Swannanoa is a city of 6,901 people in North Carolina. Since 2000 the city has risen by half, up 2,769 people. 79% of homes are owner-occupied. 27% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Renters pay $788 a month at the median. Getting to work takes 19 minutes on average.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $69,760, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 37.1
US median: 38.9
Less educated
27% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 117%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Swannanoa
What changed most since 1990
Median home value (2024 dollars)$111,843 → $287,500(+157%)US over the same years: +67%
Hispanic share0.6% → 23.9%(+23.3 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Population3,627 → 6,901(+90%)US over the same years: +35%
Swannanoa's population equals 2.5% of Buncombe County's. Its number of households without a car equals 0.6% of the county's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 5.9% 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)4.4%(19)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)21.3%(91)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era32.1%(137)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6.3%(27)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II4%(17)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 427 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
Swannanoa, decade by decade
Swannanoa 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
3,627
$54,815
$111,843
6.4%
13.8
2000
4,132
$56,868
$132,252
12.2%
22.7
2010
4,576
$54,516
$154,934
13.3%
39.0
2020
5,021
$54,542
$178,533
16.3%
50.7
2024
6,901
$69,760
$287,500
27.4%
56.6
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.
