Population 5,812 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Etowah
Household size in Etowah
| Period | Etowah | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.21 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.20 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.20 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.28 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.07 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Etowah are small: just 2.28 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.21, even as the national average fell.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Etowah
| Period | Etowah | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 49.3 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 50.6 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 53.3 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 50.5 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.2 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Etowah skews older: half of its residents are older than 50.5, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 49.3 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people, only 25 are older.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Etowah
| Period | Etowah | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.5% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.2% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −5.3 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Etowah: 6.2% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share has fallen 5.3 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Etowah has a lower share of single-parent households than at least four in five North Carolina cities.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Etowah
Renters in Etowah
| Period | Etowah | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.7% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.2% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.2% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 13.3% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 13.3% of households in Etowah rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 47.4% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 1.4 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose. Of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people, only 24 have a lower share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Etowah
| Period | Etowah | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.3% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.2% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.6% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.7% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −8.6 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Etowah is close to the national rate: 9.7% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is lower than in North Carolina as a whole (11.4%). Vacancy is down 8.6 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Etowah
| Period | Etowah | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1988 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1989 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1991 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1990 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +7 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Etowah is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1990, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. That is in line with the rest of North Carolina.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Etowah
| Period | Etowah | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $931 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $921 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $541 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,419 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$488 | +$528 | +$606 |
The median renter in Etowah pays $1,419 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in North Carolina overall ($1,317). Rents are up $488 a month from 2006–10, a 52% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 35.8% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Etowah
Bachelor's degrees in Etowah
| Period | Etowah | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.0% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 29.8% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.3% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 39.2% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +14.2 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
About four in ten adults 25 and older in Etowah (39.2%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a bit above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 14.2 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the southwest.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Etowah
| Period | Etowah | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.3% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.2% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.0% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.1% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Etowah: 95.1% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has edged up 0.7 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Etowah has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five North Carolina cities.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Etowah
| Period | Etowah | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.5% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.2% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.5% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.6 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Etowah has been low: just 2.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Only 32 of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people have lower unemployment. Unemployment is down 6.6 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Etowah compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Etowah | 2.28 | 50.5 | 6.2% | 13.3% | 9.7% | 1990 | $1,419 | 39.2% | 95.1% | 2.5% |
| Horse Shoe | 2.42 | 46.0 | 6.2% | 13.1% | 10.8% | 1989 | $1,567 | 39.4% | 95.1% | 5.6% |
| Penrose | 2.20 | 57.6 | 10.1% | 11.4% | 14.3% | 1987 | $1,084 | 33.0% | 94.5% | 2.0% |
| Laurel Park | 2.27 | 55.6 | 6.5% | 19.7% | 16.2% | 1979 | $1,915 | 57.9% | 96.7% | 4.1% |
| Mills River | 2.71 | 47.5 | 7.7% | 14.9% | 13.2% | 1993 | $1,450 | 43.0% | 95.0% | 4.5% |
| Valley Hill | 2.50 | 48.2 | 5.1% | 15.9% | 12.5% | 1987 | $1,684 | 43.5% | 93.8% | 0.4% |
| Pisgah Forest | 2.60 | 49.2 | 9.3% | 14.9% | 21.8% | 1985 | $1,036 | 35.7% | 94.8% | 2.9% |
| Little River | 2.14 | 58.3 | 6.3% | 9.7% | 15.4% | 1987 | $1,071 | 34.6% | 95.0% | 1.6% |
| Hendersonville | 2.30 | 47.0 | 10.6% | 30.9% | 11.5% | 1986 | $1,219 | 33.9% | 90.1% | 2.9% |
| East Flat Rock | 2.75 | 33.3 | 22.9% | 37.2% | 2.2% | 1986 | $951 | 15.9% | 80.7% | 8.5% |
| Zirconia | 2.29 | 50.0 | 9.3% | 11.7% | 16.1% | 1993 | $1,027 | 27.8% | 95.6% | 8.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Ojus, FL · Oregon, IL · Orange Lake, NY · Onalaska, TX · Omro, WI · Olivet, MI · Old Town, FL · Old Fort, NC · Old Fig Garden, CA · Old Bethpage, NY
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Etowah. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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