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METRO AREA · 2020 ACS

Asheville Metro

Asheville, NC · 3 counties · 406,926 residents · 1,479 sq mi
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The short version

Asheville is a metro area of 406,926 people. The median age is 44.0, about 5 years above the US median. The population is up 29% since 2000. The foreign-born share is 6%. About 38% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The average commute runs 21 minutes.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 44.0
US median: 38.8
More educated
38% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 55%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
406,926
+29%since 2000
from 315,138 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
275 / sq mi
+29%since 2000
from 213 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
44.0
+10%since 2000
from 40.0 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
1,479 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
246K292K338K384K430K19902000201020202024Asheville
2024415K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 54.6%(18,563)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.1%(20,894)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 145.5%(22,288)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 195.5%(22,363)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.3%(21,488)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412.7%(51,665)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4412.8%(51,952)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5412.3%(50,247)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6413.7%(55,793)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7413.3%(54,013)
US avg: 10%
75 to 846.8%(27,513)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.5%(10,147)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$55,685
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,720 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$33,052
+63%since 2000
from $20,321 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
36.3%
+11.8 ptssince 2009
from 24.6% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
11.3%
+0.2 ptssince 2000
from 11.2% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information13%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade10.8%
US avg: 10%
Wholesale trade7.6%
US avg: 6.7%
Other services4.9%
US avg: 6.6%
Finance & insurance3.2%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical2.7%
US avg: 4.7%
Public administration2.6%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing1.8%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
US avg: 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.1%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction1%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$242,686
+55%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $104,468 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$972
+22%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $529 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
66.8%
−6.3 ptssince 2000
from 73.1% in 2000
33.2% rent
Persons per household
2.38 people
+4%since 2009
from 2.28 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
4.4
+8%since 2009
from 4.0 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-Hispanic88.8%(279,843)
Black5.8%(18,156)
Hispanic / Latino3.5%(10,876)
Asian0.6%(1,940)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic80.1%(325,842)
Black4.5%(18,513)
Hispanic / Latino9.3%(37,669)
Asian1.1%(4,654)
Other2.5%(10,014)
Segregation Score
29
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
Mexican4.5%(18,020)
Central American0.9%(3,646)
South American0.9%(3,222)
Puerto Rican0.6%(2,321)
Guatemalan0.4%(1,776)
Salvadoran0.3%(1,076)
Colombian0.3%(1,050)
Cuban0.2%(776)
Honduran0.2%(630)
Dominican0.2%(592)
Venezuelan0.1%(521)
Spaniard0.1%(451)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0.1%(324)
Chilean0.1%(301)
Peruvian0.1%(299)
Ecuadorian0%(166)
Bolivian0%(121)
Uruguayan0%(92)
Asian origin
Chinese0.4%(1,566)
Filipino0.2%(935)
Asian Indian0.2%(809)
Cambodian0.1%(356)
Korean0.1%(334)
Thai0.1%(251)
Vietnamese0.1%(237)
Japanese0.1%(205)
Nepalese0%(82)
Pakistani0%(50)
Laotian0%(40)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Marshallese0.1%(245)
Chamorro0%(114)
Samoan0%(33)
Ancestry
English19.3%(76,308)
German12.4%(49,421)
Irish10.8%(43,091)
American8.4%(33,397)
Scottish3.9%(15,513)
Scotch-Irish3.9%(15,481)
Italian3.7%(14,552)
French2.4%(9,706)
Polish1.7%(6,618)
Dutch1.2%(4,624)
British1.1%(4,245)
Welsh0.8%(3,368)
+ 46 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.8%(3,176)
Norwegian0.8%(3,035)
Swedish0.7%(2,869)
Greek0.5%(1,958)
Ukrainian0.5%(1,852)
French Canadian0.4%(1,662)
Hungarian0.4%(1,429)
Romanian0.3%(1,027)
Swiss0.3%(1,020)
Danish0.3%(1,002)
Czech0.2%(896)
Canadian0.2%(881)
Austrian0.2%(868)
Portuguese0.2%(694)
Lithuanian0.2%(621)
Slovak0.1%(583)
West Indian0.1%(530)
Belgian0.1%(462)
Jamaican0.1%(386)
Armenian0.1%(327)
Finnish0.1%(298)
Lebanese0.1%(277)
Croatian0.1%(255)
Brazilian0.1%(251)
Serbian0%(113)
Egyptian0%(81)
Slovene0%(75)
Ghanaian0%(75)
Syrian0%(73)
Nigerian0%(69)
Latvian0%(64)
Israeli0%(53)
Bulgarian0%(49)
Iranian0%(49)
Jordanian0%(46)
Haitian0%(43)
Arab0%(42)
Ethiopian0%(32)
Iraqi0%(22)
Turkish0%(18)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
38.0%
+13.6 ptssince 2000
from 24.4% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
91.5%
+10.0 ptssince 2000
from 81.5% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
14.7%
+6.0 ptssince 2000
from 8.7% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
21.3 min
+53%since 2000
from 13.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
78.5%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 78.7% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
5.0%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 5.8% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.1%
−4.6 ptssince 2011
from 7.7% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
59.9%
−1.5 ptssince 2011
from 61.5% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
72.7%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
37.7%
+3.8 ptssince 2009
from 33.9% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 48.1% in 2009
Female
52.0%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 51.9% in 2009
Foreign born
6.0%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 5.5% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
11.4%
−5.2 ptssince 2013
from 16.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
88.8%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
87.5%
US average: 86.2%
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
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
11.4%
−5.2 ptssince 2013
from 16.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
49.1%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
19.1%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
23.6%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
15.3%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
3.3%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
66.7%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
36.8%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)15.5%(4,218)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)15.3%(4,173)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era40.3%(10,982)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War9.5%(2,590)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II3.7%(1,016)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 27,278 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+28%
Home value$298,800+23%
Population464,338+10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ASHEVILLE VS
Eugene
Income$71,544+28%
Home value$430,600+77%
Population381,584−10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ASHEVILLE VS
Fort Wayne
Income$71,372+28%
Home value$214,162−12%
Population466,258+10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ASHEVILLE VS
Davenport
Income$73,139+31%
Home value$183,173−25%
Population380,452−10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Asheville, NC?

Asheville, NC has about 406,926 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Asheville, NC?

The typical household in Asheville, NC earns about $55,685 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 $242,686, and the typical rent is about $972 a month.

How educated are people in Asheville, NC?

About 38.0% 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 11.3% 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 145,867 residents, a change of about 56 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 →