Census tract · McDowell County
Census Tract 9709.03, McDowell County, North Carolina
Census Tract 9709.03, GEOID 37111970903, in McDowell County, North Carolina, partly within Marion and Glenwood. 5,533 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±693); the 2020 Census counted 4,704.
Residents, 2020-2024
5,533
±693 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 4,704
Median household income
$59,479
±$18,610 (90% margin)
McDowell County: $57,168
Median home value
$135,200
±$63,867 (90% margin)
McDowell County: $171,100
Median gross rent
$548
±$447 (90% margin)
McDowell County: $806
Where is Census Tract 9709.03?
Census Tract 9709.03 is one of 12 census tracts in McDowell County, North Carolina. It covers 55.19 square miles of land, 85 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 37111970903, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
6 census tracts border Census Tract 9709.03: Tract 9702 ($50,603), Tract 9705 ($44,669), Tract 9709.02 ($56,123), Tract 9709.04 ($74,654), Tract 9601.02 in Rutherford County ($60,500) and Tract 9602.01 in Rutherford County ($45,556). 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 9709.03?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 9709.03's population at 5,533 (±693) in 1,881 households; the 2020 Census counted 4,704 residents and 1,917 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 9709.03 | McDowell County |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 5,533 ±693 | 44,817 |
| Households | 1,881 ±255 | 18,638 |
| Average household size | 2.53 ±0.21 | 2.33 |
| Housing units | 2,147 ±252 | 21,575 |
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 9709.03?
The median resident of Census Tract 9709.03 is 42.8 years old; 15.8% are under 18 and 18.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 86.6%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 10.2%.
| Measure | Tract 9709.03 | McDowell County |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.8 ±2.7 | 44.3 |
| Under 18 years | 15.8% ±2.8 pts | 19.4% |
| 65 years and over | 18.2% ±2.8 pts | 21.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.3% ±1.3 pts | 7.1% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 86.6% ±3.2 pts | 85.6% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 10.2% ±2.7 pts | 3.8% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 1.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±0.9 pts | 0.3% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.8% ±0.9 pts | 2.0% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.0% |
| Born outside the United States | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 3.2% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.5% ±2.9 pts | 7.2% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 15.1% ±4.1 pts | 7.6% |
| With a disability | 20.9% ±5.2 pts | 17.8% |
| No health insurance coverage | 13.0% ±4.6 pts | 11.5% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 78.5% ±5.5 pts | 85.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 16.9% ±5.9 pts | 18.1% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.1% ±2.2 pts | 5.7% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.3% ±3.5 pts | 90.5% |
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 Census Tract 9709.03 earn?
Half of the 1,881 households in Census Tract 9709.03 earn less than $59,479 a year (±$18,610), against $57,168 across McDowell County: 6th highest of the county's 12 tracts with a reliable estimate. 11.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 9709.03 | McDowell County |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,479 ±$18,610 | $57,168 |
| Mean household income | $77,749 ±$13,021 | $72,753 |
| Per capita income | $27,480 ±$4,620 | $30,395 |
| People below the poverty line | 11.1% ±6.0 pts | 14.8% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 22.3% ±18.0 pts | 19.3% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 11.3% ±5.2 pts | 18.3% |
| Households with a computer | 92.3% ±4.5 pts | 89.7% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 90.5% ±4.5 pts | 83.6% |
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 9709.03?
Owners occupy 86.7% of Census Tract 9709.03's occupied homes and renters 13.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $135,200 by its owner (±$63,867).
| Measure | Tract 9709.03 | McDowell County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $135,200 ±$63,867 | $171,100 |
| Median gross rent | $548 ±$447 | $806 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 22.7% ±25.0 pts | 32.8% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,384 ±$239 | $1,161 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 86.7% ±7.6 pts | 75.6% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 13.3% ±7.6 pts | 24.4% |
| Housing units | 2,147 ±252 | 21,575 |
| Single-family detached homes | 63.2% ±9.1 pts | 68.8% |
| Mobile homes | 35.4% ±9.0 pts | 24.5% |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.4% ±1.4 pts | 1.4% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 13.6% ±6.6 pts | 7.1% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 1.6% ±2.0 pts | 6.7% |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.4% ±4.5 pts | 6.2% |
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 Census Tract 9709.03 get to work?
83.8% of Census Tract 9709.03's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 27.4 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 9709.03 | McDowell County |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 44.7% ±5.4 pts | 54.5% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.7% ±2.7 pts | 4.1% |
| Drove alone to work | 83.8% ±6.4 pts | 83.4% |
| Carpooled | 7.6% ±4.8 pts | 8.6% |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.1 pts | 0.0% |
| Walked | 2.5% ±2.8 pts | 1.0% |
| Worked from home | 4.7% ±3.5 pts | 6.0% |
| Mean travel time to work | 27.4 min ±3.2 | 24.7 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 9709.03 compare with the other tracts in McDowell County?
Among McDowell County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 9709.03 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In McDowell County |
|---|---|
| Population | 1st of 12 |
| Residents per square mile | 8th of 12 |
| Median household income | 6th of 12 |
| Per capita income | 8th of 12 |
| Median home value | 9th of 12 |
| Poverty rate | 10th of 11 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 8th of 12 |
| Median age | 7th of 12 |
| Owner-occupied share | 1st of 12 |
The tracts next to it on McDowell County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9703 | 3rd | $64,063±$18,801 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 9706 | 4th | $60,156±$17,203 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 9707 | 5th | $59,773±$16,672 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 9709.03 | 6th | $59,479±$18,610 |
| Tract 9701.02 | 7th | $57,212±$12,445 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 9709.02 | 8th | $56,123±$9,826 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 9701.01 | 9th | $52,426±$9,605 · 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 9709.03?
4 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 9709.03 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