Population 3,888 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Mill Spring
Household size in Mill Spring
| Period | Mill Spring | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.39 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.46 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.47 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.44 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.06 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Mill Spring run small, averaging 2.44 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. The picture is much the same across North Carolina.
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 Mill Spring
| Period | Mill Spring | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.9 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.9 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.8 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.7 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.2 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Mill Spring is 41.7 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. The picture is much the same across North Carolina. The median age has dropped from 43.9 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Mill Spring
| Period | Mill Spring | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.7% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.5% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +7.8 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in six households in Mill Spring (15.5%), well above 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 Mill Spring
Renters in Mill Spring
| Period | Mill Spring | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.6% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.8% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.6% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.1% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +8.6 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Mill Spring is largely a place of homeowners: only 22.1% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 59.5% have no mortgage at all, 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 Mill Spring
| Period | Mill Spring | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.4% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 25.6% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 29.2% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.1% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +7.6 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 25.1% of the housing in Mill Spring, 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 Mill Spring
| Period | Mill Spring | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1981 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1990 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1990 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1992 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +7 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Mill Spring is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1992, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The picture is much the same across 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 Mill Spring
| Period | Mill Spring | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $538 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $669 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $735 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $671 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$133 | +$528 | +$606 |
The median renter in Mill Spring pays $671 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 31.3% of the typical renter's income, just over 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 Mill Spring
Bachelor's degrees in Mill Spring
| Period | Mill Spring | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.9% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.1% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.8% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.2% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.4 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Mill Spring: 20.2% 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 Mill Spring
| Period | Mill Spring | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.1% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.3% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.3% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.0% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in seven adults in Mill Spring never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
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 Mill Spring
| Period | Mill Spring | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.2% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.2% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.7% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.2% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −10.0 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Mill Spring than nationally: unemployment was 6.2%, against 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).
Mill Spring 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mill Spring | 2.44 | 41.7 | 15.5% | 22.1% | 25.1% | 1992 | $671 | 20.2% | 85.0% | 6.2% |
| Sunny View | 2.51 | 45.3 | 6.4% | 19.1% | 32.0% | 1999 | $661 | 20.7% | 92.1% | 8.6% |
| Pea Ridge | 2.29 | 41.9 | 14.3% | 32.4% | 18.2% | 1992 | $608 | 16.3% | 85.9% | 4.0% |
| Columbus | 2.22 | 55.5 | 6.9% | 25.8% | 12.9% | 1986 | $1,961 | 35.7% | 94.4% | 3.3% |
| Lynn | 2.03 | 61.7 | 6.5% | 21.5% | 8.5% | 1980 | $1,068 | 33.0% | 96.9% | 16.3% |
| Tryon | 2.04 | 57.7 | 4.3% | 25.3% | 12.8% | 1979 | $1,262 | 41.9% | 94.9% | 5.4% |
| Green Hill | 2.37 | 53.0 | 8.1% | 11.4% | 3.3% | 1994 | $654 | 29.9% | 90.6% | 1.7% |
| Lake Lure | 1.95 | 60.1 | 5.4% | 17.7% | 49.4% | 1993 | $1,285 | 43.3% | 94.7% | 5.2% |
| Upward | 2.30 | 51.0 | 11.4% | 21.1% | 24.6% | 1997 | $842 | 16.7% | 84.4% | 4.4% |
| Chimney Rock Village | 1.96 | 61.0 | 5.9% | 14.3% | 68.1% | 1986 | $1,453 | 46.8% | 98.2% | 3.1% |
| Chimney Rock | 2.02 | 60.4 | 4.4% | 23.4% | 46.4% | 1998 | $645 | 39.6% | 92.3% | 4.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Kirkwood, NY · Shannon, MS · Sneedville, TN · Sautee Nacoochee, GA · Salina, OK · Rock Rapids, IA · Rising Fawn, GA · Ridgeley, WV · Richmond, MN · Reno, TX
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 Mill Spring. 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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