–

Ancestry refers to the lineage or descent of a person, family, or group, tracing back through generations to identify their origins, heritage, and familial connections. It encompasses the genetic, cultural, and historical ties that link individuals to their forebears, shaping their identity and sense of belonging. Ancestry is a multifaceted concept, intertwining biology, genealogy, history, and culture, and it plays a significant role in how people understand themselves and their place in the world.

At its core, ancestry is rooted in genetics. Each individual inherits a unique combination of DNA from their parents, who in turn inherited their DNA from their own ancestors. This genetic material carries information about physical traits, predispositions to certain health conditions, and even behavioral tendencies. Advances in genetic testing, such as DNA analysis, have made it possible for individuals to trace their biological ancestry with remarkable precision. Companies like 23andMe and AncestryDNA offer services that analyze genetic markers to provide insights into a person's ethnic composition and geographic origins, often revealing surprising connections to distant relatives or previously unknown heritage.

Beyond genetics, ancestry is deeply tied to genealogy, the study of family history and lineage. Genealogical research involves constructing family trees, documenting relationships, and uncovering historical records such as birth certificates, marriage licenses, census data, and immigration documents. This process often reveals stories of migration, resilience, and adaptation, offering a window into the lives of ancestors and the challenges they faced. For many, genealogy is a way to honor their forebears and preserve their legacy for future generations.

Cultural ancestry is another critical dimension, encompassing the traditions, languages, customs, and values passed down through generations. It connects individuals to their ethnic or national heritage, shaping their cultural identity and worldview. For example, someone with Irish ancestry might celebrate St. Patrick's Day, learn traditional Irish dance, or explore the Gaelic language, while someone with Japanese ancestry might practice tea ceremonies, study calligraphy, or observe Obon festivals. Cultural ancestry fosters a sense of continuity and belonging, linking individuals to a broader community with shared experiences and values.

Historical ancestry delves into the broader context of a family's or group's past, including significant events, social conditions, and historical movements that shaped their lives. For instance, the transatlantic slave trade, the Irish Potato Famine, or the Jewish diaspora have profoundly influenced the ancestry of millions of people, leaving lasting imprints on their descendants' identities. Understanding historical ancestry often involves grappling with complex narratives of triumph and tragedy, resilience and oppression, and the interplay of individual and collective experiences.

Ancestry also has a deeply personal and emotional dimension. For many, exploring their ancestry is a journey of self-discovery, offering insights into who they are and where they come from. It can foster a sense of pride, connection, and continuity, as well as a deeper appreciation for the struggles and achievements of those who came before. At the same time, it can raise questions about identity, belonging, and the complexities of heritage, particularly for individuals with mixed or multicultural backgrounds.

In a globalized world, ancestry serves as a bridge between the past and the present, connecting individuals to their roots while also highlighting the interconnectedness of human history. It underscores the diversity and richness of human experience, reminding us that every person's story is part of a larger tapestry woven over centuries. Whether through genetic testing, genealogical research, cultural practices, or historical exploration, ancestry offers a profound way to understand ourselves and our place in the world.

A diversification score measures the diversity of ancestries in the county. As the value appoaches 100, ancestry diversity decreases and therefore increasing the risk of a lack of cultural diversity. The ancestry diversification score for this county is:

Most common ancestry not including "Unknown" is:

Ancestry Report Part I
Description	Total Population	American	Native American	Hawaiian	Caribbean (Latino)	Mexican	Central American	South American	Other Hispanic	African American	Sub- Saharan	Caribbean (Black)

Catawba County	169,315	16,993	374	75	2,461	11,352	1,903	1,766	734	8,688	2,548	2,161
North Carolina (in 000's)	11,200	744	103	7	215	628	210	100	53	1,546	385	326
National (in 000's)	343,251	13,890	2,213	626	11,327	38,879	6,181	4,644	3,687	25,893	7,852	7,174
Iredell County	211,146	16,529	475	63	3,019	9,183	2,379	2,727	639	16,427	3,679	3,646
Lincoln County	98,486	11,042	217	17	980	3,992	1,645	396	283	3,670	822	753
Burke County	89,082	13,867	196	60	880	2,398	3,153	126	641	3,121	961	894
Caldwell County	80,872	16,936	175	14	673	2,180	1,315	471	366	2,293	711	640
Alexander County	37,047	8,121	104	0	213	1,456	71	37	169	1,192	310	260

Per Cent to Total Population	Diversity Index

Catawba County	10.42	10.04	0.22	0.04	1.45	6.70	1.12	1.04	0.43	5.13	1.50	1.28
North Carolina	9.68	6.64	0.92	0.06	1.92	5.61	1.88	0.90	0.47	13.80	3.44	2.91
National	7.83	4.05	0.64	0.18	3.30	11.33	1.80	1.35	1.07	7.54	2.29	2.09
Iredell County	10.41	7.83	0.22	0.03	1.43	4.35	1.13	1.29	0.30	7.78	1.74	1.73
Lincoln County	12.96	11.21	0.22	0.02	1.00	4.05	1.67	0.40	0.29	3.73	0.83	0.76
Burke County	12.75	15.57	0.22	0.07	0.99	2.69	3.54	0.14	0.72	3.50	1.08	1.00
Caldwell County	13.67	20.94	0.22	0.02	0.83	2.70	1.63	0.58	0.45	2.84	0.88	0.79
Alexander County	14.09	21.92	0.28	0.00	0.57	3.93	0.19	0.10	0.46	3.22	0.84	0.70

