Population 154 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Fontana Dam
Household size in Fontana Dam
| Period | Fontana Dam | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.24 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.29 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.43 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.37 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.13 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Fontana Dam are small: just 2.37 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. Household size has climbed from 2.24 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Fontana Dam
| Period | Fontana Dam | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 51.4 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 48.0 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 48.0 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 54.5 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.1 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Fontana Dam skews older: half of its residents are older than 54.5, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 Fontana Dam
| Period | Fontana Dam | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.7% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.7% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.5% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.2 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 2.5% of households in Fontana Dam, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Fontana Dam
Renters in Fontana Dam
| Period | Fontana Dam | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.2% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.0% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.1% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 16.5% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −9.6 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 16.5% of households in Fontana Dam rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Just over eight in ten owners (83.8%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Fontana Dam
| Period | Fontana Dam | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 52.8% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 69.1% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 59.9% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 56.2% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.4 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 56.2% of the housing in Fontana Dam, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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 Fontana Dam
| Period | Fontana Dam | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1984 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1976 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1987 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | −5 | +7 | +6 |
The typical home in Fontana Dam was built around 1979, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in North Carolina as a whole, where the median home dates to 1990.
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 Fontana Dam
| Period | Fontana Dam | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $390 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $954 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $761 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $898 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$508 | +$528 | +$606 |
The median renter in Fontana Dam pays $898 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 34.7% 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 Fontana Dam
Bachelor's degrees in Fontana Dam
| Period | Fontana Dam | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.2% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.5% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.6% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +11.2 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Fontana Dam have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 22.6%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 Fontana Dam
| Period | Fontana Dam | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 75.8% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 80.5% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.4% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 77.0% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
23.0% of adults in Fontana Dam never finished high school, well above the national share: only 77.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
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 Fontana Dam
| Period | Fontana Dam | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.9% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 16.2% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.3% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.2% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.3 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Fontana Dam: 8.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
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).
Fontana Dam 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fontana Dam | 2.37 | 54.5 | 2.5% | 16.5% | 56.2% | 1979 | $898 | 22.6% | 77.0% | 8.2% |
| Yellow Creek | 2.37 | 54.5 | 2.5% | 16.5% | 56.2% | 1979 | $898 | 22.6% | 77.0% | 8.2% |
| Lake Santeetlah | 2.41 | 49.4 | 4.4% | 6.9% | 34.4% | 1989 | $723 | 10.0% | 86.3% | 7.2% |
| Tapoco | 2.38 | 53.9 | 2.9% | 16.6% | 54.6% | 1980 | $881 | 22.6% | 77.7% | 8.0% |
| Robbinsville | 2.34 | 44.8 | 10.4% | 18.1% | 22.5% | 1987 | $636 | 15.4% | 87.7% | 4.6% |
| Tuskeegee | 1.95 | 54.9 | 3.6% | 19.1% | 47.2% | 1993 | $888 | 22.0% | 88.9% | 14.4% |
| Santeetlah | 2.47 | 46.4 | 7.6% | 16.7% | 34.5% | 1992 | $663 | 21.2% | 86.5% | 5.4% |
| Almond | 2.17 | 41.9 | 6.2% | 38.1% | 48.4% | 1995 | $814 | 20.4% | 92.0% | 23.4% |
| Needmore | 2.18 | 50.0 | 8.4% | 33.2% | 41.9% | 1987 | $452 | 18.4% | 83.3% | 2.0% |
| Bryson City | 2.20 | 43.8 | 11.9% | 28.6% | 31.7% | 1988 | $718 | 22.8% | 85.4% | 7.0% |
| Rafter | 2.72 | 50.0 | 3.8% | 24.3% | 34.9% | 1995 | $566 | 18.5% | 86.7% | 0.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Quinault, WA · Nimmons, SC · Nimrod, AR · No Creek, KY · Noble, KY · Nobleboro, NY · North Creek, OH · North Creek, UT · Oilfield, IL · Okaton, SD
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 Fontana Dam. 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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