Boone is a city of 20,032 people in North Carolina. This skews young, with a median age of 21.3. The poverty rate is 51.2%, above the 12.5% national rate. 26% of homes are owner-occupied. 51% were living in the same home a year earlier. This is an unusually credentialed place: 57% of adults have a four-year degree.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $30,065, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 21.3
US median: 38.9
More educated
57% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 69%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Boone
What changed most since 1990
Poverty rate41.0% → 51.2%(+10.2 pts)US over the same years: −0.8 pts
Homes owned by their occupants34.1% → 26.2%(−7.9 pts)US over the same years: +0.9 pts
White share93.4% → 83.7%(−9.7 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Its weight in Watauga County
Boone's population equals 36% of Watauga County's. Its number of veterans equals 11% of the county's. Its number of residents 65 and older equals 15% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)5.7%(13)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)3%(7)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era57%(131)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.5%(8)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 230 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Boone, decade by decade
Boone population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
12,915
$31,463
$198,486
43.4%
15.6
2000
13,472
$37,419
$242,644
46.5%
16.9
2010
17,122
$27,094
$388,702
46.2%
23.5
2020
19,092
$30,949
$338,644
48.1%
58.3
2024
20,032
$30,065
$411,100
56.8%
36.3
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
