COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS

Avery County

North Carolina · 14,867 residents · 247 sq mi

Time machine

VIEWING

COMPARE TO

The short version

Avery County is a county of 14,867 people in North Carolina. 81% of homes are owner-occupied. Median home value sits at $54,800. 12% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Households here earn about 23% less than in North Carolina as a whole. Households take in $20,403 at the median, 32% less than the US figure.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Mid-age

median age 34.4

US median: 33.0

Less educated

12% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

More affordable

home values down 8%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

14,867

−13%vs 2000

vs 17,167 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

34.4

−10%vs 2000

vs 38.4 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

247 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202418K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 56%(896)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 96.4%(945)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 146.4%(949)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 199.3%(1,388)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 248.3%(1,237)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3414.5%(2,151)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4414.2%(2,112)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 5411.1%(1,656)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 649.6%(1,429)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 748.3%(1,237)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 844.5%(673)

US avg: 4%

85 and over1.3%(194)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$20,403

−12%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $30,627 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$9,729

−36%vs 2000

vs $15,176 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

14.6%

−0.7 ptsvs 2000

vs 15.3% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$54,800

−8%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $78,900 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$293

−10%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $430 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

81.0%

+0.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 80.6% in 2000

19.0% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic93%(15,957)

Black3.5%(598)

Hispanic / Latino2.4%(413)

Asian0.2%(33)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic98.5%(14,648)

Black0.8%(116)

Hispanic / Latino0.4%(64)

Asian0.2%(30)

Other0.5%(73)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Mexican4.3%(761)

Puerto Rican0.5%(81)

Dominican0.3%(59)

Cuban0.3%(53)

Central American0.2%(39)

South American0.2%(27)

Panamanian0.1%(18)

Spaniard0.1%(16)

Uruguayan0.1%(14)

Costa Rican0.1%(12)

Venezuelan0.1%(10)

Honduran0%(6)

+ 2 more hispanic origin groups with data

Guatemalan0%(3)

Colombian0%(3)

Asian origin

Korean0.3%(59)

Chinese0.1%(18)

Pacific Islander origin

Samoan0.5%(80)

Native Hawaiian0%(8)

Ancestry

English12%(2,130)

German11.3%(1,992)

American10.1%(1,783)

Irish8.9%(1,579)

Scotch-Irish6.8%(1,205)

Scottish4.7%(824)

Italian2.1%(366)

Welsh1.9%(340)

French1.3%(232)

Polish0.7%(122)

Austrian0.7%(121)

Danish0.7%(115)

+ 29 more ancestry groups with data

Dutch0.6%(103)

Swedish0.5%(86)

Swiss0.4%(77)

Russian0.4%(68)

British0.4%(63)

Canadian0.3%(55)

Norwegian0.3%(45)

Portuguese0.2%(44)

Arab0.2%(42)

French Canadian0.2%(29)

Slovene0.1%(25)

Ukrainian0.1%(24)

Greek0.1%(23)

Lebanese0.1%(21)

Slovak0.1%(20)

Finnish0.1%(19)

Romanian0.1%(18)

Moroccan0.1%(15)

Subsaharan African0.1%(15)

Nigerian0.1%(15)

Turkish0.1%(14)

Lithuanian0%(8)

West Indian0%(8)

Egyptian0%(6)

Croatian0%(6)

Hungarian0%(6)

Iranian0%(5)

Haitian0%(3)

Czech0%(1)

RANKED:Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest American population · Largest Irish population · Largest Scotch-Irish population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

12.4%

−2.1 ptsvs 2000

vs 14.5% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

62.2%

−8.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 70.6% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

4.7%

−0.5 ptsvs 2000

vs 5.2% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

21.9 min

+41%vs 2000

vs 15.6 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married34.1%(2,884)

Married49.2%(4,165)

Widowed3.3%(278)

Divorced13.4%(1,134)

Women 15+

Never married22.3%(1,583)

Married56%(3,978)

Widowed10.9%(776)

Divorced10.8%(767)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

12.5%

−7.8 ptssince 2013

from 20.3% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

39.4%

−2.8 ptssince 2020

from 42.2% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

21.7%

−2.4 ptssince 2020

from 24.1% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

27.4%

−0.1 ptssince 2020

from 27.5% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

18.0%

+2.9 ptssince 2020

from 15.1% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

4.6%

+1.0 ptssince 2020

from 3.6% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

60.4%

−3.3 ptssince 2020

from 63.7% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

42.9%

+2.7 ptssince 2020

from 40.2% in 2020

US average: 36.7%

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)18.3%(233)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)35.2%(447)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era42.2%(536)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War1.4%(18)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II0.9%(11)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,271 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

Drill deeper