three or more vehicles available for use.

The following chart provides the primary fuel used to heat houses in Montgomery County, North Carolina:

House Heating Fuel Used in Montgomery County, North Carolina in 2020-2024

View Data Table ↓

Percent
Gas 15
Electricity 76.6
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc 5.4
All other fuels 2.5
No fuel used 0.4

In 2020-2024, the median property value for owner-occupied houses in Montgomery County, North Carolina was $161,700.

Of the owner-occupied households, 43.2 % had a mortgage. 56.8% owned their houses "free and clear," that is without a primary mortgage or loan on the house. The median monthly housing costs for owners with a mortgage was $1,383 and for owners without a mortgage it was $431.

For renter-occupied houses, the median gross rent for Montgomery County, North Carolina was $766. Gross rent includes the monthly contract rent and any monthly payments made for electricity, gas, water and sewer, and any other fuels to heat the house.