McDowell County, North Carolina
County seat: Marion · Population 45,198 (2025) · 440 sq mi
McDowell County is the 57th most populous of North Carolina's 100 counties, with 45,198 people (2025 estimate). Its county seat is Marion. It is part of the Northwest Region region, one of the 8 Prosperity Zones of North Carolina. The map shows its 2 cities and towns and the 6 neighboring counties.
McDowell County facts
- County seat
- Marion
- Population (2025 estimate)
- 45,198 +1.4% since 2020
- Land area
- 440 sq mi 55th largest of 100
- Water area
- 5 sq mi
- Population density
- 103 per sq mi
- Established
- 1842
- Named after
- Joseph McDowell, Jr. American politician (1756-1801)
- Largest city
- Marion 7,440
- Median household income
- $57,168
- Cities and towns
- 2 plus 3 CDPs
- ZIP codes
- 9
- Time zone
- Eastern
- FIPS code
- 37111
Cities and towns in McDowell County
McDowell County has 2 incorporated cities, towns and villages. Populations count the people living inside McDowell County; cities that cross a county line also list the other counties.
| Name | Type | Population 2025 | Also in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marion (county seat) | City | 7,440 | |
| Old Fort | Town | 797 |
Unincorporated communities (CDPs)
Census-designated places are communities without their own city government; the county provides their services.
| Community | Population | Also in |
|---|---|---|
| Nebo | 1,670 | |
| West Marion | 1,066 | |
| Glenwood | 226 |
ZIP codes in McDowell County
9 ZIP codes reach into McDowell County. ZIP codes ignore county lines, so some also cover a neighboring county.
- 28167 also Rutherford County
- 28655 also Burke and Caldwell counties
- 28657 also Avery and Burke counties
- 28711 also Buncombe, Rutherford and Henderson counties
- 28749 also Mitchell County
- 28752 also Rutherford County
- 28761 also Burke County
- 28762
- 28777 also Mitchell, Avery and Yancey counties
Population of McDowell County, 2020–2025
McDowell County grew by 614 people (+1.4%) between April 2020 and July 2025: 1,511 more deaths than births and a net gain of 2,060 people from migration.
| Year (July 1) | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 44,554 |
| 2021 | 44,541 |
| 2022 | 44,745 |
| 2023 | 44,946 |
| 2024 | 45,298 |
| 2025 | 45,198 |
Neighboring counties
- Burke County east · 88,655 people
- Rutherford County south · 65,745 people
- Buncombe County west · 277,417 people
- Yancey County northwest · 19,084 people
- Mitchell County north · 15,062 people
- Avery County north · 18,110 people
Printable McDowell County map
The PDF is a vector file with real text: it prints sharp on Letter paper and you can search it for a town. The PNG is 2400 pixels wide for slides and documents. Both are free to use with a credit to WhichCounty.
- PDF (Letter) (113 KB)
- PNG (2400 px) (102 KB)
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Sources
- Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files (1:500,000).
- Population: Census Bureau county and city estimates, Vintage 2025. CDP populations: American Community Survey 2020–2024.
- Places and ZIP codes: Census Bureau 2026 Gazetteer and 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Area relationship files.
- County seat, founding year and name origin: Wikidata (CC0), checked against state sources.
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