McDowell County and Its Homes
McDowell County grew 1 percent from 2020 to 2025, to 45,198 people by the Census Bureau's estimate, in about 21,600 housing units.
Its two incorporated towns each have a page here: Marion and Old Fort. About 15 percent of McDowell County's housing units are inside town limits, the rest in unincorporated areas.
McDowell County at a Glance
- Population: 45,198 (2025), 44,554 (2020)
- Housing units: about 21,600
- Median year built: 1984 (North Carolina: 1991)
- Built before 1980: 43% (statewide: 34%)
- Detached houses: 69%
- Mobile homes: 24%
- Owner-occupied: 76%
- Heated with electricity: 71% (statewide: 65%)
- Climate zone: 4 on both maps
- Towns with pages here: 2
Census Bureau estimates for McDowell County (housing: 2020 to 2024).
What We Do in McDowell County
Attic Insulation in McDowell County
Some 43 percent of McDowell County housing units predate 1980; joists showing above their insulation mean more blown-in fiberglass is due, R-60 from bare.
Attic Insulation Removal in McDowell County
Wet, moldy or animal-soiled insulation comes out of McDowell County attics, and a mouse-soiled McDowell County attic is sanitized and deodorized; in the 19 percent of homes built before 1960, vermiculite is ruled out first.
Air Sealing in McDowell County
Some 71 percent of McDowell County homes heat with electricity, often through attic ducts; their joints and the ceiling's gaps are sealed first.
Homes in McDowell County
Half of McDowell County's 21,600 housing units were built before 1984: 30 percent before 1970, 43 percent before 1980 (nearly all before the state's 1978 insulation rule) and 8 percent in 2010 or later (16 percent statewide). The largest share went up in the 1990s, under codes that asked for less than ENERGY STAR now suggests; ENERGY STAR notes insulation is often thinnest at the eaves.
McDowell County by type: 69 percent detached houses, 5 percent in buildings of two or more homes and 24 percent mobile homes (11 percent statewide). In McDowell County, 71 percent of homes heat with electricity, 9 percent with tank gas, 9 percent with oil or kerosene (2 percent statewide) and 7 percent with wood (1 percent statewide).
McDowell County Homes by Year Built
- Before 1940: about 1,440 units, 7% (±2)
- 1940s: about 930 units, 4% (±1)
- 1950s: about 1,730 units, 8% (±2)
- 1960s: about 2,300 units, 11% (±2)
- 1970s: about 2,830 units, 13% (±2)
- 1980s: about 3,480 units, 16% (±2)
- 1990s: about 3,800 units, 18% (±2)
- 2000s: about 3,250 units, 15% (±2)
- 2010s: about 1,530 units, 7% (±2)
- 2020 or later: about 300 units, 1% (±1)
Climate Across McDowell County
NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals for McDowell County towns, by station: Marion station (Marion): about 3,760 heating and 1,200 cooling degree days; Old Fort Ag 3 W station (Old Fort): about 4,230 heating and 840 cooling degree days.
Power and Gas in McDowell County
The card lists McDowell County's town utilities by the territory maps; a power bill confirms the one at an address. The territory map does not split Duke Energy's two North Carolina companies in McDowell County; their programs are the same, and the power bill names the one at an address.
Enbridge Gas North Carolina holds the McDowell County gas franchise (NC Utilities Commission map), and 2 percent of McDowell County homes heat with piped gas.
Who Supplies Power in McDowell County
- Duke Energy: Marion and Old Fort
- French Broad EMC: homes near Marion and Old Fort
- Rutherford EMC: homes near Marion
Energy Programs for McDowell County Homes
Check each program's current terms for a McDowell County home; some pay only through the utility's contractor network. Insulation Pros is an approved Duke Energy trade ally for Duke's rebate.
Programs for McDowell County
- Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Duke Energy rebate; Marion and Old Fort).
- Home Energy House Call (Duke Energy home assessment; Marion and Old Fort).
- Income-qualified Weatherization (Duke Energy income-qualified; Marion and Old Fort).
- ThermWise Weatherization Assistance (Enbridge Gas; McDowell County gas customers): no-cost weatherization for gas customers, income-qualified.
- Energy Saver North Carolina (statewide income-qualified; any McDowell County address).
- Weatherization Assistance Program (statewide income-qualified; any McDowell County address).
McDowell County Insulation FAQs
Do you serve all of McDowell County?
Yes: Marion and Old Fort, and every unincorporated McDowell County address.
Which utilities offer insulation rebates in McDowell County?
Duke Energy's Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Marion and Old Fort).
Does attic insulation in McDowell County need a permit?
Ask McDowell County Building Inspections before work starts. For an address in Marion or Old Fort, the town or city hall can tell you whether McDowell County's office handles its permits.
Counties Near McDowell County
Burke County · Yancey County · Rutherford County · Mitchell County · Buncombe County · All service areas
McDowell County, NC
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)Insulation Pros in McDowell County
An insulation contractor serving North Carolina, McDowell County included.
Send the square footage of your McDowell County attic, or call (336) 870-3893.