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COUNTY

Buncombe County

North Carolina · 277,417 residents (2025 est.) · 656 sq mi
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Part of the Asheville metro area
The short version

With 274,360 people, Buncombe County is a county in North Carolina. Few US counties rank higher on income. Growth has run 33% since 2000, or 68,030 more people. 46% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. At a median age of 42.6, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 7% of residents were born outside the United States.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 42.6
US median: 38.9
More educated
46% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 110%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
274,360
+33%since 2000
from 206,330 in 2000
277,417 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
418 / sq mi
+21%since 2009
from 344 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
42.6
+10%since 2000
from 38.9 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
656 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
165K195K225K254K284K19902000201020202024Buncombe County
2024274K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.5%(12,341)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.3%(14,676)
US avg: 6%
10 to 144.7%(12,955)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.5%(15,118)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.2%(14,318)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.6%(37,318)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414.1%(38,705)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.7%(34,892)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413%(35,746)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7412.5%(34,323)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846.2%(17,113)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.5%(6,855)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$74,436
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,666 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$43,371
+113%since 2000
from $20,384 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
49.6%
+25.2 ptssince 2009
from 24.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
11.8%
+0.4 ptssince 2000
from 11.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.481
+5%since 2010
from 0.457 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade9.5%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade7.5%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services5.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance3.1%
US avg: 5.9%
Public administration2.8%
US avg: 4.8%
Professional, scientific, technical2.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing1.9%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.5%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.8%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.7%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$391,800
+110%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $102,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,362
+36%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $551 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
66.2%
−4.1 ptssince 2000
from 70.3% in 2000
33.8% rent
Vacancy rate
24.3%
+14.1 ptssince 2009
from 10.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.62 people
+16%since 2009
from 2.26 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
19.0%
−7.1 ptssince 2009
from 26.0% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
48.7%
+6.9 ptssince 2009
from 41.8% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
5.3
+28%since 2009
from 4.1 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
89
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic87.6%(180,721)
Black7.4%(15,310)
Hispanic / Latino2.8%(5,730)
Asian0.7%(1,354)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic80.8%(221,607)
Black4.8%(13,207)
Hispanic / Latino8.6%(23,475)
Asian1.1%(3,085)
Other4.7%(12,986)
Diversity Score
42
+33%since 2009
from 32 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
27
−4%since 2020
from 28 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican4.3%(11,896)
Central American1.3%(3,640)
South American1.1%(2,935)
Puerto Rican0.6%(1,775)
Honduran0.5%(1,436)
Salvadoran0.5%(1,240)
Cuban0.3%(949)
Guatemalan0.3%(846)
Colombian0.2%(680)
Ecuadorian0.2%(594)
Venezuelan0.2%(538)
Dominican0.2%(497)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Spaniard0.2%(482)
Argentine0.1%(267)
Chilean0.1%(166)
Peruvian0%(125)
Bolivian0%(91)
Uruguayan0%(48)
Asian origin
Chinese0.2%(486)
Filipino0.2%(486)
Korean0.2%(451)
Asian Indian0.2%(432)
Japanese0.1%(340)
Nepalese0.1%(241)
Vietnamese0.1%(177)
Thai0.1%(144)
Pakistani0%(122)
Taiwanese0%(84)
Cambodian0%(22)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Laotian0%(17)
Burmese0%(9)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(75)
Samoan0%(48)
Ancestry
English26.9%(73,811)
German12.3%(33,776)
Irish10.3%(28,231)
American6.1%(16,808)
Italian4%(10,921)
Scottish3.9%(10,756)
Scotch-Irish2.6%(7,250)
French2.6%(7,010)
Polish1.6%(4,313)
Russian1.1%(3,139)
British0.9%(2,422)
Norwegian0.8%(2,180)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch0.8%(2,110)
Swedish0.8%(2,073)
Welsh0.7%(1,956)
Greek0.6%(1,762)
Ukrainian0.5%(1,350)
Hungarian0.5%(1,255)
West Indian0.4%(1,170)
French Canadian0.4%(1,043)
Jamaican0.3%(905)
Arab0.3%(858)
Romanian0.3%(744)
Slovak0.2%(682)
Austrian0.2%(671)
Czech0.2%(600)
Lithuanian0.2%(586)
Swiss0.2%(570)
Lebanese0.2%(565)
Danish0.2%(479)
Finnish0.2%(430)
Portuguese0.1%(354)
Belgian0.1%(316)
Brazilian0.1%(228)
Croatian0.1%(188)
Bulgarian0.1%(161)
Palestinian0.1%(160)
Canadian0.1%(152)
Ethiopian0.1%(146)
Haitian0.1%(144)
Turkish0%(119)
Armenian0%(114)
Australian0%(101)
Kenyan0%(87)
Latvian0%(84)