Comparisons to State Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Catawba County		151.07	23.93	68.60	75.65	119.55	59.91	116.36	92.33	37.19	43.76	43.91
North Carolina		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
National		60.91	69.86	282.62	171.76	201.97	95.99	150.93	228.76	54.67	66.52	71.91
Iredell County		117.83	24.37	46.21	74.42	77.55	60.06	144.08	64.46	56.38	50.67	59.41
Lincoln County		168.77	23.87	26.73	51.79	72.28	89.04	44.86	61.20	27.01	24.27	26.31
Burke County		234.32	23.84	104.31	51.42	48.00	188.67	15.78	153.26	25.39	31.37	34.53
Caldwell County		315.23	23.44	26.81	43.31	48.07	86.68	64.97	96.39	20.55	25.57	27.23
Alexander County		329.96	30.41	0.00	29.93	70.08	10.22	11.14	97.16	23.32	24.33	24.15

Comparisons to National Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Catawba County		248.01	34.26	24.27	44.05	59.19	62.41	77.09	40.36	68.02	65.79	61.07
North Carolina		164.17	143.15	35.38	58.22	49.51	104.17	66.25	43.71	182.92	150.32	139.06
National		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
Iredell County		193.45	34.89	16.35	43.33	38.40	62.57	95.46	28.18	103.13	76.17	82.62
Lincoln County		277.06	34.17	9.46	30.15	35.79	92.75	29.72	26.75	49.40	36.49	36.58
Burke County		384.68	34.12	36.91	29.94	23.77	196.55	10.45	66.99	46.44	47.16	48.02
Caldwell County		517.51	33.56	9.49	25.22	23.80	90.29	43.05	42.14	37.59	38.43	37.86
Alexander County		541.70	43.54	0.00	17.42	34.70	10.64	7.38	42.47	42.65	36.58	33.58

Ancestry Report Part II
Description	Total Population	Canadian	British	Dutch	French	German	Italian	Polish	Scandinavian	Scotish/ Irish	Spanish	Other European

Catawba County	169,315	272	13,064	1,083	1,145	15,908	2,180	1,236	1,255	11,011	513	4,448
North Carolina (in 000's)	11,200	28	790	41	76	543	179	74	81	720	22	225
National (in 000's)	343,251	1,350	18,069	1,828	3,642	24,708	9,027	4,667	5,969	20,625	1,140	9,563
Iredell County	211,146	863	15,681	1,729	2,072	15,221	5,713	2,225	1,623	17,836	546	5,184
Lincoln County	98,486	496	8,219	725	842	10,817	1,636	922	943	8,558	170	2,639
Burke County	89,082	209	6,251	543	415	5,830	984	595	432	7,065	149	1,836
Caldwell County	80,872	142	7,846	650	585	6,543	809	219	721	7,509	84	1,479
Alexander County	37,047	30	3,078	213	132	3,653	330	207	349	3,378	82	422

Per Cent to Total Population	Diversity Index

Catawba County	10.42	0.16	7.72	0.64	0.68	9.40	1.29	0.73	0.74	6.50	0.30	2.63
North Carolina	9.68	0.25	7.06	0.36	0.68	4.84	1.60	0.66	0.73	6.43	0.20	2.01
National	7.83	0.39	5.26	0.53	1.06	7.20	2.63	1.36	1.74	6.01	0.33	2.79
Iredell County	10.41	0.41	7.43	0.82	0.98	7.21	2.71	1.05	0.77	8.45	0.26	2.46
Lincoln County	12.96	0.50	8.35	0.74	0.85	10.98	1.66	0.94	0.96	8.69	0.17	2.68
Burke County	12.75	0.23	7.02	0.61	0.47	6.54	1.10	0.67	0.48	7.93	0.17	2.06
Caldwell County	13.67	0.18	9.70	0.80	0.72	8.09	1.00	0.27	0.89	9.29	0.10	1.83
Alexander County	14.09	0.08	8.31	0.57	0.36	9.86	0.89	0.56	0.94	9.12	0.22	1.14

Comparisons to State Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Catawba County		63.82	109.33	175.90	99.16	193.97	80.51	110.09	102.15	101.19	153.53	130.96
North Carolina		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
National		156.27	74.59	146.45	155.57	148.61	164.46	205.04	239.62	93.50	168.33	138.89
Iredell County		162.37	105.23	225.19	143.89	148.82	169.20	158.92	105.93	131.44	131.04	122.39
Lincoln County		200.08	118.25	202.44	125.36	226.75	103.88	141.18	131.95	135.21	87.47	133.58
Burke County		93.21	99.43	167.63	68.31	135.11	69.07	100.73	66.83	123.41	84.76	102.74
Caldwell County		69.76	137.47	221.03	106.07	167.03	62.56	40.84	122.86	144.48	52.63	91.17
Alexander County		32.17	117.72	158.11	52.25	203.57	55.70	84.26	129.82	141.88	112.16	56.78

