How many people live in Catawba County, NC?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 167,100 people living in Catawba County, NC. That makes Catawba County the 19th-most populous county in North Carolina. It is home to 1.5% of people living in the state.
167K
population of Catawba County, NC (2024)
1.5%
County share of the North Carolina population (2024)
About 167,100 people lived in Catawba County, NC in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Catawba County, NC’s age demographics?
About 32,500 Catawba County, NC residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 19.4% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18% of North Carolina’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 35,300 Catawba County residents, or 21.1% 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 lower share of Catawba County, NC's population is aged 25–44 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Catawba County, NC’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 72.1% of the Catawba County, NC population, higher than the national share of 57.5%.
In contrast, Catawba County’s Hispanic population accounts for 12.3%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 8.3% 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.
Catawba 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 Catawba County, NC is Hickory with about 45,000 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Catawba County, NC ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Hickory (pt.) | 44,962 |
| 2. | Newton | 13,571 |
| 3. | Conover | 8,760 |
| 4. | Long View (pt.) | 4,525 |
| 5. | Maiden (pt.) | 3,852 |
| 6. | Claremont | 1,753 |
| 7. | Catawba | 729 |
| 8. | Brookford | 449 |
| 9. | Balance of Catawba County | 88,453 |
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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.
