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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Buncombe County

North Carolina · 269,452 residents · 656 sq mi
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Buncombe County is home to 269,452 people in North Carolina. Growth has run 31% since 2000, or 63,122 more people. 41% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. At a median age of 42.1, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 6% of residents were born outside the United States. Getting to work takes 20 minutes on average.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 42.1
US median: 38.8
More educated
41% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 63%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
269,452
+31%since 2000
from 206,330 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
42.1
+8%since 2000
from 38.9 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
656 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
165K195K225K254K284K19902000201020202024Buncombe County
2024274K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 54.6%(12,383)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.1%(13,793)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 145.4%(14,639)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 195.5%(14,908)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.6%(15,189)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413.9%(37,336)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4413.5%(36,412)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5412.4%(33,421)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6413.3%(35,917)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7412.4%(33,457)
US avg: 10%
75 to 845.9%(15,981)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.2%(6,016)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$55,032
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,666 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$33,835
+66%since 2000
from $20,384 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
36.0%
+11.6 ptssince 2009
from 24.4% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
11.5%
+0.1 ptssince 2000
from 11.4% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information12.8%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade9.8%
US avg: 10%
Wholesale trade7.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Other services5%
US avg: 6.6%
Finance & insurance2.9%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical2.6%
US avg: 4.7%
Public administration2.5%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing1.8%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food1.4%
US avg: 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.9%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.7%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.4%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$250,600
+63%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $102,200 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,019
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $551 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
62.9%
−7.4 ptssince 2000
from 70.3% in 2000
37.1% rent
Persons per household
2.40 people
+6%since 2009
from 2.26 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
4.6
+11%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.
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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic79.7%(214,862)
Black5.6%(15,017)
Hispanic / Latino8.1%(21,922)
Asian1.2%(3,274)
Other2.6%(7,049)
Segregation Score
28
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
Mexican3.7%(9,642)
Central American1.1%(2,728)
South American0.9%(2,293)
Guatemalan0.5%(1,244)
Puerto Rican0.4%(1,104)
Salvadoran0.3%(838)
Colombian0.2%(609)
Honduran0.2%(602)
Cuban0.2%(520)
Venezuelan0.2%(501)
Dominican0.2%(390)
Spaniard0.1%(298)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0.1%(283)
Peruvian0.1%(242)
Bolivian0%(121)
Chilean0%(71)
Uruguayan0%(34)
Asian origin
Chinese0.4%(949)
Asian Indian0.3%(760)
Filipino0.2%(608)
Korean0.1%(282)
Japanese0.1%(193)
Thai0.1%(169)
Pakistani0%(50)
Laotian0%(40)
Cambodian0%(26)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Marshallese0.1%(245)
Chamorro0%(114)
Samoan0%(33)
Ancestry
English21.5%(55,755)
German12.7%(32,935)
Irish10.3%(26,832)
American6.9%(17,986)
Italian4%(10,507)
Scottish4%(10,407)
Scotch-Irish3.7%(9,559)
French2.6%(6,666)
Polish1.6%(4,132)
British1.2%(3,052)
Dutch1%(2,664)
Russian1%(2,561)
+ 45 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.8%(2,079)
Norwegian0.7%(1,860)
Swedish0.7%(1,847)
Greek0.7%(1,730)
Ukrainian0.6%(1,577)
Romanian0.3%(857)
Hungarian0.3%(777)
Danish0.3%(750)
Swiss0.3%(724)
Austrian0.2%(571)
Canadian0.2%(516)
Czech0.2%(477)
Lithuanian0.2%(455)
Slovak0.1%(389)
Belgian0.1%(372)
Portuguese0.1%(363)
West Indian0.1%(360)
Jamaican0.1%(274)
Finnish0.1%(210)
Lebanese0.1%(208)
Armenian0.1%(187)
Brazilian0.1%(167)
Croatian0.1%(152)
Serbian0%(108)
Egyptian0%(81)
Slovene0%(60)
Nigerian0%(60)
Israeli0%(53)
Syrian0%(48)
Latvian0%(47)
Jordanian0%(46)
Iranian0%(34)
Ethiopian0%(32)
Ghanaian0%(32)
Bulgarian0%(28)
Iraqi0%(15)
Arab0%(14)
Haitian0%(9)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
41.4%
+16.1 ptssince 2000
from 25.3% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
91.7%
+9.8 ptssince 2000
from 81.9% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
16.3%
+7.4 ptssince 2000
from 8.9% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.3 min
+53%since 2000
from 13.3 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
77.5%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 78.3% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
5.6%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 6.4% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.2%
−4.5 ptssince 2011
from 7.7% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
61.2%
−2.7 ptssince 2011
from 63.9% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
73.5%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
39.8%
+4.5 ptssince 2009
from 35.3% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
47.9%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 47.9% in 2009
Female
52.1%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 52.1% in 2009
Foreign born
6.0%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.9% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
11.1%
−5.5 ptssince 2013
from 16.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
88.3%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
87.2%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
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
11.1%
−5.5 ptssince 2013
from 16.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
49.8%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
18.4%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
21.6%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
15.2%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
3.5%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
67.1%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
34.7%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)16.7%(2,854)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)15.3%(2,608)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era38.5%(6,556)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War10.3%(1,748)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II3.9%(660)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 17,043 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

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Head to head

Compare Buncombe County to nearby counties

BUNCOMBE COUNTY VS
Henderson County
Income$68,187+24%
Home value$351,400+40%
Population122,375−56%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BUNCOMBE COUNTY VS
Madison County
Income$58,531+6%
Home value$284,600+14%
Population22,553−92%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BUNCOMBE COUNTY VS
Yancey County
Income$58,709+7%
Home value$243,100−3%
Population19,084−93%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BUNCOMBE COUNTY VS
Haywood County
Income$61,912+13%
Home value$279,200+11%
Population63,369−77%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Buncombe County, North Carolina?

Buncombe County, North Carolina has about 269,452 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Buncombe County, North Carolina earns about $55,032 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 $250,600, and the typical rent is about $1,019 a month.

How educated are people in Buncombe County, North Carolina?

About 41.4% 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 11.5% 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 94,631 residents, a change of about 54 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 →