Swain County, NC Visitor Center

Tourist & Relocation Information Guide

Swain County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2000, the population is 12,968. Its county seat is Bryson City.

Swain County is home of the Nantahala River and Nantahala Outdoor Center.

History

The county was formed in 1871 from parts of Jackson County and Macon County. It was named for David L. Swain, governor of North Carolina from 1832 to 1835, and president of the University of North Carolina from 1835 to 1868.

In 2004, the Swain County High School football team captured its seventh state football championship. The Maroon Devils won three consecutive state championships (1988, 1989, 1990) while being led by former University of Tennessee and National Football League quarterback and current U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler (Source: North Carolina High School Athletic Association).

Law and Government

Swain County is a member of the regional Southwestern Commission council of governments.

The town of Cherokee, North Carolina, is on the Qualla Boundary, a tribal reservation for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and is therefore subject mostly to tribal/federal laws rather than county or state laws.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,400 km˛ (541 mi˛). 1,368 km˛ (528 mi˛) of it is land and 32 km˛ (13 mi˛) of it (2.32%) is water.

The county is located in the western part of North Carolina in the Great Smoky Mountains and has a larger proportion of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park than any other county in North Carolina or Tennessee.

The highest point in the county is Clingmans Dome, elevation 6643 feet, located on the NC/TN border. This mountain is the third highest peak in North Carolina, and an observation tower is located on its summit.

Townships

The County is divided into three Townships: Charleston, Forney Creek, Nantahala.

Cities and Towns

• Bryson City
• Cherokee
• Whittier

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 12,968 people, 5,137 households, and 3,631 families residing in the county. The population density was 9/km˛ (25/mi˛). There were 7,105 housing units at an average density of 5/km˛ (14/mi˛). The racial makeup of the county was 66.33% White, 1.70% Black or African American, 29.03% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.49% from other races, and 2.28% from two or more races. 1.47% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 16.3% were of American, 8.0% Irish, 7.6% Scots-Irish, 6.9% German and 6.6% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 95.2% spoke English, 2.9% Cherokee and 1.3% Spanish as their first language.

There were 5,137 households out of which 30.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.30% were married couples living together, 13.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.30% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the county the population was spread out with 24.30% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 26.70% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,608, and the median income for a family was $33,786. Males had a median income of $26,570 versus $20,722 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,647. About 13.30% of families and 18.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.60% of those under age 18 and 19.10% of those age 65 or over.