Town · North Carolina
Gamewell, North Carolina
Gamewell, town, in Caldwell County, North Carolina. Gamewell had 3,713 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 0.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 3,702 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 3,689 (±15). GEOID 3725380.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
3,713
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 3,702 · ACS 2020-2024: 3,689 ±15
Median household income
$46,556
±$17,194 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$170,100
±$142,140 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
$808
±$95 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is Gamewell and what county is it in?
Gamewell is a town in Caldwell County, North Carolina. It covers 8.1 square miles of land, 457 residents per square mile in 2020.
Gamewell 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 Gamewell, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 3,713 people lived in Gamewell on July 1, 2025, up 0.5% since 2020, slower than North Carolina (+7.2%). The 2020 Census counted 3,702 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 3,689 (±15).
| Measure | Gamewell | Caldwell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,689 ±15 | 80,536 | −298 |
| Households | 1,439 ±168 | 32,919 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.56 ±0.29 | 2.42 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,635 ±184 | 37,387 | no clear change |
Gamewell's population since 2000
From 3,644 in 2000 to 3,713 in 2025: up 1.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Gamewell 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 Gamewell?
The median resident of Gamewell is 46.7 years old; 16.5% are under 18 and 11.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 81.3%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 14.9%.
| Measure | Gamewell | Caldwell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.7 ±4.1 | 45.4 | +7.6 |
| Under 18 years | 16.5% ±6.4 pts | 19.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 11.6% ±5.2 pts | 21.4% | – |
| Male | 53.9% ±7.1 pts | 49.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 14.9% ±9.4 pts | 6.7% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 81.3% ±10.3 pts | 85.3% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.4 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.5% ±2.6 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 5.9% ±5.1 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 8.8% ±8.2 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.7% ±5.5 pts | 6.8% | – |
| With a disability | 15.3% ±6.8 pts | 18.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 20.1% ±8.9 pts | 10.5% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 80.1% ±9.7 pts | 84.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 4.0% ±2.6 pts | 18.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 0.4% ±0.7 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 93.5% ±4.1 pts | 92.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.4% ±2.5 pts | 1.5% | – |
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 Gamewell earn?
Half of Gamewell's 1,439 households earn less than $46,556 a year (±$17,194), against $56,425 in Caldwell County and $72,388 in North Carolina. In 2015-2019 it was $56,682 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 21.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Gamewell | Caldwell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,556 ±$17,194 | $56,425 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $55,643 ±$10,465 | $75,197 | – |
| Per capita income | $22,537 ±$3,862 | $31,914 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 21.5% ±11.3 pts | 13.4% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 36.9% ±27.4 pts | 19.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 25.2% ±11.1 pts | 14.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.7% ±2.8 pts | 89.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 90.5% ±8.0 pts | 86.4% | – |
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 Gamewell?
Owners occupy 61.2% of Gamewell's occupied homes and renters 38.8%. The median renter pays $808 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Gamewell | Caldwell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $170,100 ±$142,140 | $192,200 | – |
| Median gross rent | $808 ±$95 | $744 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 39.8% ±29.2 pts | 31.1% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,236 ±$307 | $1,191 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 61.2% ±12.6 pts | 73.5% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 38.8% ±12.6 pts | 26.5% | – |
| Housing units | 1,635 ±184 | 37,387 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±4.5 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±7.1 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 67.0% ±9.5 pts | 73.2% | – |
| Mobile homes | 16.9% ±9.6 pts | 15.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 3.1% ±2.9 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 9.0% ±9.2 pts | 4.7% | – |
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 Gamewell work and get to work?
58.5% of Gamewell's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 39.7 minutes.
| Measure | Gamewell | Caldwell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 59.4% ±8.6 pts | 58.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% ±4.5 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 58.5% ±20.2 pts | 81.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 39.1% ±20.1 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±2.4 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.4% ±2.7 pts | 7.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 39.7 min ±16.4 | 25.9 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 Gamewell?
No census tract lies mostly in Gamewell; 4 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 308.02Caldwell County | 3,907 | $42,841 |
| Tract 302Caldwell County | 5,365 | $55,386 |
| Tract 303Caldwell County | 4,118 | $48,456 |
| Tract 309Caldwell County | 5,455 | $44,919 |
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 Gamewell) · Census block assignment files
How does Gamewell compare with other places in North Carolina?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Gamewell is the 5,713th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 192nd-most populous of 549 in North Carolina.
Gamewell ranks 346th 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 | 192nd | 549 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 272nd | 331 |
| Residents per square mile | 370th | 443 |
| Median household income | 346th | 434 |
| Per capita income | 400th | 443 |
| Median gross rent | 309th | 395 |
| Poverty rate | 100th | 341 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 421st | 421 |
| Median age | 108th | 442 |
| Owner-occupied share | 277th | 443 |
| Travel time to work | 6th | 439 |
Gamewell's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare Gamewell 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 Gamewell?
24 of the 57 figures for Gamewell 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 Gamewell 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 Gamewell.