Nigerian0%(81)
Iranian0%(76)
Jordanian0%(60)
Syrian0%(60)
Serbian0%(60)
Egyptian0%(59)
Slovene0%(56)
Israeli0%(46)
Moroccan0%(14)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
45.9%
+20.6 ptssince 2000
from 25.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
92.6%
+10.7 ptssince 2000
from 81.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
19.0%
+10.1 ptssince 2000
from 8.9% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
21.1 min
+59%since 2000
from 13.3 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
70.5%
−7.9 ptssince 2009
from 78.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.6%
−4.1 ptssince 2009
from 11.7% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.7%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
17.6%
+12.2 ptssince 2009
from 5.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.9%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 2.3% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.3%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
4.7%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 6.4% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.3%
−3.4 ptssince 2011
from 7.7% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
59.1%
−4.8 ptssince 2011
from 63.9% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
71.0%
−2.5 ptssince 2020
from 73.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
10.2%
−2.5 ptssince 2009
from 12.7% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
44.5%
+9.2 ptssince 2009
from 35.3% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.3%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 47.9% in 2009
Female
51.7%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 52.1% in 2009
Foreign born
6.7%
+1.8 ptssince 2009
from 4.9% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.3%
−5.7 ptssince 2009
from 12.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
14.4%
−0.3 ptssince 2012
from 14.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
10.9%
−5.7 ptssince 2013
from 16.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
90.3%
+11.0 ptssince 2017
from 79.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
93.4%
+5.1 ptssince 2020
from 88.3% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
88.7%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 87.2% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
90.6%
−1.7 ptssince 2016
from 92.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
6.4%
+1.4 ptssince 2016
from 5.0% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married39.9%(44,730)
Married47%(52,692)
Widowed2.7%(3,057)
Divorced10.3%(11,548)
Women 15+
Never married32.5%(39,808)
Married45.1%(55,191)
Widowed10.3%(12,543)
Divorced12.1%(14,819)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
10.9%
−5.7 ptssince 2013
from 16.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
49.2%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 49.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
18.8%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 18.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
23.0%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 21.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
16.0%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 15.2% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.9%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 3.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
66.1%
−1.0 ptssince 2020
from 67.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
36.2%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 34.7% 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)19.3%(2,736)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)21.8%(3,093)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era37.7%(5,340)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.4%(759)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.1%(156)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 14,160 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

Places similar to Buncombe County

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Pop 275,123
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Pop 278,657
Places similar to Buncombe County
Head to head

Compare Buncombe County to nearby counties

BUNCOMBE COUNTY VS
Henderson County
Income$68,187−8%
Home value$351,400−10%
Population122,375−56%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BUNCOMBE COUNTY VS
Madison County
Income$58,531−21%
Home value$284,600−27%
Population22,553−92%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BUNCOMBE COUNTY VS
Yancey County
Income$58,709−21%
Home value$243,100−38%
Population19,084−93%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BUNCOMBE COUNTY VS
Haywood County
Income$61,912−17%
Home value$279,200−29%
Population63,369−77%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Buncombe County, North Carolina?

Buncombe County, North Carolina has about 274,360 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Buncombe County, North Carolina?

The typical household in Buncombe County, North Carolina earns about $74,436 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Buncombe County, North Carolina expensive?

In Buncombe County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $391,800, and the typical rent is about $1,362 a month.

How educated are people in Buncombe County, North Carolina?

About 45.9% of adults age 25 and over in Buncombe County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Buncombe County, North Carolina?

About 11.8% of people in Buncombe County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Buncombe County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Buncombe County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 99,539 residents, a change of about 57 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →