Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
11% of residents are under 18 in Old Fort, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 22% and U.S. towns at 22%. Old Fort has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Welsford Parker Artz House and Albertus Ledbetter House. Old Fort has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Old Fort beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 249 in 1890, 811 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 2010 and 2 maps from 1962 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Old Fort. Close and well known come first.
Big draw11 mi MountainMount Mitchell
6 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
39 mi MountainGrandfather Mountain
39 mi National forestPisgah National Forest
14 mi State parkChimney Rock State Park
24 mi Park & preserveLinville Gorge WildernessMount Mitchell: Unknown, Public domain · Blue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Grandfather Mountain: Original uploader was KyleAndMelissa22 at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Pisgah National Forest: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Chimney Rock State Park: Jmturner, Public domain · Linville Gorge Wilderness: No machine-readable author provided. Amcbride~commonswiki assumed (based on copy, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Old Fort, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Old Fort.
Most working residents leave Old Fort for work: only 6% work in town. At $48,000, Old Fort’s median household income is against $69,000 in North Carolina’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. Jobs based in Old Fort fell to 793 in 2023, 614 fewer than in 2013.
| Old Fort | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 13% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the McDowell County Schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Fort Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 360 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 79% of U.S. communities. Since 2003, 17 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Old Fort.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Old Fort has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 27° and about 7 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Old Fort home is worth about $273,000, down 3.9% in a year, 18% below the North Carolina typical home. 48% of households own their home in Old Fort.
| Old Fort | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 48% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $818 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Old Fort beats the North Carolina average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 26% of Old Fort adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Old Fort | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 25% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 38% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| What stands out | Old Fort | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.9% | 13.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 9% | 7.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.7% | 6.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
3 within 15 miles of the center of Old Fort
About 3 of every 100 Old Fort residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
Where Old Fort’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Old Fort on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in McDowell County, North Carolina
Old Fort is a town in McDowell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 811 in the 2020 U.S. census, down from 908 in 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Old Fort has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
2 notable people were born here, including Marshall Lytle and Robert Plemmons.
