METRO AREA · 2000 CENSUS

Asheville Metro

Asheville, NC · 3 counties · 315,138 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 $36,720. Population has grown 21% since 1990. Median home value has risen by half since 1990, reaching $104,468.

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

Population, 1990 – 2024

2024415K

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

RELATED:See current rent listings in Asheville on RentDataNow

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)

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

Laotian0%(64)

Sri Lankan0%(13)

Burmese0%(10)

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)

RANKED:Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest American population · Largest Mexican population

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

In this metro

Largest cities

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 CountyCENTRAL277,417 Henderson CountyCENTRAL122,375 Madison County22,553

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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 →