COUNTY
Buncombe County
North Carolina · 277,417 residents (2025 est.) · 656 sq mi
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Part of the Asheville metro area
Notable rankings
#153Most educatedof 3,14445.9%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
median household income $74,436, 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
Unique to this place
What stands out about Buncombe County
What changed most since 1990
- Median home value (2024 dollars)$154,324 → $391,800 (+154%)US over the same years: +67%
- Adults with a bachelor's degree19.1% → 45.9% (+26.8 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
- White share90.5% → 80.8% (−9.7 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Among the 100 counties in North Carolina
- 19th in household income$74,436
- 7th in share with a bachelor's degree45.9%
- 7th in home value$391,800
- 72nd in diversity score41.9
Section 01
Population & growth
274,360
+33%since 2000
from 206,330 in 2000
277,417 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
656 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024274K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.5%(12,341)
5 to 95.3%(14,676)
10 to 144.7%(12,955)
15 to 195.5%(15,118)
20 to 245.2%(14,318)
25 to 3413.6%(37,318)
35 to 4414.1%(38,705)
45 to 5412.7%(34,892)
55 to 6413%(35,746)
65 to 7412.5%(34,323)
75 to 846.2%(17,113)
85 and over2.5%(6,855)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$74,436
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,666 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
49.6%
+25.2 ptssince 2009
from 24.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12%
Retail trade9.5%
Wholesale trade7.5%
Other services5.5%
Finance & insurance3.1%
Public administration2.8%
Professional, scientific, technical2.5%
Transportation & warehousing1.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.8%
Construction0.7%
Education & health services0.6%
Manufacturing0%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$391,800
+110%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $102,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
5.3
+28%since 2009
from 4.1 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
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)
42
+33%since 2009
from 32 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
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)
Nicaraguan0%(84)
Uruguayan0%(48)
Costa Rican0%(23)
Panamanian0%(11)
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)
Indonesian0%(38)
Cambodian0%(22)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
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)
Subsaharan African0.3%(820)
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)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(40)
Moroccan0%(14)
Macedonian0%(14)
Cape Verdean0%(13)
Barbadian0%(4)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
92.6%
+10.7 ptssince 2000
from 81.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
71.0%
−2.5 ptssince 2020
from 73.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
93.4%
+5.1 ptssince 2020
from 88.3% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
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
Direct-purchase
18.8%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 18.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
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)
Gulf War (1990s)21.8%(3,093)
Vietnam era37.7%(5,340)
Korean War5.4%(759)
World War II1.1%(156)
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
Over time
Buncombe County, decade by decade
| Year | Population | Median household income | Median home value | Bachelor's degree+ | Diversity score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 174,821 | $62,035 | $154,324 | 19.1% | 21.9 |
| 2000 | 206,330 | $66,793 | $186,173 | 25.3% | 28.3 |
| 2010 | 238,318 | $63,570 | $270,883 | 31.2% | 34.9 |
| 2020 | 269,452 | $66,701 | $303,737 | 41.4% | 44.2 |
| 2024 | 274,360 | $74,436 | $391,800 | 45.9% | 41.9 |
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.
Drill deeper
Places similar to Buncombe County
Canyon County
Pop 275,123
Madison County
Pop 263,110
Kalamazoo County
Pop 263,795
Atlantic County
Pop 278,657
Places similar to Buncombe CountyHead 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.
Keep going
Explore from here
65 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 30.02Census Tract 22.04Census Tract 22.05Census Tract 26.04Census Tract 23.03Census Tract 22.03Census Tract 30.03Census Tract 26.06Census Tract 20Census Tract 32.03Census Tract 25.05Census Tract 21.02Census Tract 18.02Census Tract 24.02Census Tract 23.05Census Tract 28.04Census Tract 25.04Census Tract 25.03Census Tract 22.06Census Tract 27.0216 ZIP codes
ZIP 28806ZIP 28803ZIP 28715ZIP 28804ZIP 28704ZIP 28787ZIP 28805ZIP 28801ZIP 28778ZIP 28711ZIP 28748ZIP 28730ZIP 28701ZIP 28709ZIP 28757ZIP 28770Up the hierarchy
All counties in North CarolinaDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024