Mitchell County, North Carolina GIS Map
This GIS map of Mitchell County, North Carolina (NC) shows the official Census county boundary (FIPS 37121), with federal layers you can switch on for FEMA flood zones, USGS elevation contours and hillshade, NLCD land cover, and school district lines.
Mitchell County has a population of about 14,992 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-year estimate) and a land area of 221.3 square miles. Use the inspect tool to read coordinates, elevation and the layers under any point.
- State
- North Carolina (NC)
- Population
- 14,992
- Land area
- 221.3 sq mi
- Density
- 68 / sq mi
- Coordinates
- 36.0131, -82.1636
- FIPS code
- 37121
Mitchell County is not the only one — there are 4 other states with a county of the same name. Compare every Mitchell County.
Mitchell County Demographics
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates.
Population
14,992
Households
6,587
Median household income
$57,602
Median age
48 years
Median home value
$220,100
Median gross rent
$813/mo
Owner-occupied homes
76.3%
Bachelor's degree or higher
24.2%
Below poverty level
12.9%
Land area
221.3 sq mi
Population density
68 / sq mi
Mitchell County Population Growth
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census and Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2024: April 2020 estimates base and July 1, 2024 estimate).
2010 Census
15,579
April 2020 (estimates base)
14,896
July 2024 estimate
15,030
Change 2010-2020
-4.4%
Change 2020-2024
+0.9%
Natural Hazard Risk in Mitchell County
FEMA National Risk Index ratings for Mitchell County, compared with all U.S. counties.
Overall risk
Score 24 of 100
Expected annual loss
Buildings, population & agriculture
Social vulnerability
Susceptibility to hazard impacts
Community resilience
Ability to prepare & recover
Risk by Hazard
- LandslideRelatively Moderate
- LightningRelatively High
- Ice StormRelatively Moderate
- Cold WaveRelatively Low
- HurricaneVery Low
- EarthquakeVery Low
- Inland FloodingRelatively Low
- WildfireVery Low
- TornadoRelatively Low
- Strong WindRelatively Low
- Winter WeatherVery Low
- HailVery Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release). County-level ratings are relative to other U.S. counties and are not a property-specific assessment.
Environmental Conditions in Mitchell County, North Carolina
Radon potential, monitored air quality and current drought status for Mitchell County, North Carolina, from the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Radon potential
Zone 1
highest radon potential
EPA predicts an average indoor level at or above 4 pCi/L, so the EPA recommends a radon test for every home in this zone, and a mitigation system for new construction.
Air quality (2024)
Median AQI 31Good
No days reached unhealthy levels.
90th percentile 53, peak 93 across 341 monitored days.
Drought status
Abnormally dry in 88% of the county
Drought Severity and Coverage Index 88 of 500.
- D0 Abnormally dry88%
Map of 13 October 2026.
Sources: EPA Map of Radon Zones (September 2025), EPA Air Quality Index (2024) and the U.S. Drought Monitor. A radon zone is a regional planning tool, not a prediction for any individual home — the EPA recommends testing every home regardless of zone. Air quality is shown only for counties that host an EPA monitor. Drought figures describe one weekly map, not a long-term climate average. Compare counties in North Carolina.
GIS Data for Mitchell County, NC
The Mitchell County GIS map on this page loads live federal layers in your browser, so you can check flood zones, terrain, land cover and district boundaries anywhere in Mitchell County without a separate GIS login. All of the Mitchell GIS data below is drawn from public U.S. government sources.
Layers you can turn on
FEMA flood zones
National Flood Hazard Layer — flood insurance rate map zones and floodways.
Elevation contours and hillshade
USGS 3DEP terrain, so you can read slope and relief across the county.
Land cover
NLCD land cover classes — forest, developed, wetland and water.
School districts
Census TIGER unified and elementary school district boundaries.
ZIP code and county boundaries
Census TIGER ZCTA and county boundary lines.
Map tools
Measure distance and area
Draw a line or polygon to get length in miles or area in acres.
Sketch and annotate
Add points, lines and shapes on top of the map.
Inspect any point
Click the map to read coordinates, elevation and the layers under your cursor.
Download the map
Save the current view as a PNG image.
Where the data comes from
County boundaries come from the U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line program, flood zones from FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer, terrain from the USGS 3D Elevation Program, land cover from the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium, and demographics from the American Community Survey.
Property records and tax maps in Mitchell County
Most people who look up Mitchell County GIS data are after parcel-level records: who owns a property, what it last sold for, and what it is assessed at. Those records are kept locally, not federally, so they are not part of this map. Mitchell County property and tax map data lives with the county's own records office, and what that office is called varies by state — Texas counties run an appraisal district (usually searched as a “CAD”), Kentucky uses a Property Valuation Administrator (PVA), and most other states use a county assessor, auditor or tax office. Start with that office for a deed, a tax map number or a parcel boundary; use the map above for flood zones, elevation and land cover on the same land.
