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COUNTY · 2010 ACS

Watauga County

North Carolina · 51,079 residents · 312 sq mi
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With 51,079 people, Watauga County is a county in North Carolina. This skews young, with a median age of 28.4. The poverty rate is 24.8%, above the 13.8% national rate. Households here earn about 30% less than in North Carolina as a whole. About 37% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The foreign-born share is 3%.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $52,703
Younger
median age 28.4
US median: 37.2
More educated
37% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Less affordable
home values up 33%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
51,079
+20%since 2000
from 42,695 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
28.4
−5%since 2000
from 29.9 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
312 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
35K41K46K51K57K19902000201020202024Watauga County
202455K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 53.8%(1,947)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 93.7%(1,914)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 143.7%(1,912)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 1911.9%(6,100)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 2422.4%(11,464)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3410.3%(5,243)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 449.1%(4,669)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5411.2%(5,744)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6411.3%(5,757)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 747.1%(3,630)
US avg: 7%
75 to 843.7%(1,910)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over1.5%(789)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$31,967
−23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $32,611 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$20,961
+21%since 2000
from $17,258 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
19.2%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 20.9% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
24.8%
+6.8 ptssince 2000
from 17.9% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.516
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Information14.9%
US avg: 11.5%
Wholesale trade8.1%
US avg: 7.2%
Other services6.6%
US avg: 7%
Public administration3.4%
US avg: 4.9%
Retail trade2.9%
US avg: 10.9%
Finance & insurance2.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Professional, scientific, technical1.9%
US avg: 4.2%
Transportation & warehousing1.5%
US avg: 3.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction1%
US avg: 1.4%
Arts, entertainment, food0.8%
US avg: 2.4%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$215,800
+33%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $128,200 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$740
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $548 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
56.8%
−6.1 ptssince 2000
from 62.9% in 2000
43.2% rent
Vacancy rate
31.2%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 31.6% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.09 people
−2%since 2009
from 2.13 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
27.9%
+2.4 ptssince 2009
from 25.4% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
66.0%
+1.9 ptssince 2009
from 64.1% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
6.8
+14%since 2009
from 5.9 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-Hispanic95.4%(40,744)
Black1.6%(673)
Hispanic / Latino1.5%(622)
Asian0.6%(251)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic92.5%(47,268)
Black1.7%(855)
Hispanic / Latino3.4%(1,713)
Asian0.9%(467)
Other1.9%(984)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican1.8%(913)
Cuban0.4%(174)
Honduran0.2%(91)
Puerto Rican0.2%(89)
Nicaraguan0.1%(50)
Spaniard0.1%(36)
Colombian0.1%(30)
Argentine0.1%(29)
Peruvian0.1%(26)
+ 2 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ancestry
German23.5%(11,703)
English16.2%(8,042)
Irish13.5%(6,693)
American9%(4,465)
Scotch-Irish6.6%(3,266)
Scottish5.4%(2,676)
Italian3.5%(1,732)
French2.3%(1,165)
Dutch1.7%(845)
Polish1.6%(778)
Norwegian1.4%(704)
Welsh1.1%(551)
+ 30 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.8%(407)
British0.8%(396)
Swedish0.8%(392)
Hungarian0.6%(295)
Czech0.6%(281)
Greek0.5%(262)
Danish0.5%(229)
Swiss0.3%(131)
Portuguese0.3%(129)
Arab0.2%(122)
Lebanese0.2%(112)
Iranian0.2%(95)
Austrian0.2%(79)
Turkish0.2%(79)
Slovak0.2%(75)
Ukrainian0.1%(73)
West Indian0.1%(53)
Lithuanian0.1%(52)
Romanian0.1%(48)
Finnish0.1%(38)
Serbian0.1%(29)
Armenian0%(24)
Canadian0%(19)
Jamaican0%(18)
Egyptian0%(10)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
37.1%
+3.9 ptssince 2000
from 33.2% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
86.9%
+5.3 ptssince 2000
from 81.6% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
16.3%
+1.8 ptssince 2000
from 14.5% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
18.6 min
+38%since 2000
from 13.4 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
74.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 74.7% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
12.9%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 13.3% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
0.8%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
4.5%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
6.6%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 6.4% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
0.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
4.2%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 3.9% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
18.3%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 18.1% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
33.4%
+2.2 ptssince 2009
from 31.2% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.0%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 49.8% in 2009
Female
50.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 50.2% in 2009
Foreign born
2.9%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 2.4% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
7.1%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 7.9% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married48.8%(12,063)
Married41.4%(10,240)
Widowed1.2%(307)
Divorced8.6%(2,125)
Women 15+
Never married47.5%(11,858)
Married36.9%(9,205)
Widowed6.6%(1,638)
Divorced9.1%(2,275)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
9.3%
−4.0 ptssince 2013
from 13.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
52.7%
−2.2 ptssince 2020
from 54.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
25.7%
+4.0 ptssince 2020
from 21.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
19.0%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 17.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
11.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 11.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.0%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 2.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
74.4%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 75.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
29.0%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 27.1% 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)13.8%(296)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)17.6%(378)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era49.3%(1,061)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.3%(114)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,150 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 Watauga County to nearby counties

WATAUGA COUNTY VS
Avery County
Income$61,428+92%
Home value$265,800+23%
Population18,110−67%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WATAUGA COUNTY VS
Johnson County
Income$53,129+66%
Home value$178,600−17%
Population18,718−66%
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WATAUGA COUNTY VS
Ashe County
Income$56,866+78%
Home value$243,100+13%
Population27,514−50%
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WATAUGA COUNTY VS
Caldwell County
Income$56,425+77%
Home value$192,200−11%
Population81,105+48%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Watauga County, North Carolina?

Watauga County, North Carolina has about 51,079 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Watauga County, North Carolina earns about $31,967 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 $215,800, and the typical rent is about $740 a month.

How educated are people in Watauga County, North Carolina?

About 37.1% 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 24.8% 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 14,127 residents, a change of about 38 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 →