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COUNTY

Yancey County

North Carolina · 19,084 residents (2025 est.) · 313 sq mi
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The short version

With 18,797 people, Yancey County is a county in North Carolina. At a median age of 49.2, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Owners hold 79% of the housing stock. 25% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. 3% of people here were born outside the United States. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $243,100.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 49.2
US median: 38.9
Less educated
25% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 64%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
18,797
+6%since 2000
from 17,774 in 2000
19,084 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
60 / sq mi
+3%since 2009
from 59 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
49.2
+17%since 2000
from 41.9 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
313 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
15K16K17K18K19K19902000201020202024Yancey County
202419K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55%(933)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.4%(829)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.4%(1,018)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 194.2%(785)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245%(931)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3410.9%(2,057)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4410.3%(1,943)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413.2%(2,480)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6414.6%(2,736)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7415.7%(2,947)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 848.6%(1,618)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.8%(520)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$58,709
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $29,674 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$36,664
+124%since 2000
from $16,335 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
41.3%
+28.5 ptssince 2009
from 12.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
15.2%
−0.6 ptssince 2000
from 15.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.487
+18%since 2010
from 0.411 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade18.8%
US avg: 9.9%
Information9.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade8.7%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance5.7%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical5.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services3.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.5%
US avg: 1.6%
Public administration2.4%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing2.3%
US avg: 2.2%
Manufacturing1.5%
US avg: 0.4%
Construction1%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food0.9%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.4%
US avg: 0.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$243,100
+64%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $81,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$882
+31%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $371 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
79.4%
−0.8 ptssince 2000
from 80.2% in 2000
20.6% rent
Vacancy rate
28.5%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 29.7% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.29 people
−7%since 2009
from 2.47 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
18.6%
−6.1 ptssince 2009
from 24.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
31.0%
+6.3 ptssince 2009
from 24.7% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.1
+9%since 2009
from 3.8 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.
Gentrification Score
80
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic95.8%(17,033)
Black0.6%(101)
Hispanic / Latino2.7%(478)
Asian0.1%(22)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic90.8%(17,068)
Black0.8%(153)
Hispanic / Latino5.8%(1,091)
Asian0.5%(86)
Other2.1%(399)
Diversity Score
21
+27%since 2009
from 17 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
12
−26%since 2020
from 17 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
Mexican3.6%(675)
Guatemalan0.6%(120)
Colombian0.6%(109)
Dominican0.3%(52)
Cuban0.2%(37)
Puerto Rican0.1%(22)
Salvadoran0.1%(17)
Spaniard0.1%(10)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.4%(81)
Chinese0%(4)
Ancestry
English15.3%(2,874)
Irish14.7%(2,760)
American13.8%(2,589)
German9.3%(1,755)
Scotch-Irish5.4%(1,024)
Scottish3.1%(581)
Welsh1.9%(356)
French1.1%(199)
Dutch1%(181)
Italian0.9%(178)
Polish0.9%(162)
Russian0.7%(136)
+ 21 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.5%(97)
Hungarian0.4%(68)
Iranian0.3%(56)
Ukrainian0.3%(49)
British0.2%(44)
Czech0.2%(35)
Swiss0.2%(29)
Slovak0.1%(27)
Greek0.1%(19)
Lithuanian0.1%(18)
Armenian0.1%(13)
Romanian0.1%(12)
Danish0%(9)
Turkish0%(2)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
25.1%
+11.9 ptssince 2000
from 13.1% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
90.7%
+19.5 ptssince 2000
from 71.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
8.3%
+4.0 ptssince 2000
from 4.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
27.1 min
+36%since 2000
from 20.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
78.6%
+3.9 ptssince 2009
from 74.8% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.0%
−9.2 ptssince 2009
from 16.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
11.7%
+8.8 ptssince 2009
from 2.9% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.5%
−3.9 ptssince 2009
from 5.4% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
4.6%
−2.1 ptssince 2009
from 6.7% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
7.3%
−1.6 ptssince 2011
from 8.9% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
54.4%
−1.2 ptssince 2011
from 55.5% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
71.9%
+4.5 ptssince 2020
from 67.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
12.8%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 14.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
31.2%
+8.8 ptssince 2009
from 22.4% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.3%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 49.5% in 2009
Female
50.7%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 50.5% in 2009
Foreign born
3.2%
−2.6 ptssince 2009
from 5.8% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.7%
−2.5 ptssince 2009
from 9.2% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
18.9%
−1.8 ptssince 2012
from 20.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
7.2%
−10.8 ptssince 2013
from 18.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
81.4%
+22.3 ptssince 2017
from 59.1% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
88.2%
+5.8 ptssince 2020
from 82.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
92.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 92.3% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
94.2%
−1.4 ptssince 2016
from 95.6% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
4.5%
+0.7 ptssince 2016
from 3.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married26.5%(2,074)
Married60.8%(4,754)
Widowed3.3%(262)
Divorced9.4%(734)
Women 15+
Never married15.4%(1,260)
Married62.5%(5,122)
Widowed12.5%(1,023)
Divorced9.6%(788)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
7.2%
−10.8 ptssince 2013
from 18.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
46.0%
+5.9 ptssince 2020
from 40.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
18.5%
−1.8 ptssince 2020
from 20.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
29.6%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 28.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
19.5%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 19.2% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.9%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 3.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
62.4%
+2.5 ptssince 2020
from 59.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
45.2%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 44.3% 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)15.5%(160)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)11%(113)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era51.8%(534)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6.4%(66)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.6%(17)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,031 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 Yancey County to nearby counties

YANCEY COUNTY VS
Mitchell County
Income$57,602−2%
Home value$220,100−9%
Population15,062−21%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
YANCEY COUNTY VS
Unicoi County
Income$52,218−11%
Home value$189,600−22%
Population17,856−6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
YANCEY COUNTY VS
McDowell County
Income$57,168−3%
Home value$171,100−30%
Population45,198+137%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
YANCEY COUNTY VS
Madison County
Income$58,531same
Home value$284,600+17%
Population22,553+18%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Yancey County, North Carolina?

Yancey County, North Carolina has about 18,797 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Yancey County, North Carolina earns about $58,709 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Yancey County, North Carolina expensive?

In Yancey County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $243,100, and the typical rent is about $882 a month.

How educated are people in Yancey County, North Carolina?

About 25.1% of adults age 25 and over in Yancey County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 15.2% of people in Yancey County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Yancey County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Yancey County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 3,378 residents, a change of about 22 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 →