Mitchell County FAQ
What state is Mitchell County in?
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Mitchell County is a county in North Carolina (NC).
What is the population of Mitchell County?
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Mitchell County, North Carolina has a population of about 14,992, according to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey.
How big is Mitchell County?
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Mitchell County covers about 221.3 square miles of land, with a population density of roughly 68 people per square mile.
What is the FIPS code for Mitchell County?
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The FIPS county code for Mitchell County, North Carolina is 37121. It is used to identify the county in federal datasets such as Census TIGER and FEMA flood maps.
What is the median household income in Mitchell County?
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The median household income in Mitchell County, North Carolina is about $57,602 per year.
What is the radon zone for Mitchell County?
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Mitchell County is in EPA radon Zone 1, meaning the EPA predicts an average indoor radon level at or above 4 pCi/L. In this zone the EPA recommends a radon test for every home in this zone, and a mitigation system for new construction. The EPA is clear that a radon zone is a regional planning tool and not a prediction for any individual home.
What is the air quality in Mitchell County?
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Across 2024, the EPA monitor covering Mitchell County recorded a median Air Quality Index of 31 (Good) and a 90th percentile of 53, with a peak of 93. No days reached the unhealthy for sensitive groups category. Only counties that host an EPA monitor have these figures.
Is Mitchell County in a drought?
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As of the 13 October 2026 U.S. Drought Monitor map, abnormally dry covers 88% of Mitchell County, and the county's Drought Severity and Coverage Index is 88 out of 500.
What is Mitchell GIS?
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Mitchell GIS usually refers to the county's own parcel and zoning mapping system, which Mitchell County publishes itself. This page is a separate, free viewer: it draws federal GIS layers — FEMA flood zones, USGS elevation, NLCD land cover and Census boundaries — over the Mitchell County boundary, with no login required.
What GIS data is available for Mitchell County?
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The Mitchell County map loads federal GIS layers directly in your browser: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer flood zones, USGS 3DEP elevation contours and hillshade, NLCD land cover, Census TIGER school district boundaries, and TIGER ZIP code and county boundary lines.
How do I check flood zones in Mitchell County?
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Open the Mitchell County map, turn on the FEMA flood zones layer, and zoom in. The National Flood Hazard Layer shows flood insurance rate map zones and floodways. Flood zones only draw once you are zoomed in far enough.
How do I find the coordinates or elevation of a spot in Mitchell County?
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Use the inspect tool on the Mitchell County map and click any point. It reads back the coordinates, elevation and the layers under your cursor. You can also measure distance and area by drawing a line or polygon.
Data sources for Mitchell County, North Carolina
Every figure on this page comes from a published government dataset. Each source is listed with its release date so you can check the number or cite it directly.
- American Community Survey 5-year estimates
U.S. Census Bureau · 2020-2024 · population, income, housing, education and poverty figures
- Gazetteer Files
U.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · place coordinates, land area and the county/place/ZIP crosswalk
- TIGER/Line Shapefiles
U.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · county, ZIP Code Tabulation Area and school district boundaries
- National Flood Hazard Layer
Federal Emergency Management Agency · current effective Flood Insurance Rate Maps · flood zones, floodways and base flood elevations
- National Risk Index
Federal Emergency Management Agency · v1.20, December 2025 · county natural hazard risk, expected annual loss, social vulnerability and resilience
- 3D Elevation Program (3DEP)
U.S. Geological Survey · current · elevation contours, shaded relief and point elevations
- National Land Cover Database
Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium · NLCD 2021 · land cover classes such as developed, forest, crop and water
- Map of Radon Zones
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · September 2025 · the county radon zone (1, 2 or 3) and its predicted indoor radon potential
- Air Quality Index annual summary by county
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · 2024 · median, 90th percentile and peak AQI, and days at unhealthy levels, for counties with an EPA monitor
- U.S. Drought Monitor
National Drought Mitigation Center, USDA and NOAA · weekly, current map · the share of county area in each drought category and the Drought Severity and Coverage Index
- ArcGIS basemaps
Esri · current · streets, satellite, topographic and dark gray basemap tiles
Citing this page
GIS Map, “Mitchell County, North Carolina GIS Map”, https://gismap.land/county/north-carolina/mitchell. Figures from the datasets listed above.
Local notes for Mitchell County, NC
Questions and local knowledge from people who know the area. Every note is read before it appears here.