Buncombe County, North Carolina
CountyPopulation: 271,790 (2023 estimate)
Located in North Carolina
County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Buncombe County
- What is the median household income in Buncombe County?
- The median household income in Buncombe County is $70,578 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Buncombe County?
- The poverty rate in Buncombe County is 6.7% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Buncombe County?
- $360,000 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Buncombe County?
- The median gross rent in Buncombe County is $1,281 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Buncombe County residents have a college degree?
- 44.6% of adults in Buncombe County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
271,790
Median Income
$70,578
Median Home Value
$360,000
Poverty Rate
6.7%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
3.5%
Median Age
42.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$18,371 (+35.2%)
Home Value:
+$121,800 (+51.1%)
Poverty Rate:
-0.8 pp (-10.7%)
Bachelor's+:
+4.5 pp (+11.2%)
Unemployment:
+0.3 pp (+9.4%)
Demographics
Total Population
271,790
Median Age
42.0
Female
51.7%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 8.3%
White (non-Hisp.) 81.2%
Black 5.4%
Asian 1.2%
Two or More 7.9%
Other 2.1%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Indian
0.2%
Chinese
0.2%
Filipino
0.2%
Korean
0.2%
Japanese
0.1%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
4.2%
Puerto Rican
0.5%
Cuban
0.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$70,578
±$1,846
+$674 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$96,467
Median Family Income
$89,900
Poverty Rate
6.7%
-2.7 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
10.9%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
9.2%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
28.0%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
4.2%
$10–15k
3.6%
$15–25k
7.9%
$25–35k
8.0%
$35–50k
12.0%
$50–75k
17.3%
$75–100k
14.0%
$100–150k
15.9%
$150–200k
7.6%
$200k+
9.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
132,191
Owner-Occupied
64.4%
Renter-Occupied
35.6%
Vacancy Rate
22.3%
Median Home Value
$360,000
+$100,600 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$1,281
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
18.9%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
42.0%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
4.3%
$50–100k
4.9%
$100–200k
5.1%
$200–300k
18.4%
$300–500k
33.0%
$500k–$1M
22.0%
$1M+
6.0%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
9.0%
$500–1k
20.3%
$1–1.5k
35.7%
$1.5–2k
24.2%
$2–2.5k
6.6%
$2.5–3.5k
1.6%
$3.5k+
2.6%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
5.1%
1 vehicle
33.9%
2 vehicles
40.1%
3+
20.9%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
63.8%
Single-fam. att.
2.8%
2–4 units
1.9%
5–19 units
6.0%
20+ units
5.8%
Mobile home
12.1%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
10.9%
1940–1969
3.8%
1970–1999
10.2%
2000–2009
15.8%
2010+
13.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
92.3%
Bachelor's or Higher
44.6%
+9.9 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
18.2%
Some College / Associate
16.3%
Less Than High School
2.8%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
59.7%
Unemployment Rate
3.5%
-1.3 pp vs. state
Work from Home
16.2%
Self-Employed
7.9%
Government Workers
11.7%
Private For-Profit
80.1%
Industry
Edu/Health
24.3%
Arts/Entmt.
13.9%
Prof. Services
11.9%
Retail
11.7%
Manufacturing
9.4%
Construction
8.2%
Finance
5.1%
Transportation
3.3%
Public Admin
3.2%
Wholesale
1.9%
Information
1.4%
Agriculture
0.9%
Occupation
Management
43.1%
Sales
19.7%
Food Prep
18.1%
Production
9.9%
Construction
9.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
20.8 min
Drove Alone
72.6%
Carpool
6.9%
Public Transit
0.8%
Work from Home
16.2%
Walked
2.1%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
102,672
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
46.9%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
14.9%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
4.6%
5–9
5.3%
10–14
4.9%
15–19
5.7%
20–24
5.1%
25–34
13.7%
35–44
13.9%
45–54
12.7%
55–64
6.6%
65–74
6.7%
75–84
12.4%
85+
5.8%
Under 18: 18.1%
Working age (18–64): 81.9%
65 and over: 20.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
7.0%
Naturalized Citizen
44.1%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
4.3%
Foreign-Born Origin
Latin America
50.7%
Europe
27.4%
Asia
15.8%
Africa
2.4%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
6.7%
With a Disability
13.8%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
88.1%
Uninsured
11.9%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
87.7%
Has a Computer
92.0%
Same House 1 Year Ago
88.6%
Moved from Abroad
0.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Buncombe County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Buncombe County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Other flows - South | 1,425 | 2,183 |
| Henderson County | 703 | 1,170 |
| Other flows - Northeast | 662 | 927 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 621 | 916 |
| Other flows - West | 566 | 889 |
| Mecklenburg County | 292 | 413 |
| Haywood County | 284 | 441 |
| Wake County | 232 | 335 |
| Madison County | 203 | 356 |
| McDowell County | 146 | 230 |