Census-designated place · North Carolina
Mountain View, North Carolina
Mountain View, census-designated place, in Catawba County, North Carolina. Mountain View had 3,590 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 3,982 (±870). GEOID 3744770.
Residents, 2020 Census
3,590
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 3,982 ±870
Median household income
$71,792
±$13,841 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$222,500
±$17,065 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
$956
±$167 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is Mountain View and what county is it in?
Mountain View is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Catawba County, North Carolina. It covers 4.7 square miles of land, 771 residents per square mile in 2020.
Mountain View 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 Mountain View, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 3,590 residents in Mountain View, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 3,982 (±870).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Mountain View is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Mountain View | Catawba County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,982 ±870 | 163,573 | no clear change |
| Households | 1,441 ±265 | 66,227 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.76 ±0.44 | 2.43 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,523 ±272 | 73,133 | no clear change |
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 Mountain View?
The median resident of Mountain View is 42.1 years old; 29.2% are under 18 and 20.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 87.6%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 7.7%.
| Measure | Mountain View | Catawba County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.1 ±8.8 | 42.1 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 29.2% ±8.9 pts | 21.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 20.5% ±8.1 pts | 18.7% | – |
| Male | 49.1% ±5.8 pts | 49.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7.7% ±6.2 pts | 11.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 87.6% ±8.0 pts | 71.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 4.1% ±5.4 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 4.3% | – |
| 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 | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±1.2 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 6.2% ±4.3 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 10.1% ±6.2 pts | 12.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.6% ±4.1 pts | 6.3% | – |
| With a disability | 15.2% ±6.8 pts | 13.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 8.2% ±4.2 pts | 10.6% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.6% ±5.3 pts | 88.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 24.7% ±8.0 pts | 26.1% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.0% ±3.5 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 96.1% ±2.5 pts | 90.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.0% ±1.6 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 Mountain View earn?
Half of Mountain View's 1,441 households earn less than $71,792 a year (±$13,841), against $67,864 in Catawba County and $72,388 in North Carolina. In 2015-2019 it was $81,402 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 20.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Mountain View | Catawba County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $71,792 ±$13,841 | $67,864 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $85,893 ±$14,136 | $90,959 | – |
| Per capita income | $31,462 ±$4,538 | $37,462 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 20.4% ±11.8 pts | 12.7% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 40.1% ±25.4 pts | 17.3% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 11.0% ±7.0 pts | 11.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.9% ±3.6 pts | 94.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 88.1% ±9.5 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 Mountain View?
Owners occupy 81.0% of Mountain View's occupied homes and renters 19.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $222,500 by its owner (±$17,065). The median renter pays $956 a month including utilities, and 54.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Mountain View | Catawba County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $222,500 ±$17,065 | $241,600 | +$75,432 |
| Median gross rent | $956 ±$167 | $965 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 54.0% ±27.3 pts | 28.7% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,144 ±$155 | $1,343 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 81.0% ±7.7 pts | 72.2% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 19.0% ±7.7 pts | 27.8% | – |
| Housing units | 1,523 ±272 | 73,133 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±3.6 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±14.3 pts | 6.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 83.5% ±8.6 pts | 68.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 5.1% ±4.4 pts | 11.6% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±2.7 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.9% ±4.3 pts | 6.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 1.9% ±2.3 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.5% ±6.9 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 Mountain View work and get to work?
71.0% of Mountain View's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 19.2 minutes.
| Measure | Mountain View | Catawba County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 61.8% ±10.9 pts | 60.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% ±3.3 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 71.0% ±12.2 pts | 79.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 23.8% ±12.4 pts | 10.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.9% ±3.3 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 19.2 min ±2.4 | 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 Mountain View?
No census tract lies mostly in Mountain View; 3 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 118.01Catawba County | 6,360 | $114,407 |
| Tract 111.02Catawba County | 8,476 | $74,236 |
| Tract 111.01Catawba County | 3,156 | $61,912 |
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 Mountain View) · Census block assignment files
How does Mountain View compare with other places in North Carolina?
Mountain View ranks 171st of 434 places in North Carolina with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 210th | 443 |
| Residents per square mile | 274th | 443 |
| Median household income | 171st | 434 |
| Per capita income | 251st | 443 |
| Median home value | 258th | 438 |
| Median gross rent | 225th | 395 |
| Poverty rate | 112th | 341 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 233rd | 421 |
| Median age | 185th | 442 |
| Owner-occupied share | 107th | 443 |
| Travel time to work | 375th | 439 |
Mountain View's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare Mountain View 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 Mountain View?
21 of the 57 figures for Mountain View 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 Mountain View 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' school search.