Census tract · Mitchell County
Census Tract 9503, Mitchell County, North Carolina
Census Tract 9503, GEOID 37121950300, in Mitchell County, North Carolina, partly within Spruce Pine. 4,331 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±462); the 2020 Census counted 4,120.
Residents, 2020-2024
4,331
±462 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 4,120
Median household income
$42,156
±$5,487 (90% margin)
Mitchell County: $57,602
Median home value
$194,100
±$31,800 (90% margin)
Mitchell County: $220,100
Median gross rent
$820
±$179 (90% margin)
Mitchell County: $813
Where is Census Tract 9503?
Census Tract 9503 is one of 4 census tracts in Mitchell County, North Carolina. It covers 31.03 square miles of land, 133 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 37121950300, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Spruce Pine | 47% |
4 census tracts border Census Tract 9503: Tract 9304 in Avery County ($92,381), Tract 9701.02 in McDowell County ($57,212), Tract 9502 ($60,893) and Tract 9504 ($68,519). 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 9503?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 9503's population at 4,331 (±462) in 1,849 households; the 2020 Census counted 4,120 residents and 2,127 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 9503 | Mitchell County |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 4,331 ±462 | 14,992 |
| Households | 1,849 ±225 | 6,587 |
| Average household size | 2.16 ±0.16 | 2.21 |
| Housing units | 2,324 ±211 | 8,697 |
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 9503?
The median resident of Census Tract 9503 is 44.2 years old; 15.7% are under 18 and 18.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 83.1%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 12.0%. 4.9% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 9503 | Mitchell County |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.2 ±3.8 | 48.0 |
| Under 18 years | 15.7% ±3.0 pts | 17.6% |
| 65 years and over | 18.6% ±2.9 pts | 26.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 12.0% ±3.5 pts | 5.6% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 83.1% ±3.7 pts | 91.0% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 2.1% ±1.5 pts | 0.9% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±0.8 pts | 0.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.2 pts | 0.3% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.9% ±1.3 pts | 1.6% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.2% |
| Born outside the United States | 4.9% ±2.5 pts | 2.4% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 10.5% ±4.0 pts | 4.4% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.2% ±2.4 pts | 7.7% |
| With a disability | 19.4% ±4.5 pts | 18.9% |
| No health insurance coverage | 12.2% ±4.9 pts | 9.3% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 85.4% ±5.0 pts | 90.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 20.2% ±6.0 pts | 24.2% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.4% ±3.0 pts | 9.5% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 84.3% ±4.8 pts | 90.1% |
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 9503 earn?
Half of the 1,849 households in Census Tract 9503 earn less than $42,156 a year (±$5,487), against $57,602 across Mitchell County: 4th highest of the county's 4 tracts with a reliable estimate. 22.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 9503 | Mitchell County |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $42,156 ±$5,487 | $57,602 |
| Mean household income | $69,070 ±$14,339 | $78,464 |
| Per capita income | $27,121 ±$4,391 | $34,790 |
| People below the poverty line | 22.1% ±7.0 pts | 12.9% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 28.8% ±17.9 pts | 12.3% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 18.7% ±6.7 pts | 17.0% |
| Households with a computer | 90.1% ±5.4 pts | 89.6% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 85.8% ±6.0 pts | 82.4% |
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 9503?
Owners occupy 64.3% of Census Tract 9503's occupied homes and renters 35.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $194,100 by its owner (±$31,800). The median renter pays $820 a month including utilities, and 27.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 9503 | Mitchell County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $194,100 ±$31,800 | $220,100 |
| Median gross rent | $820 ±$179 | $813 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 27.5% ±14.9 pts | 31.9% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,266 ±$240 | $1,275 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 64.3% ±7.6 pts | 76.3% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 35.7% ±7.6 pts | 23.7% |
| Housing units | 2,324 ±211 | 8,697 |
| Single-family detached homes | 61.6% ±7.1 pts | 76.5% |
| Mobile homes | 19.9% ±6.0 pts | 15.4% |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.2% ±1.9 pts | 0.3% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 6.1% ±3.6 pts | 5.3% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 7.8% ±4.3 pts | 9.2% |
| Households with no vehicle | 10.3% ±4.9 pts | 8.1% |
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 9503 get to work?
75.2% of Census Tract 9503's workers drive alone and 9.6% work from home. The average trip to work takes 22.7 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 9503 | Mitchell County |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 55.8% ±5.6 pts | 56.2% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.2% ±4.9 pts | 6.5% |
| Drove alone to work | 75.2% ±7.6 pts | 79.0% |
| Carpooled | 11.8% ±6.5 pts | 10.8% |
| Public transportation | 1.0% ±1.6 pts | 0.3% |
| Walked | 1.4% ±2.2 pts | 1.7% |
| Worked from home | 9.6% ±5.3 pts | 7.2% |
| Mean travel time to work | 22.7 min ±4.7 | 24.4 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 9503 compare with the other tracts in Mitchell County?
Among Mitchell County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 9503 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Mitchell County |
|---|---|
| Population | 2nd of 4 |
| Residents per square mile | 1st of 4 |
| Median household income | 4th of 4 |
| Per capita income | 4th of 4 |
| Median home value | 4th of 4 |
| Median gross rent | 2nd of 4 |
| Poverty rate | 1st of 4 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 4th of 4 |
| Median age | 4th of 4 |
| Owner-occupied share | 4th of 4 |
The tracts next to it on Mitchell County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9504 | 1st | $68,519±$6,907 |
| Tract 9502 | 2nd | $60,893±$21,710 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 9501 | 3rd | $52,700±$15,927 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 9503 | 4th | $42,156±$5,487 |
"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 9503?
2 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 9503 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