The population in Todd is 2,177. There are 41 people per square mile. The median age in Todd is 49.3. The number of people per household in Todd is 2.5.

We need to go back to the late 18th century when talking about the history of Todd. It was originally a rural outpost called Elk Cross Roads in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Farmers populated this backcountry. A church, named South Fork Baptist Church, was established in 1833 and a Post Office was established in 1837.

The community grew in the latter half of the 19th century when large scale timber harvesting and mining of mica and copper thrived in the area. By the 1890s, Todd was larger than the nearby town of Boone in Watauga County. The timber boom in the early 20th century really put Todd on the map. The railroad took timber out of the town. At the peak of the boom, Todd boasted two doctors, a dentist, one bank, seven stores, three mills, and two hotels.

The timber company started to lose money in the delivery process because most of the mountains in the valley were stripped of all trees. Thus, needing further tracks into the forests. By the Great Depression, the train pulled up the tracks, the Bank of Todd was liquidated and the town’s commerce all but vanished in a few years. A flood washed away buildings and evidence of what happened here.

By World War II, only a handful of businesses remained. The North Carolina General Assembly formally revoked the town’s charter in the 1970s.

The town has seen an emergence of life driven by cultural tourism and second-home communities.