Population 654 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Little Switzerland
Household size in Little Switzerland
| Period | Little Switzerland | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.62 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.92 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.11 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.53 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.09 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Little Switzerland run a little small, averaging 2.53 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. North Carolina as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.62, 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 Little Switzerland
| Period | Little Switzerland | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.6 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.9 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 54.3 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.5 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.8 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Little Switzerland is 36.5 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1.
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 Little Switzerland
| Period | Little Switzerland | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.9% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.6% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.1% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.1% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +9.2 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Little Switzerland than nationally: 14.1%, against 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 Little Switzerland
Renters in Little Switzerland
| Period | Little Switzerland | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.5% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 22.8% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.7% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 36.4% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +9.9 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Little Switzerland is about as common as it is nationally: 36.4% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in North Carolina as a whole (33.4%). About three-quarters of owners (74.5%) 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 Little Switzerland
| Period | Little Switzerland | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.7% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 28.1% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 30.3% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.6% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −7.0 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 21.6% of the housing in Little Switzerland, 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 Little Switzerland
| Period | Little Switzerland | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1985 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +7 | +6 |
The housing in Little Switzerland is a little younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1985, against 1980 nationally. Even so, 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 Little Switzerland
| Period | Little Switzerland | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $478 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $600 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $636 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $865 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$387 | +$528 | +$606 |
The median renter in Little Switzerland pays $865 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 19.0% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Little Switzerland
Bachelor's degrees in Little Switzerland
| Period | Little Switzerland | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.9% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.2% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.7% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.7% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Little Switzerland: 12.7% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
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 Little Switzerland
| Period | Little Switzerland | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.3% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 85.0% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.4% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 78.9% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | −4.4 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in five adults in Little Switzerland never finished high school, well above the national share: only 78.9% 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 Little Switzerland
| Period | Little Switzerland | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.3% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.8% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.3% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 19.7% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | +14.4 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Little Switzerland: 19.7% 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).
Little Switzerland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Switzerland | 2.53 | 36.5 | 14.1% | 36.4% | 21.6% | 1985 | $865 | 12.7% | 78.9% | 19.7% |
| Sevier | 2.59 | 34.3 | 16.1% | 41.1% | 23.5% | 1983 | $825 | 8.9% | 74.0% | 23.6% |
| Estatoe | 2.46 | 50.5 | 5.1% | 18.5% | 28.1% | 1987 | $900 | 26.9% | 92.4% | 5.3% |
| Spruce Pine | 2.22 | 45.2 | 7.3% | 25.2% | 21.0% | 1983 | $804 | 21.6% | 90.6% | 5.1% |
| North Cove | 2.33 | 40.0 | 17.0% | 19.0% | 27.3% | 1985 | $828 | 5.7% | 85.9% | 6.1% |
| Woodlawn | 2.65 | 37.2 | 16.2% | 30.7% | 17.3% | 1990 | $818 | 26.2% | 94.4% | 7.0% |
| Glenwood | 1.89 | 59.3 | 2.0% | 38.7% | 27.0% | 1993 | $831 | 11.1% | 74.6% | 0.0% |
| Clinchfield | 2.66 | 37.9 | 16.2% | 28.2% | 15.9% | 1991 | $817 | 30.0% | 98.9% | 3.2% |
| Hamrick | 2.49 | 50.3 | 3.4% | 16.1% | 26.3% | 1991 | $840 | 28.2% | 89.3% | 14.0% |
| Busick | 2.06 | 54.9 | 5.3% | 29.0% | 21.4% | 1976 | $899 | 27.6% | 86.3% | 2.9% |
| Linville Falls | 2.47 | 42.8 | 3.4% | 25.8% | 36.4% | 1992 | $599 | 9.5% | 84.1% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Wardell, MO · Crabtree, PA · Crenshaw, PA · Cumberland, IA · Daniels, TX · Davis, MO · Verner, WV · Violet Hill, AR · Walter Crossroad, TN · Couderay, WI
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 Little Switzerland. 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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