Town · North Carolina
Drexel, North Carolina
Drexel, town, in Burke County, North Carolina. Drexel had 1,764 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,760 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,146 (±459). GEOID 3717860.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,764
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,760 · ACS 2020-2024: 2,146 ±459
Median household income
$61,992
±$13,338 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$214,400
±$20,006 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
$590
±$218 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is Drexel and what county is it in?
Drexel is a town in Burke County, North Carolina. It covers 1.4 square miles of land, 1,274 residents per square mile in 2020.
Drexel 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 Drexel, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,764 people lived in Drexel on July 1, 2025, up 1.0% since 2020, slower than North Carolina (+7.2%). The 2020 Census counted 1,760 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 2,146 (±459).
| Measure | Drexel | Burke County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,146 ±459 | 87,795 | no clear change |
| Households | 865 ±186 | 36,306 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.36 ±0.25 | 2.34 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 940 ±193 | 40,358 | no clear change |
Drexel's population since 2000
From 1,938 in 2000 to 1,764 in 2025: down 9.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Drexel 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 Drexel?
The median resident of Drexel is 47.2 years old; 20.9% are under 18 and 22.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 80.3%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 9.0%.
| Measure | Drexel | Burke County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.2 ±9.4 | 44.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 20.9% ±5.5 pts | 18.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 22.0% ±5.8 pts | 21.7% | – |
| Male | 46.6% ±5.6 pts | 50.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 9.0% ±6.8 pts | 8.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 80.3% ±9.5 pts | 79.1% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.7% ±1.3 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 2.6% ±3.4 pts | 3.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.6% ±3.1 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.5% ±1.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 5.0% ±4.4 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 11.0% ±6.6 pts | 9.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.5% ±2.2 pts | 6.4% | – |
| With a disability | 17.9% ±5.3 pts | 18.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 9.0% ±3.9 pts | 11.0% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 84.2% ±7.9 pts | 86.0% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 23.2% ±5.5 pts | 21.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 8.5% ±3.6 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 87.1% ±5.5 pts | 91.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 5.7% ±5.1 pts | 1.6% | – |
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 Drexel earn?
Half of Drexel's 865 households earn less than $61,992 a year (±$13,338), against $58,592 in Burke County and $72,388 in North Carolina. In 2015-2019 it was $52,554 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 11.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Drexel | Burke County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,992 ±$13,338 | $58,592 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $76,155 ±$13,705 | $77,743 | – |
| Per capita income | $32,950 ±$5,368 | $32,977 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 11.7% ±5.9 pts | 15.6% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 8.7% ±11.9 pts | 26.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 13.1% ±7.2 pts | 14.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 90.9% ±5.8 pts | 91.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 89.2% ±6.2 pts | 84.7% | – |
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 Drexel?
Owners occupy 72.0% of Drexel's occupied homes and renters 28.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $214,400 by its owner (±$20,006). The median renter pays $590 a month including utilities, and 38.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Drexel | Burke County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $214,400 ±$20,006 | $185,400 | +$72,870 |
| Median gross rent | $590 ±$218 | $884 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 38.4% ±24.9 pts | 30.1% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,356 ±$113 | $1,220 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 72.0% ±8.5 pts | 74.5% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 28.0% ±8.5 pts | 25.5% | – |
| Housing units | 940 ±193 | 40,358 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±6.6 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 11.0% ±17.3 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 71.5% ±9.0 pts | 70.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 7.0% ±5.7 pts | 19.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.0% ±1.3 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±4.4 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 10.1% ±5.8 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.5% ±4.3 pts | 4.8% | – |
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 Drexel work and get to work?
83.4% of Drexel's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 20.2 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 13.7%.
| Measure | Drexel | Burke County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 53.9% ±5.2 pts | 57.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 13.7% ±8.8 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 83.4% ±9.6 pts | 83.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 11.0% ±8.4 pts | 9.6% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±5.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±5.2 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Worked from home | 5.7% ±5.0 pts | 5.4% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.2 min ±2.8 | 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 Drexel?
No census tract lies mostly in Drexel; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 208.01Burke County | 5,772 | $62,639 |
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 Drexel) · Census block assignment files
How does Drexel compare with other places in North Carolina?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Drexel is the 8,143rd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 269th-most populous of 549 in North Carolina.
Drexel ranks 229th 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 | 269th | 549 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 262nd | 331 |
| Residents per square mile | 113th | 443 |
| Median household income | 229th | 434 |
| Per capita income | 226th | 443 |
| Median home value | 267th | 438 |
| Median gross rent | 381st | 395 |
| Poverty rate | 220th | 341 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 262nd | 421 |
| Median age | 98th | 442 |
| Owner-occupied share | 187th | 443 |
| Travel time to work | 353rd | 439 |
Drexel's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare Drexel 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 Drexel?
20 of the 57 figures for Drexel 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 Drexel 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 Drexel.