• county
  • FIPS 37173
  • Largest town: Bryson City

Swain County, North Carolina

Swain County had 13,945 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 527.7 square miles of land. It ranks 88th of 100 in North Carolina by population and 37th by land area.

Population
13,945
#88 of 100 in North Carolina · #2,164 in US
Area
527.7 sq mi
#37 of 100 in North Carolina · #1,983 in US
Density
26 / sq mi
#96 of 100 in North Carolina · #2,027 in US
Median household income
$54,357
#70 of 100 in North Carolina · #2,387 in US

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

Swain County within North Carolina. Pin: Raleigh.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Swain County

Swain County population, land area and income

Swain County had 13,945 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 527.7 square miles of land. It ranks 88th of 100 in North Carolina by population and 37th by land area. That works out to 26.4 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and below the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in North Carolina has 52,768 residents, so Swain County has 26% of the typical county's population.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $54,357 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

13,945

3144th1st

2164th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

528 sq mi

3144th1st

1983rd of 3,144 (US)

Density

26.4 / sq mi

3144th1st

2027th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$54,357

3143rd1st

2387th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within North Carolina (100)

Population

13,945

100th1st

88th of 100 (NC)

Land area

528 sq mi

100th1st

37th of 100 (NC)

Density

26.4 / sq mi

100th1st

96th of 100 (NC)

Median household income

$54,357

100th1st

70th of 100 (NC)

How Swain County's population changed since 2020

Swain County lost 158 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 1.1%. That ranks 92nd 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, Swain County recorded 672 births and 1,118 deaths, a natural change of -446. Net international migration added +83 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +194. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 446 people.

14.1k202014.1k202114.0k202213.9k202313.9k2024
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
672
Deaths
1,118
Net international migration
+83
Net domestic migration
+194
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+22

Where Swain County is

The Census internal point of Swain County is at 35.568800, -83.465600. 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 Swain 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: Swain County internal point. Dark pin: Raleigh.

Internal point

Decimal
35.568800, -83.465600
DMS
35°34'7.68"N 83°27'56.16"W
UTM
17N 276555.4E 3938921.4N
Geohash
dnkdken5q
Plus code
867RHG9M+GQ

Towns in Swain County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Swain County, 1,522 people together, or 11% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Swain County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Bryson City with 1,522.

  1. 01Bryson City1,522
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Swain County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Swain County, including 2 across a state line. The most populous is Blount County, TN, with 142,211 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Raleigh and the nearest big city

Raleigh is 271.3 miles E of Swain County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Knoxville, TN (population 198,722), 38.8 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Sevierville, TN (population 18,231), 23.1 miles away.

Swain County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Swain County is 37173: state code 37 for North Carolina plus county code 173. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $54,357.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Swain County, North Carolina?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 13,945. That is down 158 people (1.1%) from the July 2020 estimate of 14,103.

What is the FIPS code of Swain County?

37173. The first two digits (37) are North Carolina; the last three (173) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Swain County?

Bryson City, with 1,522 residents inside Swain County in 2024.

Which counties border Swain County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Blount County, TN; Sevier County, TN; Haywood County, NC; Jackson County, NC; Macon County, NC; Graham 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.