METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS
Asheville Metro
Asheville, NC · 3 counties · 261,059 residents · 1,479.052 sq mi
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The short version
Asheville has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $25,697. Population has fallen 17% since 2000, a loss of 54,079 residents. Median home value is $66,985.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Older
median age 37.9
US median: 33.0
Average education
19% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 16%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01
Population & growth
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024415K
Age distribution, 1990
Under 56%(15,599)
5 to 95.8%(15,097)
10 to 146.3%(16,333)
15 to 196.6%(17,165)
20 to 246.2%(16,233)
25 to 3414.9%(38,990)
35 to 4415.2%(39,781)
45 to 5411.1%(29,052)
55 to 6410.2%(26,530)
65 to 7410.2%(26,645)
75 to 845.7%(14,761)
85 and over1.9%(4,873)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$25,697
−8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $36,720 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Section 03
Housing
$66,985
−16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $104,468 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
RELATED:See current rent listings in Asheville on RentDataNow
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic88.8%(279,843)
Black5.8%(18,156)
Hispanic / Latino3.5%(10,876)
Asian0.6%(1,940)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic92.7%(242,112)
Black6.3%(16,439)
Hispanic / Latino0.7%(1,902)
Asian0.5%(1,276)
Other0.5%(1,232)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.
Hispanic origin
Mexican5.3%(22,084)
Central American1.4%(5,530)
South American1%(4,199)
Puerto Rican0.8%(3,306)
Salvadoran0.5%(1,904)
Honduran0.4%(1,684)
Guatemalan0.4%(1,663)
Colombian0.4%(1,524)
Cuban0.3%(1,183)
Spaniard0.2%(762)
Ecuadorian0.2%(652)
Dominican0.1%(583)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Venezuelan0.1%(566)
Chilean0.1%(390)
Argentine0.1%(356)
Peruvian0%(132)
Nicaraguan0%(119)
Costa Rican0%(108)
Bolivian0%(102)
Panamanian0%(52)
Uruguayan0%(48)
Paraguayan0%(3)
Asian origin
Korean0.2%(739)
Filipino0.2%(731)
Chinese0.2%(639)
Asian Indian0.2%(598)
Japanese0.1%(405)
Vietnamese0.1%(317)
Cambodian0.1%(307)
Nepalese0.1%(241)
Thai0%(191)
Pakistani0%(122)
Taiwanese0%(84)
Indonesian0%(84)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.1%(372)
Chamorro0%(75)
Samoan0%(48)
Marshallese0%(33)
Fijian0%(21)
Ancestry
English23.8%(98,507)
German12.3%(51,002)
Irish11%(45,494)
American7.7%(31,880)
Scottish3.9%(16,276)
Italian3.6%(15,080)
Scotch-Irish2.9%(12,065)
French2.4%(10,068)
Polish1.6%(6,827)
Dutch0.9%(3,814)
Russian0.9%(3,661)
Swedish0.8%(3,479)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.8%(3,342)
Welsh0.8%(3,307)
British0.8%(3,244)
Hungarian0.5%(2,058)
Greek0.5%(2,050)
Ukrainian0.4%(1,724)
French Canadian0.4%(1,599)
West Indian0.3%(1,284)
Subsaharan African0.3%(1,101)
Arab0.3%(1,066)
Czech0.2%(1,000)
Jamaican0.2%(975)
Austrian0.2%(871)
Romanian0.2%(840)
Slovak0.2%(839)
Swiss0.2%(833)
Finnish0.2%(784)
Danish0.2%(764)
Lithuanian0.2%(715)
Portuguese0.1%(617)
Lebanese0.2%(593)
Belgian0.1%(494)
Canadian0.1%(388)
Croatian0.1%(307)
Brazilian0.1%(262)
Bulgarian0%(186)
Haitian0%(173)
Palestinian0.1%(160)
Ethiopian0%(155)
Armenian0%(152)
Australian0%(134)
Turkish0%(131)
Kenyan0%(122)
Israeli0%(108)
Nigerian0%(104)
Slovene0%(94)
Latvian0%(89)
Moroccan0%(86)
Syrian0%(78)
Serbian0%(78)
Iranian0%(76)
Jordanian0%(60)
Guyanese0.1%(60)
Egyptian0%(59)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(40)
Macedonian0%(26)
Ghanaian0%(16)
Cape Verdean0%(13)
Barbadian0%(4)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
73.8%
−7.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 81.5% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
No data for the years selected.
Section 08
People & community
No data for the years selected.
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married35.6%(60,349)
Married51.7%(87,624)
Widowed2.9%(4,918)
Divorced9.8%(16,698)
Women 15+
Never married28.8%(53,092)
Married48.4%(89,250)
Widowed10.4%(19,089)
Divorced12.4%(22,808)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
In this metro
Largest cities
AshevilleCENTRAL93,523Hendersonville15,867Black Mountain8,491Fletcher8,373Woodfin8,229Etowah7,968Mills River7,504Swannanoa6,901East Flat Rock6,323Weaverville4,790Royal Pines4,325Dana4,147Flat Rock3,643Mountain Home3,437Avery Creek2,887Edneyville2,716Valley Hill2,675Emma2,657Fruitland2,398Laurel Park2,360Fairview2,298Mars Hill2,280Hoopers Creek1,683Horse Shoe1,490Biltmore Forest1,469Bent Creek1,384Balfour1,134Barker Heights1,074Montreat1,024Marshall802
The 30 most populous of 34 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.
What's inside
3 component counties
Drill deeper
Metros similar to Asheville
Springfield
Pop 464,338
Eugene
Pop 381,584
Fort Wayne
Pop 466,258
Davenport
Pop 380,452
Places similar to AshevilleHead to head
Compare Asheville side by side
ASHEVILLE VS
Springfield
Income$71,306+177%
Home value$298,800+346%
Population464,338+10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ASHEVILLE VS
Eugene
Income$71,544+178%
Home value$430,600+543%
Population381,584−10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ASHEVILLE VS
Fort Wayne
Income$71,372+178%
Home value$214,162+220%
Population466,258+10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ASHEVILLE VS
Davenport
Income$73,139+185%
Home value$183,173+173%
Population380,452−10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Asheville, NC?
Asheville, NC has about 261,059 residents according to the 1990 Census.
What is the median household income in Asheville, NC?
The typical household in Asheville, NC earns about $25,697 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Asheville, NC expensive?
In Asheville, NC, the median home is worth about $66,985, and the typical rent is about $363 a month.
How educated are people in Asheville, NC?
About 18.7% of adults age 25 and over in Asheville, NC hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Asheville, NC?
About 11.7% of people in Asheville, NC live below the federal poverty line.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024