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METRO AREA · 2000 CENSUS

Asheville Metro

Asheville, NC · 3 counties · 315,138 residents · 1,479 sq mi
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The short version

Asheville is home to 315,138 people. The median age is 40.0, about 5 years above the US median. The population is up 21% since 1990. 73% of homes are owner-occupied. Households take in $36,720 at the median, 14% less than the US figure. The typical home is worth $104,468, having risen by half since 1990.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Older
median age 40.0
US median: 35.2
Average education
24% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
315,138
+21%since 1990
from 261,059 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Population density
213 / sq mi
+21%since 1990
from 177 / sq mi in 1990
Median age
40.0
+6%since 1990
from 37.9 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
1,479 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
246K292K338K384K430K19902000201020202024Asheville
2024415K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 55.6%(17,805)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 96%(19,060)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 146.2%(19,547)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 196%(18,874)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 245.7%(18,016)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413.1%(41,173)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4415.2%(47,786)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5414.5%(45,610)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 6410.5%(33,021)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 748.9%(27,966)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 846.2%(19,556)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over2.1%(6,724)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$36,720
+8%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $25,697 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$20,321
+55%since 1990
from $13,078 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
11.2%
−0.5 ptssince 1990
from 11.7% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$104,468
+18%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $66,985 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$529
+11%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $363 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
73.1%
+0.6 ptssince 1990
from 72.5% in 1990
26.9% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic92.7%(242,112)
Black6.3%(16,439)
Hispanic / Latino0.7%(1,902)
Asian0.5%(1,276)
2000
White, non-Hispanic88.8%(279,843)
Black5.8%(18,156)
Hispanic / Latino3.5%(10,876)
Asian0.6%(1,940)

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)
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)
Bolivian0%(102)
Uruguayan0%(48)
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)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Laotian0%(64)
Burmese0%(10)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(75)
Samoan0%(48)
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)
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)
Ghanaian0%(16)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
24.4%
+5.7 ptssince 1990
from 18.7% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
81.5%
+7.7 ptssince 1990
from 73.8% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
8.7%
+2.3 ptssince 1990
from 6.4% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
13.9 min
−27%since 1990
from 19.2 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 married24.4%(29,927)
Married63.9%(78,452)
Widowed2.8%(3,471)
Divorced8.9%(10,915)
Women 15+
Never married18.2%(24,784)
Married58.1%(79,064)
Widowed12.8%(17,444)
Divorced10.9%(14,765)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
11.2%
−5.4 ptssince 2013
from 16.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
47.8%
−1.4 ptssince 2020
from 49.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
19.3%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 19.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
24.4%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 23.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
16.9%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 15.3% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.9%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 3.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
65.0%
−1.7 ptssince 2020
from 66.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
38.8%
+2.0 ptssince 2020
from 36.8% 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)18.7%(4,343)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)20.8%(4,821)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era39.8%(9,242)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.3%(1,219)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.9%(205)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 23,216 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
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

Buncombe CountyCENTRAL277,417Henderson CountyCENTRAL122,375Madison County22,553
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 Asheville
Head to head

Compare Asheville side by side

ASHEVILLE VS
Springfield
Income$71,306+94%
Home value$298,800+186%
Population464,338+10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ASHEVILLE VS
Eugene
Income$71,544+95%
Home value$430,600+312%
Population381,584−10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ASHEVILLE VS
Fort Wayne
Income$71,372+94%
Home value$214,162+105%
Population466,258+10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ASHEVILLE VS
Davenport
Income$73,139+99%
Home value$183,173+75%
Population380,452−10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Asheville, NC?

Asheville, NC has about 315,138 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Asheville, NC?

The typical household in Asheville, NC earns about $36,720 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 $104,468, and the typical rent is about $529 a month.

How educated are people in Asheville, NC?

About 24.4% 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 11.2% of people in Asheville, NC live below the federal poverty line.

Has Asheville, NC grown since 1990?

Yes, Asheville, NC has grown since 1990. The population has added about 54,079 residents, a change of about 21 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Asheville, NC (2000): population, income & housing data · CensusEasy