How many people live in Caldwell County, NC?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 80,700 people living in Caldwell County, NC. That makes Caldwell County the 35th-most populous county in North Carolina. It is home to 0.72% of people living in the state.
80.7K
population of Caldwell County, NC (2024)
0.72%
County share of the North Carolina population (2024)
About 80,700 people lived in Caldwell County, NC in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Caldwell County, NC’s age demographics?
About 17,500 Caldwell County, NC residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 21.7% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18% of North Carolina’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 15,700 Caldwell County residents, or 19.4% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 21.6% of North Carolina’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A higher share of Caldwell County, NC's population is aged 45–64 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Caldwell County, NC’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 84.7% of the Caldwell County, NC population, higher than the national share of 57.5%.
In contrast, Caldwell County’s Hispanic population accounts for 7.3%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 5% of the county, compared with 12.6% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Caldwell County, NC has a higher share of a non-Hispanic white population than North Carolina as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Caldwell County, NC is Lenoir with about 18,300 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Caldwell County, NC ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Lenoir | 18,280 |
| 2. | Sawmills | 5,059 |
| 3. | Granite Falls | 4,942 |
| 4. | Hudson | 3,771 |
| 5. | Gamewell | 3,699 |
| 6. | Cajah's Mountain | 2,699 |
| 7. | Rhodhiss (pt.) | 347 |
| 8. | Cedar Rock | 299 |
| 9. | Blowing Rock (pt.) | 97 |
| 10. | Hickory (pt.) | 34 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
