Town · North Carolina
Sawmills, North Carolina
Sawmills, town, in Caldwell County, North Carolina. Sawmills had 5,105 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 5,020 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 5,042 (±31). GEOID 3759540.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
5,105
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 5,020 · ACS 2020-2024: 5,042 ±31
Median household income
$71,067
±$12,767 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$219,600
±$38,166 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
$730
±$66 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is Sawmills and what county is it in?
Sawmills is a town in Caldwell County, North Carolina. It covers 6.6 square miles of land, 760 residents per square mile in 2020.
Sawmills 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 Sawmills, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 5,105 people lived in Sawmills on July 1, 2025, up 1.3% since 2020, slower than North Carolina (+7.2%). The 2020 Census counted 5,020 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 5,042 (±31).
| Measure | Sawmills | Caldwell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 5,042 ±31 | 80,536 | −123 |
| Households | 1,908 ±253 | 32,919 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.64 ±0.34 | 2.42 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 2,370 ±280 | 37,387 | no clear change |
Sawmills's population since 2000
From 4,921 in 2000 to 5,105 in 2025: up 3.7%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Sawmills 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 Sawmills?
The median resident of Sawmills is 38.8 years old; 22.8% are under 18 and 14.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 93.8%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 2.9%.
| Measure | Sawmills | Caldwell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.8 ±10.5 | 45.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 22.8% ±6.1 pts | 19.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 14.4% ±4.2 pts | 21.4% | – |
| Male | 56.0% ±4.6 pts | 49.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.9% ±2.8 pts | 6.7% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 93.8% ±3.6 pts | 85.3% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.2% ±1.0 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.1% ±1.6 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.6% ±0.7 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.5% ±2.6 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.4% ±2.5 pts | 6.8% | – |
| With a disability | 17.8% ±6.1 pts | 18.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 13.8% ±5.0 pts | 10.5% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 81.8% ±7.1 pts | 84.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 12.7% ±5.1 pts | 18.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.0% ±2.6 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 93.8% ±3.6 pts | 92.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.9% ±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 Sawmills earn?
Half of Sawmills's 1,908 households earn less than $71,067 a year (±$12,767), against $56,425 in Caldwell County and $72,388 in North Carolina. In 2015-2019 it was $65,166 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 9.9% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Sawmills | Caldwell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $71,067 ±$12,767 | $56,425 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $85,361 ±$13,998 | $75,197 | – |
| Per capita income | $33,741 ±$6,934 | $31,914 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 9.9% ±4.9 pts | 13.4% | −8.8 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 8.6% ±9.4 pts | 19.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 15.1% ±6.5 pts | 14.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 92.6% ±5.5 pts | 89.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 89.2% ±5.5 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 Sawmills?
Owners occupy 68.7% of Sawmills's occupied homes and renters 31.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $219,600 by its owner (±$38,166). The median renter pays $730 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Sawmills | Caldwell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $219,600 ±$38,166 | $192,200 | +$86,316 |
| Median gross rent | $730 ±$66 | $744 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 17.0% ±13.7 pts | 31.1% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,134 ±$66 | $1,191 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 68.7% ±8.7 pts | 73.5% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 31.3% ±8.7 pts | 26.5% | – |
| Housing units | 2,370 ±280 | 37,387 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.1% ±3.7 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 16.1% ±14.0 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 62.0% ±7.9 pts | 73.2% | – |
| Mobile homes | 27.3% ±7.4 pts | 15.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.7% ±2.1 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.5% ±0.8 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.8% ±2.3 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 Sawmills work and get to work?
84.3% of Sawmills's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 23.0 minutes.
| Measure | Sawmills | Caldwell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 65.1% ±5.7 pts | 58.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 8.0% ±6.7 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 84.3% ±7.1 pts | 81.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 8.2% ±5.2 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 4.8% ±4.6 pts | 7.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 23.0 min ±2.5 | 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 Sawmills?
No census tract lies mostly in Sawmills; 5 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 307Caldwell County | 7,006 | $57,733 |
| Tract 314.01Caldwell County | 2,837 | $65,990 |
| Tract 314.03Caldwell County | 1,928 | $44,928 |
| Tract 306Caldwell County | 4,798 | $65,729 |
| Tract 314.02Caldwell County | 3,074 | $75,524 |
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 Sawmills) · Census block assignment files
How does Sawmills compare with other places in North Carolina?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Sawmills is the 4,833rd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 145th-most populous of 549 in North Carolina.
Sawmills ranks 176th 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 | 145th | 549 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 254th | 331 |
| Residents per square mile | 278th | 443 |
| Median household income | 176th | 434 |
| Per capita income | 211th | 443 |
| Median home value | 261st | 438 |
| Median gross rent | 351st | 395 |
| Poverty rate | 245th | 341 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 385th | 421 |
| Median age | 273rd | 442 |
| Owner-occupied share | 215th | 443 |
| Travel time to work | 264th | 439 |
Sawmills's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare Sawmills 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 Sawmills?
21 of the 57 figures for Sawmills 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 Sawmills 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 Sawmills.