Housing data for Old Fort, NC
Old Fort, NC has an estimated 555 residents and 385 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a town in McDowell County.
51.7% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $818 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−44.7%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 555 (±125)
- Housing units
- 385 (±91)
- Households that rent
- 51.7%
- Median gross rent
- $818
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −44.7%
What stands out in Old Fort
Households that rent: 51.7% (±13.1 points) in Old Fort, higher than in McDowell County (24.4%).
Homes built before 1980: 66.9% (±17.4 points) in Old Fort, higher than in McDowell County (42.8%).
Median home value: $135,900 (±$32,954) in Old Fort, lower than in McDowell County ($171,100).
Median household income: $47,500 (±$5,632) in Old Fort, lower than in McDowell County ($57,168).
- Renters and owners in Old Fort
- Age of homes in Old Fort
- Home values in Old Fort
- Income and affordability in Old Fort
Housing in Old Fort at a glance
- Median rent: $818 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $814 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent burden: 36.6% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 51.7% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $47,500 median household income
- Home values: $135,900 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,114 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $1,026 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 6.5% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 50.1% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 66.9% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 1.9% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 70.5% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 24.8 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: −44.7% residents since 2015–2019 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- How long people stay: 29.1% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.7% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Old Fort against McDowell County, its state and the nation
| Old Fort | McDowell County | North Carolina | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 555 (±125) | 44,817 (exact) | 10,730,404 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 385 (±91) | 21,575 (±70) | 4,895,668 (±642) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 51.7% (±13.1 points) | 24.4% (±2.6 points) | 33.4% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $818 (±$102) | $806 (±$45) | $1,228 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $47,500 (±$5,632) | $57,168 (±$4,181) | $72,388 (±$324) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $135,900 (±$32,954) | $171,100 (±$10,414) | $288,900 (±$1,086) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $1,026 (±$291) | $911 (±$73) | $1,896 (±$8) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 66.9% (±17.4 points) | 42.8% (±3.8 points) | 33.9% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 24.8 minutes (±3.6) | 24.7 minutes (±1.0) | 25.1 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 86.3% (±8.0 points) | 83.6% (±2.6 points) | 90.1% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 53.4 years (±9.4) | 44.3 years (±0.3) | 39.1 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Old Fort covers 1.2 square miles of land, about 455 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Old Fort has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 1,004 (±240) | 555 (±125) | −44.7% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 548 (±98) | 385 (±91) | −29.7% | Measurable decrease |
| Median gross rent | $540 (±$94) | $818 (±$102) | +51.5% | Up after inflation |
| Median home value | $82,400 (±$20,860) | $135,900 (±$32,954) | +64.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $28,125 (±$4,657) | $47,500 (±$5,632) | +68.9% | Up after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,013 (±$156) | $1,114 (±$144) | +10.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $516 (±$150) | $1,026 (±$291) | +98.8% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 42.3% (±10.9 points) | 51.7% (±13.1 points) | +9.4 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 4.7% (±6.9 points) | 1.9% (±3.0 points) | −2.8 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in McDowell County
Old Fort has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for McDowell County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for McDowell County recorded 148 violent and 2,142 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
Places near Old Fort
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreat | 6.9 mi | — | $606,400 | 0.0% |
| Black Mountain | 8.4 mi | $1,652 | $358,900 | 33.1% |
| West Marion | 9.1 mi | $866 | $161,600 | 36.7% |
| Marion | 10 mi | $762 | $163,500 | 48.7% |
| Swannanoa | 12 mi | $788 | $287,500 | 21.4% |
| Lake Lure | 13 mi | $786 | $627,000 | 11.9% |
| Chimney Rock Village | 13 mi | $1,617 | $477,300 | 43.1% |
| Fairview (community) | 15 mi | — | $439,600 | 5.5% |
Places in North Carolina most like Old Fort
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahoskie | $809 | $143,200 | $40,987 | 52.4% |
| Long View | $794 | $157,300 | $46,739 | 46.9% |
| Troy | $675 | $160,100 | $51,731 | 51.6% |
| Lexington | $893 | $179,900 | $43,128 | 58.4% |
| Roxboro | $860 | $157,700 | $36,553 | 49.3% |
| Roanoke Rapids | $858 | $142,700 | $53,690 | 50.1% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across North Carolina.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Old Fort, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $864 | $910 | $1,012 | $1,289 | $1,330 |
HUD income limits for Old Fort, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $16,450 | $27,450 | $43,900 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $31,350 | $50,150 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $35,250 | $56,400 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $39,150 | $62,650 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $42,300 | $67,700 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $45,450 | $72,700 |
| 7 people | $48,550 | $48,550 | $77,700 |
| 8 people | $51,700 | $51,700 | $82,700 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the McDowell County, NC, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $75,700.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Old Fort
What is the average rent in Old Fort, NC?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Old Fort is $818 (±$102) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How many renters are there in Old Fort?
Old Fort has an estimated 151 (±55) renting households, 51.7% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Old Fort?
The median household income in Old Fort is $47,500 (±$5,632) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Old Fort, NC?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $135,900 (±$32,954) for owner-occupied homes in Old Fort (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Old Fort?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Old Fort, NC is $1,114 (±$144) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in Old Fort?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Old Fort, NC is $1,026 (±$291) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Old Fort growing?
In Old Fort, the number of residents went from 1,004 in 2015–2019 to 555 in 2020–2024 (−44.7%), a measurable decrease.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Old Fort town, North Carolina
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Old Fort town, North Carolina
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Old Fort town, North Carolina
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Old Fort town, North Carolina
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Old Fort town, North Carolina
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Old Fort town, North Carolina
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Old Fort town, North Carolina
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: McDowell County, NC
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: McDowell County, NC
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Old Fort town, North Carolina (place:48920, in state:37).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .