City · North Carolina
Conover, North Carolina
Conover, city, in Catawba County, North Carolina. Conover had 8,938 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 6.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 8,421 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 8,580 (±22). GEOID 3714340.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
8,938
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 8,421 · ACS 2020-2024: 8,580 ±22
Median household income
$65,972
±$9,896 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$271,300
±$30,089 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
$898
±$100 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is Conover and what county is it in?
Conover is a city in Catawba County, North Carolina. It covers 11.5 square miles of land, 735 residents per square mile in 2020.
Conover is in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 4 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Conover, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 8,938 people lived in Conover on July 1, 2025, up 6.0% since 2020, slower than North Carolina (+7.2%). The 2020 Census counted 8,421 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 8,580 (±22).
| Measure | Conover | Catawba County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 8,580 ±22 | 163,573 | +128 |
| Households | 3,275 ±257 | 66,227 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.58 ±0.20 | 2.43 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 3,581 ±286 | 73,133 | no clear change |
Conover's population since 2000
From 6,604 in 2000 to 8,938 in 2025: up 35.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Conover as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Conover?
The median resident of Conover is 36.8 years old; 30.5% are under 18 and 18.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 67.9%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 22.2%. 8.8% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Conover | Catawba County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.8 ±9.0 | 42.1 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 30.5% ±4.3 pts | 21.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 18.0% ±4.9 pts | 18.7% | – |
| Male | 50.3% ±4.1 pts | 49.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 22.2% ±8.4 pts | 11.5% | +14.2 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 67.9% ±8.4 pts | 71.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 3.3% ±1.2 pts | 7.7% | −4.4 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 4.3% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.3% ±3.2 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 8.8% ±4.6 pts | 6.9% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 22.8% ±8.3 pts | 12.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.8% ±2.2 pts | 6.3% | – |
| With a disability | 11.6% ±3.9 pts | 13.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 14.2% ±5.9 pts | 10.6% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 86.9% ±6.9 pts | 88.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 23.8% ±6.3 pts | 26.1% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.2% ±2.6 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 85.3% ±7.7 pts | 90.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.4% ±1.0 pts | 1.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Conover earn?
Half of Conover's 3,275 households earn less than $65,972 a year (±$9,896), against $67,864 in Catawba County and $72,388 in North Carolina. In 2015-2019 it was $64,288 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 15.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Conover | Catawba County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,972 ±$9,896 | $67,864 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $74,236 ±$8,246 | $90,959 | – |
| Per capita income | $28,587 ±$4,053 | $37,462 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 15.7% ±6.4 pts | 12.7% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 19.3% ±10.7 pts | 17.3% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 16.6% ±6.2 pts | 11.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.4% ±2.5 pts | 94.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 91.3% ±4.0 pts | 88.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Conover?
Owners occupy 69.0% of Conover's occupied homes and renters 31.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $271,300 by its owner (±$30,089). The median renter pays $898 a month including utilities, and 23.9% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Conover | Catawba County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $271,300 ±$30,089 | $241,600 | +$90,880 |
| Median gross rent | $898 ±$100 | $965 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 23.9% ±13.0 pts | 28.7% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,460 ±$106 | $1,343 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 69.0% ±7.1 pts | 72.2% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 31.0% ±7.1 pts | 27.8% | – |
| Housing units | 3,581 ±286 | 73,133 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±1.9 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 19.9% ±13.2 pts | 6.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 60.9% ±6.9 pts | 68.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 10.1% ±5.8 pts | 11.6% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.5% ±0.7 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.1% ±3.0 pts | 6.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.8% ±0.9 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 6.1% ±3.3 pts | 5.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Conover work and get to work?
74.7% of Conover's workers drive alone and 4.1% work from home. The average trip to work takes 18.7 minutes.
| Measure | Conover | Catawba County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 54.8% ±6.2 pts | 60.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% ±2.5 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 74.7% ±6.8 pts | 79.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 19.3% ±6.7 pts | 10.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Worked from home | 4.1% ±2.4 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 18.7 min ±1.6 | 23.4 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Conover?
1 census tract lies mostly in Conover, and 8 more reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 102.04Catawba County | 5,468 | $66,881 |
| Tract 101.02Catawba County | 3,978 | $69,734 |
| Tract 102.03Catawba County | 2,944 | $44,228 |
| Tract 101.01Catawba County | 6,339 | $68,791 |
| Tract 113Catawba County | 7,429 | $61,238 |
| Tract 114.01Catawba County | 3,681 | $55,074 |
| Tract 112Catawba County | 5,501 | $64,912 |
| Tract 103.04Catawba County | 4,316 | $62,772 |
| Tract 117.01Catawba County | 4,997 | $82,095 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Conover) · Census block assignment files
How does Conover compare with other places in North Carolina?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Conover is the 3,471st-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 101st-most populous of 549 in North Carolina.
Conover ranks 203rd of 434 places in North Carolina with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 101st | 549 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 134th | 331 |
| Residents per square mile | 286th | 443 |
| Median household income | 203rd | 434 |
| Per capita income | 312th | 443 |
| Median home value | 187th | 438 |
| Median gross rent | 253rd | 395 |
| Poverty rate | 172nd | 341 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 255th | 421 |
| Median age | 330th | 442 |
| Owner-occupied share | 212th | 443 |
| Work from home | 273rd | 279 |
| Travel time to work | 392nd | 439 |
Conover's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare Conover with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Conover?
13 of the 57 figures for Conover on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Conover are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Conover.