• county
  • FIPS 37121
  • Largest town: Spruce Pine

Mitchell County, North Carolina

Mitchell County had 15,030 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 221.3 square miles of land. It ranks 87th of 100 in North Carolina by population and 97th by land area.

Population
15,030
#87 of 100 in North Carolina · #2,094 in US
Area
221.3 sq mi
#97 of 100 in North Carolina · #2,968 in US
Density
68 / sq mi
#70 of 100 in North Carolina · #1,200 in US
Median household income
$56,746
#60 of 100 in North Carolina · #2,160 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Mitchell County within North Carolina. Pin: Raleigh.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Mitchell County

Mitchell County population, land area and income

Mitchell County had 15,030 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 221.3 square miles of land. It ranks 87th of 100 in North Carolina by population and 97th by land area. That works out to 67.9 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and above the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in North Carolina has 52,768 residents, so Mitchell County has 28% of the typical county's population.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $56,746 is below the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

15,030

3144th1st

2094th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

221 sq mi

3144th1st

2968th of 3,144 (US)

Density

67.9 / sq mi

3144th1st

1200th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$56,746

3143rd1st

2160th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within North Carolina (100)

Population

15,030

100th1st

87th of 100 (NC)

Land area

221 sq mi

100th1st

97th of 100 (NC)

Density

67.9 / sq mi

100th1st

70th of 100 (NC)

Median household income

$56,746

100th1st

60th of 100 (NC)

How Mitchell County's population changed since 2020

Mitchell County gained 132 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 0.9%. That ranks 77th of 100 in North Carolina for growth. The median North Carolina county changed by +2.7%, and the state as a whole by +5.7%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Mitchell County recorded 489 births and 1,115 deaths, a natural change of -626. Net international migration added +55 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +700. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 700 people.

14.9k202015.0k202115.1k202215.0k202315.0k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
489
Deaths
1,115
Net international migration
+55
Net domestic migration
+700
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+27

Where Mitchell County is

The Census internal point of Mitchell County is at 36.013100, -82.163600. It sits in UTM zone 17N. The map shades North Carolina's 100 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Mitchell County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Scotland County: +1.4%Rockingham County: +2.5%Franklin County: +15.6%Caswell County: -0.5%Stokes County: +2.9%Granville County: +2.3%Edgecombe County: +0.7%Randolph County: +2.8%Alexander County: +0.8%Person County: +2.4%Cherokee County: +5.2%Ashe County: +2.5%Davidson County: +5.2%Cabarrus County: +7.8%Mecklenburg County: +8.1%Burke County: +1.5%Cumberland County: +0.4%Northampton County: -4.9%Buncombe County: +3.5%Wilson County: +0.8%Bladen County: +0.5%Pitt County: +4.1%Yancey County: +2.7%Stanly County: +7.4%Harnett County: +9.3%Wilkes County: +0.5%Tyrrell County: +8.8%Pamlico County: +1.9%Hoke County: +6.0%Transylvania County: +2.5%Carteret County: +3.8%Durham County: +6.5%Anson County: +1.8%Pender County: +15.6%Alamance County: +6.7%Polk County: +4.9%Lenoir County: +0.5%Washington County: -3.0%Avery County: -0.0%Hyde County: +1.5%Gates County: -1.4%Davie County: +5.8%Jackson County: +7.4%Montgomery County: +2.5%Martin County: -2.0%Pasquotank County: +2.9%Perquimans County: +3.4%Cleveland County: +2.3%Sampson County: +2.3%Catawba County: +3.8%Alleghany County: +4.5%Robeson County: +2.3%Macon County: +4.4%Clay County: +8.0%Haywood County: +1.3%Duplin County: +3.8%Henderson County: +3.6%Craven County: +2.6%Warren County: +2.6%Graham County: +1.7%Union County: +9.9%Wayne County: +2.2%Gaston County: +5.9%Guilford County: +3.7%Yadkin County: +2.0%Watauga County: +1.0%Rowan County: +4.4%Swain County: -1.1%Chatham County: +9.4%Bertie County: -4.4%Halifax County: -2.9%Forsyth County: +4.1%Onslow County: +3.8%Dare County: +3.1%Chowan County: +1.3%Brunswick County: +20.9%Johnston County: +14.9%Orange County: +6.4%Currituck County: +13.6%New Hanover County: +7.5%Richmond County: -1.7%Vance County: -0.5%Iredell County: +9.9%Lincoln County: +12.0%Caldwell County: +0.2%McDowell County: +1.6%Rutherford County: +1.9%Mitchell County: +0.9%Moore County: +8.1%Columbus County: -0.8%Lee County: +8.1%Greene County: +1.1%Madison County: +5.0%Camden County: +7.5%Hertford County: -12.0%Beaufort County: -0.3%Jones County: +3.5%Wake County: +9.0%Nash County: +3.0%Surry County: +0.2%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < +0.5%
  2. < +2.3%
  3. < +3.7%
  4. < +7.4%
  5. ≥ +7.4%
no data

Orange pin: Mitchell County internal point. Dark pin: Raleigh.

Internal point

Decimal
36.013100, -82.163600
DMS
36°00'47.16"N 82°09'48.96"W
UTM
17N 395142.6E 3986027.5N
Geohash
dnmsf7fr9
Plus code
868V2R7P+6H

Towns in Mitchell County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Mitchell County, 2,192 people together, or 15% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Mitchell County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Spruce Pine with 2,192.

  1. 01Spruce Pine2,192
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Mitchell County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 5 neighbors for Mitchell County, including 2 across a state line. The most populous is Carter County, TN, with 57,434 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Raleigh and the nearest big city

Raleigh is 197.9 miles E of Mitchell County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Charlotte, NC (population 943,476), 93.2 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Elizabethton, TN (population 14,461), 22.9 miles away.

Mitchell County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Mitchell County is 37121: state code 37 for North Carolina plus county code 121. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $56,746.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Mitchell County, North Carolina?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 15,030. That is up 132 people (0.9%) from the July 2020 estimate of 14,898.

What is the FIPS code of Mitchell County?

37121. The first two digits (37) are North Carolina; the last three (121) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Mitchell County?

Spruce Pine, with 2,192 residents inside Mitchell County in 2024.

Which counties border Mitchell County?

5 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Carter County, TN; McDowell County, NC; Yancey County, NC; Unicoi County, TN; Avery County, NC.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.