Cullowhee is a place where college students are a big part of the character and culture of the town. Small towns have often struggled with declining populations over the past few decades, but the presence of such a large college student population has helped Cullowhee to fight this trend. Not only does the college population add spending and jobs to local economy, but it also contributes a very tangible, youthful energy to the town.
Being a small town, Cullowhee does not have a public transit system used by locals to get to and from work.
The education level of Cullowhee ranks among the highest in the nation. Of the 25-and-older adult population in Cullowhee, 42.23% have at least a bachelor's degree. The typical US community has just 21.84% of its adults holding a bachelor's degree or graduate degree.
The per capita income in Cullowhee in 2022 was $10,486, which is low income relative to North Carolina and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $41,944 for a family of four. Cullowhee also has one of the higher rates of people living in poverty in the nation, with 51.67% of its population below the federal poverty line.
Cullowhee is a very ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Cullowhee home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Cullowhee residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Cullowhee also has a sizeable Hispanic population (people of Hispanic origin can be of any race). People of Hispanic or Latino origin account for 10.66% of the town’s residents. Important ancestries of people in Cullowhee include German, English, Irish, Italian, and Scottish.
The most common language spoken in Cullowhee is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Italian.