Comparisons to National Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Catawba County		40.84	146.58	120.11	63.74	130.52	48.96	53.69	42.63	108.23	91.21	94.29
North Carolina		63.99	134.07	68.28	64.28	67.29	60.80	48.77	41.73	106.96	59.41	72.00
National		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
Iredell County		103.91	141.08	153.76	92.49	100.15	102.88	77.51	44.21	140.58	77.84	88.12
Lincoln County		128.04	158.54	138.23	80.58	152.58	63.16	68.86	55.07	144.62	51.96	96.17
Burke County		59.65	133.30	114.46	43.91	90.92	42.00	49.13	27.89	131.99	50.35	73.97
Caldwell County		44.64	184.30	150.92	68.18	112.40	38.04	19.92	51.27	154.53	31.27	65.64
Alexander County		20.59	157.83	107.96	33.58	136.98	33.87	41.10	54.18	151.75	66.63	40.88

Ancestry Report Part III
Description	Total Population	Chinese	Filipino	Japanese	Korean	Vietnamese	South Central Asian	South East Asian	Other Asian	Middle Eastern	Other Ancestry	Unknown

Catawba County	169,315	252	169	29	77	543	175	1,388	4,314	363	26,992	33,843
North Carolina (in 000's)	11,200	55	31	8	24	37	151	30	29	34	1,790	1,915
National (in 000's)	343,251	4,461	3,010	793	1,541	1,913	5,452	1,643	1,229	1,931	47,322	51,000
Iredell County	211,146	482	171	240	502	612	2,100	383	984	774	32,084	45,355
Lincoln County	98,486	123	174	15	25	165	15	66	203	130	11,270	26,516
Burke County	89,082	192	222	36	10	95	95	857	1,623	290	12,798	22,258
Caldwell County	80,872	34	104	31	27	85	48	35	96	23	9,768	18,260
Alexander County	37,047	154	37	0	18	0	78	33	99	5	4,568	8,248

Per Cent to Total Population	Diversity Index

Catawba County	10.42	0.15	0.10	0.02	0.05	0.32	0.10	0.82	2.55	0.21	15.94	19.99
North Carolina	9.68	0.49	0.28	0.08	0.21	0.33	1.34	0.27	0.26	0.30	15.99	17.10
National	7.83	1.30	0.88	0.23	0.45	0.56	1.59	0.48	0.36	0.56	13.79	14.86
Iredell County	10.41	0.23	0.08	0.11	0.24	0.29	0.99	0.18	0.47	0.37	15.20	21.48
Lincoln County	12.96	0.12	0.18	0.02	0.03	0.17	0.02	0.07	0.21	0.13	11.44	26.92
Burke County	12.75	0.22	0.25	0.04	0.01	0.11	0.11	0.96	1.82	0.33	14.37	24.99
Caldwell County	13.67	0.04	0.13	0.04	0.03	0.11	0.06	0.04	0.12	0.03	12.08	22.58
Alexander County	14.09	0.42	0.10	0.00	0.05	0.00	0.21	0.09	0.27	0.01	12.33	22.26

Comparisons to State Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Catawba County		30.20	36.24	22.83	21.29	97.66	7.69	308.62	990.85	70.59	99.73	116.92
North Carolina		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
National		263.73	318.45	307.88	210.19	169.70	118.10	180.19	139.29	185.18	86.25	86.91
Iredell County		46.32	29.41	151.50	111.29	88.26	73.95	68.29	181.23	120.69	95.06	125.65
Lincoln County		25.34	64.15	20.30	11.88	51.02	1.13	25.23	80.16	43.46	71.59	157.49
Burke County		43.74	90.49	53.87	5.25	32.47	7.93	362.18	708.52	107.18	89.88	146.15
Caldwell County		8.53	46.69	51.09	15.63	32.01	4.41	16.29	46.16	9.36	75.56	132.07
Alexander County		84.35	36.26	0.00	22.74	0.00	15.65	33.53	103.92	4.44	77.14	130.23

Comparisons to National Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Catawba County		11.45	11.38	7.42	10.13	57.55	6.51	171.28	711.38	38.12	115.63	134.53
North Carolina		37.92	31.40	32.48	47.58	58.93	84.68	55.50	71.79	54.00	115.95	115.06
National		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
Iredell County		17.56	9.23	49.21	52.95	52.01	62.62	37.90	130.12	65.17	110.22	144.57
Lincoln County		9.61	20.14	6.59	5.65	30.06	0.96	14.00	57.55	23.47	83.00	181.21
Burke County		16.58	28.42	17.50	2.50	19.14	6.71	201.00	508.68	57.88	104.21	168.17
Caldwell County		3.23	14.66	16.60	7.43	18.86	3.74	9.04	33.14	5.06	87.61	151.96
Alexander County		31.98	11.39	0.00	10.82	0.00	13.26	18.61	74.61	2.40	89.44	149.84

Sources: STI: PopStats, Circa April 2025

Advertisers