Town · North Carolina
Hudson, North Carolina
Hudson, town, in Caldwell County, North Carolina. Hudson had 3,786 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 0.1% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 3,780 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 3,772 (±17). GEOID 3732980.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
3,786
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 3,780 · ACS 2020-2024: 3,772 ±17
Median household income
$65,268
±$30,640 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$223,000
±$26,679 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
$549
±$319 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is Hudson and what county is it in?
Hudson is a town in Caldwell County, North Carolina. It covers 3.7 square miles of land, 1,033 residents per square mile in 2020.
Hudson 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 Hudson, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 3,786 people lived in Hudson on July 1, 2025, up 0.1% since 2020, slower than North Carolina (+7.2%). The 2020 Census counted 3,780 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 3,772 (±17).
| Measure | Hudson | Caldwell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,772 ±17 | 80,536 | +71 |
| Households | 1,529 ±193 | 32,919 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.46 ±0.31 | 2.42 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,696 ±218 | 37,387 | no clear change |
Hudson's population since 2000
From 3,078 in 2000 to 3,786 in 2025: up 23.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Hudson 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 Hudson?
The median resident of Hudson is 45.1 years old; 14.6% are under 18 and 25.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 93.3%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 5.2%.
| Measure | Hudson | Caldwell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.1 ±7.7 | 45.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 14.6% ±3.8 pts | 19.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 25.4% ±6.7 pts | 21.4% | – |
| Male | 43.6% ±6.1 pts | 49.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.2% ±4.1 pts | 6.7% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 93.3% ±4.2 pts | 85.3% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±1.2 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.1 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 | 0.7% ±2.2 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.3% ±2.1 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.7% ±2.2 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.1% ±3.8 pts | 6.8% | – |
| With a disability | 16.1% ±5.4 pts | 18.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 8.9% ±4.7 pts | 10.5% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 88.5% ±5.4 pts | 84.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 22.4% ±7.1 pts | 18.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 8.9% ±5.3 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 88.9% ±7.7 pts | 92.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±1.1 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 Hudson earn?
Half of Hudson's 1,529 households earn less than $65,268 a year (±$30,640), against $56,425 in Caldwell County and $72,388 in North Carolina. In 2015-2019 it was $50,264 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 13.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Hudson | Caldwell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,268 ±$30,640 | $56,425 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $75,179 ±$13,150 | $75,197 | – |
| Per capita income | $32,124 ±$5,033 | $31,914 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 13.6% ±7.8 pts | 13.4% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 21.5% ±21.2 pts | 19.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 11.1% ±6.2 pts | 14.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 87.1% ±7.1 pts | 89.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 86.1% ±7.4 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 Hudson?
Owners occupy 81.0% of Hudson's occupied homes and renters 19.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $223,000 by its owner (±$26,679). The median renter pays $549 a month including utilities, and 39.2% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Hudson | Caldwell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $223,000 ±$26,679 | $192,200 | +$37,781 |
| Median gross rent | $549 ±$319 | $744 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 39.2% ±24.2 pts | 31.1% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,351 ±$104 | $1,191 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 81.0% ±8.6 pts | 73.5% | +15.8 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 19.0% ±8.6 pts | 26.5% | – |
| Housing units | 1,696 ±218 | 37,387 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 2.6% ±3.9 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 11.4% ±17.1 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 82.0% ±8.2 pts | 73.2% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 15.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.1% ±2.1 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.9% ±3.5 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 3.2% ±2.8 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.7% ±2.1 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 Hudson work and get to work?
74.2% of Hudson's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 22.0 minutes.
| Measure | Hudson | Caldwell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 66.1% ±9.1 pts | 58.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% ±3.8 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 74.2% ±12.9 pts | 81.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 16.9% ±12.7 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±2.1 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 8.8% ±6.4 pts | 7.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 22.0 min ±3.7 | 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 Hudson?
1 census tract lies mostly in Hudson, and 2 more reach into it (2020 census blocks).
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 Hudson) · Census block assignment files
How does Hudson compare with other places in North Carolina?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Hudson is the 5,658th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 189th-most populous of 549 in North Carolina.
Hudson ranks 208th 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 | 189th | 549 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 286th | 331 |
| Residents per square mile | 180th | 443 |
| Median household income | 208th | 434 |
| Per capita income | 239th | 443 |
| Median home value | 257th | 438 |
| Median gross rent | 387th | 395 |
| Poverty rate | 199th | 341 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 283rd | 421 |
| Median age | 127th | 442 |
| Owner-occupied share | 107th | 443 |
| Travel time to work | 296th | 439 |
Hudson's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare Hudson 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 Hudson?
23 of the 57 figures for Hudson 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 Hudson 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 Hudson.