Watauga County

Watauga County has notably lower household income than the US average, with a median household income of $20,252. Population has declined 13% since 2000. Median home value is $72,200. At a median age of 28.0, residents skew younger than the country as a whole. The poverty rate of 21.5% is well above the national figure. 27% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, well above the US average, yet household income trails the national figure — a profile common to graduate-student tracts and academic hubs.