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COUNTY · 2000 CENSUS

Watauga County

North Carolina · 42,695 residents · 312.44 sq mi
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The short version

Watauga County has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $32,611. Population has grown 16% since 1990. Median home value has risen by half since 1990, reaching $128,200. At a median age of 29.9, residents skew younger than the country as a whole. 33% 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.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Younger
median age 29.9
US median: 35.2
More educated
33% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Less affordable
home values up 35%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
42,695
+16%since 1990
from 36,952 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Median age
29.9
+7%since 1990
from 28.0 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Population, 1990 – 2024
35K41K46K51K57K1990201020202024Watauga County
202455K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 53.9%(1,670)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 94.4%(1,896)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 145%(2,119)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 1912%(5,143)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 2418.8%(8,008)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3411%(4,715)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4412.4%(5,286)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5412.8%(5,449)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 648.7%(3,726)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 746.1%(2,584)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 843.7%(1,565)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.3%(534)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$32,611
+22%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $20,252 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$17,258
+62%since 1990
from $10,628 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
17.9%
−3.6 ptssince 1990
from 21.5% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$128,200
+35%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $72,200 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$548
+11%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $374 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
62.9%
−1.3 ptssince 1990
from 64.2% in 1990
37.1% rent
RELATED:See current rent listings in Watauga County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic97.2%(35,932)
Black2.1%(789)
Hispanic / Latino0.8%(281)
Asian0.4%(142)
2000
White, non-Hispanic95.4%(40,744)
Black1.6%(673)
Hispanic / Latino1.5%(622)
Asian0.6%(251)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

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

Hispanic origin
Mexican3.2%(1,775)
Puerto Rican0.6%(342)
Cuban0.4%(239)
Venezuelan0.4%(193)
Colombian0.3%(170)
Chilean0.3%(160)
Honduran0.2%(137)
Spaniard0.1%(56)
Bolivian0.1%(42)
Salvadoran0.1%(40)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Chinese0.3%(172)
Korean0.2%(106)
Vietnamese0.1%(78)
Japanese0.1%(33)
Burmese0%(16)
Thai0%(16)
Filipino0%(15)
Hmong0%(7)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
English20.2%(11,154)
German15%(8,289)
Irish13.9%(7,642)
American10.1%(5,574)
Scottish4.7%(2,600)
Italian4.4%(2,435)
Scotch-Irish4%(2,183)
Polish2%(1,117)
French2%(1,103)
Swedish1.2%(688)
Ukrainian0.8%(430)
Russian0.8%(427)
+ 34 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.7%(402)
Dutch0.6%(350)
British0.6%(331)
Welsh0.6%(322)
Hungarian0.5%(264)
Canadian0.4%(239)
Czech0.3%(176)
Arab0.3%(170)
Austrian0.3%(151)
Lithuanian0.2%(125)
Swiss0.2%(125)
Greek0.2%(93)
Egyptian0.1%(74)
West Indian0.1%(67)
Brazilian0.1%(62)
Danish0.1%(58)
Croatian0.1%(55)
Bulgarian0.1%(48)
Romanian0.1%(47)
Lebanese0.1%(46)
Macedonian0.1%(46)
Finnish0.1%(42)
Belgian0.1%(40)
Portuguese0.1%(34)
Slovene0.1%(30)
Jamaican0%(18)
Slovak0%(16)
Ethiopian0%(13)
Latvian0%(11)
Turkish0%(10)
Syrian0%(2)
RANKED:Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest American population · Largest Scottish population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
33.2%
+5.9 ptssince 1990
from 27.4% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
81.6%
+9.6 ptssince 1990
from 72.0% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
14.5%
+2.5 ptssince 1990
from 12.0% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
13.4 min
−29%since 1990
from 18.9 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married43.8%(7,970)
Married48.4%(8,806)
Widowed1.4%(256)
Divorced6.4%(1,173)
Women 15+
Never married35.3%(6,644)
Married49.3%(9,280)
Widowed7.5%(1,405)
Divorced7.9%(1,493)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Drill deeper

Places similar to Watauga County

Jackson County
Pop 54,281
Russell County
Pop 58,898
Jackson County
Pop 52,501
Jefferson County
Pop 62,987
Places similar to Watauga County
Head to head

Compare Watauga County to nearby counties

WATAUGA COUNTY VS
Avery County
Income$61,428+88%
Home value$265,800+107%
Population18,110−67%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WATAUGA COUNTY VS
Johnson County
Income$53,129+63%
Home value$178,600+39%
Population18,718−66%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WATAUGA COUNTY VS
Ashe County
Income$56,866+74%
Home value$243,100+90%
Population27,514−50%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WATAUGA COUNTY VS
Caldwell County
Income$56,425+73%
Home value$192,200+50%
Population81,105+48%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Watauga County, North Carolina?

Watauga County, North Carolina has about 42,695 residents according to the 2000 Census.

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

The typical household in Watauga County, North Carolina earns about $32,611 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Watauga County, North Carolina expensive?

In Watauga County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $128,200, and the typical rent is about $548 a month.

How educated are people in Watauga County, North Carolina?

About 33.2% of adults age 25 and over in Watauga County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 17.9% of people in Watauga County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Watauga County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Watauga County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 5,743 residents, a change of about 16 percent over that period.

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Explore from here

13 census tracts
Census Tract 9205Census Tract 9204Census Tract 9207.03Census Tract 9206.01Census Tract 9201Census Tract 9209Census Tract 9202Census Tract 9206.02Census Tract 9207.02Census Tract 9208Census Tract 9203Census Tract 9207.01Census Tract 9210
7 ZIP codes
ZIP 28607ZIP 28604ZIP 28692ZIP 28605ZIP 28679ZIP 28698ZIP 28618
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →