Census tract · Caldwell County
Census Tract 309, Caldwell County, North Carolina
Census Tract 309, GEOID 37027030900, in Caldwell County, North Carolina, partly within Gamewell. 5,455 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±1,069); the 2020 Census counted 4,686.
Residents, 2020-2024
5,455
±1,069 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 4,686
Median household income
$44,919
±$19,304 (90% margin)
Caldwell County: $56,425
Median home value
$207,600
±$46,011 (90% margin)
Caldwell County: $192,200
Median gross rent
$943
±$241 (90% margin)
Caldwell County: $744
Where is Census Tract 309?
Census Tract 309 is one of 19 census tracts in Caldwell County, North Carolina. It covers 97.00 square miles of land, 48 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 37027030900, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Gamewell | 7% |
6 census tracts border Census Tract 309: Tract 9302 in Avery County ($61,927), Tract 201 in Burke County ($55,034), Tract 202.03 in Burke County ($99,633), Tract 302 ($55,386), Tract 308.02 ($42,841) and Tract 310. The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 309?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 309's population at 5,455 (±1,069) in 2,023 households; the 2020 Census counted 4,686 residents and 2,437 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 309 | Caldwell County |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 5,455 ±1,069 | 80,536 |
| Households | 2,023 ±260 | 32,919 |
| Average household size | 2.70 ±0.34 | 2.42 |
| Housing units | 2,391 ±236 | 37,387 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 309?
The median resident of Census Tract 309 is 38.6 years old; 26.9% are under 18 and 21.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 93.7%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 5.3%.
| Measure | Tract 309 | Caldwell County |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.6 ±7.6 | 45.4 |
| Under 18 years | 26.9% ±6.6 pts | 19.7% |
| 65 years and over | 21.6% ±6.3 pts | 21.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.3% ±5.3 pts | 6.7% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 93.7% ±5.6 pts | 85.3% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 4.1% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 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 | 0.9% ±1.3 pts | 3.2% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.1% |
| Born outside the United States | 3.6% ±3.3 pts | 3.0% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 6.6% ±5.7 pts | 5.6% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.9% ±3.9 pts | 6.8% |
| With a disability | 14.8% ±6.4 pts | 18.4% |
| No health insurance coverage | 16.2% ±6.5 pts | 10.5% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 77.3% ±8.2 pts | 84.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 17.6% ±7.3 pts | 18.8% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.4% ±3.5 pts | 6.2% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 93.0% ±4.2 pts | 92.3% |
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 Census Tract 309 earn?
Half of the 2,023 households in Census Tract 309 earn less than $44,919 a year (±$19,304), against $56,425 across Caldwell County: 16th highest of the county's 18 tracts with a reliable estimate. 20.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 309 | Caldwell County |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $44,919 ±$19,304 | $56,425 |
| Mean household income | $78,633 ±$14,593 | $75,197 |
| Per capita income | $28,604 ±$4,931 | $31,914 |
| People below the poverty line | 20.4% ±10.3 pts | 13.4% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 30.2% ±20.5 pts | 19.6% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 13.1% ±6.8 pts | 14.3% |
| Households with a computer | 90.7% ±5.9 pts | 89.0% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 87.1% ±8.2 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 Census Tract 309?
Owners occupy 74.0% of Census Tract 309's occupied homes and renters 26.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $207,600 by its owner (±$46,011). The median renter pays $943 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Tract 309 | Caldwell County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $207,600 ±$46,011 | $192,200 |
| Median gross rent | $943 ±$241 | $744 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 34.0% ±27.9 pts | 31.1% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,307 ±$201 | $1,191 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 74.0% ±9.7 pts | 73.5% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 26.0% ±9.7 pts | 26.5% |
| Housing units | 2,391 ±236 | 37,387 |
| Single-family detached homes | 83.6% ±7.8 pts | 73.2% |
| Mobile homes | 12.8% ±7.1 pts | 15.0% |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.3% ±1.9 pts | 0.9% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 5.4% ±3.5 pts | 4.4% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 5.7% |
| Households with no vehicle | 5.2% ±5.3 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 Census Tract 309 get to work?
80.3% of Census Tract 309's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 32.2 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 309 | Caldwell County |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 48.1% ±7.9 pts | 58.4% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% ±3.7 pts | 5.0% |
| Drove alone to work | 80.3% ±10.4 pts | 81.6% |
| Carpooled | 19.4% ±10.4 pts | 9.8% |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 0.0% |
| Walked | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 0.6% |
| Worked from home | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 7.1% |
| Mean travel time to work | 32.2 min ±6.0 | 25.9 min |
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
How does Census Tract 309 compare with the other tracts in Caldwell County?
Among Caldwell County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 309 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Caldwell County |
|---|---|
| Population | 3rd of 19 |
| Residents per square mile | 18th of 19 |
| Median household income | 16th of 18 |
| Per capita income | 13th of 19 |
| Median home value | 8th of 19 |
| Median gross rent | 3rd of 18 |
| Poverty rate | 2nd of 17 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10th of 19 |
| Median age | 17th of 19 |
| Owner-occupied share | 10th of 19 |
The tracts next to it on Caldwell County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 303 | 13th | $48,456±$13,532 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 301 | 14th | $46,628±$6,761 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 314.03 | 15th | $44,928±$5,343 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 309 | 16th | $44,919±$19,304 |
| Tract 308.02 | 17th | $42,841±$6,901 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 304 | 18th | $41,180±$13,278 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 309?
4 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 309 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.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). 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 · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections