Swain County, North Carolina
Swain County, North Carolina, has 14,024 residents (July 2025 estimate). Its county seat is Bryson City. It uses Eastern Time and covers 528 sq mi (1,367 km²) of land.
- Resident population, July 2025
- 14,024
- Land area
- 528 sq mi (1,367 km²)
- County seat or government
- Bryson City
- Time zone
- Eastern TimeUTC-05:00 in January; UTC-04:00 in July
- Median household income
- $52,349 ± $5,811
- Median home value
- $207,000 ± $19,733
- Median rent, with utilities
- $742 ± $53
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 72.7% ± 2.3 points
- County type
- County
- Metro or micro area
- Outside any metro or micro areaNext to: Sevierville, TN micro area, Waynesville, NC micro area, and Knoxville, TN metro area
- Water area
- 12.5 sq mi (32.4 km²)
- State
- North Carolina
- County code (FIPS)
- 37173
- Coordinates (central point)
- 35.568849, -83.465614
These coordinates mark a central point for the area, not a street address. Income, home value, rent and homes lived in by their owners: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, ± margin at 90% confidence; checked on October 13, 2026.
Time zones in Swain County
| Time zone | Local time and UTC offset | Next clock change |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern TimeAmerica/New_York | UTC-05:00 in January; UTC-04:00 in July. Enable JavaScript for the live clock. | Enable JavaScript for upcoming changes. |
Near a time-zone line, check where you are with the time-zone finder. Your phone’s setting can differ.
ZIP Code areas, largest first
6 ZIP Code areas overlap Swain County. People counts are 2020–2024 estimates for each whole ZIP area. Mailing ZIPs can differ; check an address with USPS ZIP Code Lookup.
Official county information
We don’t have a website for this county yet. The US government’s local-office directory ↗ lists its offices. A geographic lookup cannot determine eligibility, tax liability or a court obligation.
Townships in Swain County, largest first
- Charleston Township11,820 people
- Nantahala Township2,137 people
People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. All townships in North Carolina, by county
School districts in Swain County, largest first
- Swain County Schools10,179 people
- Cherokee Central Schools6,703 people
Districts with land in the county; a district can cross county lines. People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. A district boundary doesn’t decide which school a student attends.
Tribal areas in Swain County, largest first
American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian areas as the Census Bureau maps them, with at least 2% of their area here, water included. These lines don’t decide membership, jurisdiction or land status.
Cities, towns and communities, largest first
These areas overlap the mapped boundary; an overlap does not mean that every address belongs to both.
- Cherokee, North Carolina (CDP)2,059 people
- Bryson City, North Carolina (town)1,902 people
Bordering areas, nearest first
Distances are straight lines between map points.
- Sevier County, Tennessee15 mi north
- Graham County, North Carolina26 mi southwest
- Blount County, Tennessee27 mi west
- Haywood County, North Carolina27 mi east
- Jackson County, North Carolina27 mi southeast
- Macon County, North Carolina29 mi south
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