Buncombe County vs Guilford County
A side-by-side comparison of Buncombe County and Guilford County: population, income, housing, and more.
Buncombe County and Guilford County are counties in North Carolina. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Guilford County has the higher population (542,987 vs 271,790 in Buncombe County). Buncombe County has the higher median household income ($70,578 vs $66,027 in Guilford County). Buncombe County has the higher median home value ($360,000 vs $234,900 in Guilford County).
Population, income & housing
| Buncombe County | Guilford County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 271,790 | 542,987 |
| Median age | 42.4 yrs | 37.4 yrs |
| Median household income | $70,578 | $66,027 |
| Median home value | $360,000 | $234,900 |
| Median gross rent | $1,281 | $1,108 |
| Housing units | 132,191 | 235,833 |
| Homeownership rate | 64.4% | 60.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44.6% | 38.1% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 4.7% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Buncombe County | Guilford County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 256,886 → 271,790 (+5.8%) | 527,868 → 542,987 (+2.9%) |
| Median household income | $52,207 → $70,578 (+35.2%) | $53,261 → $66,027 (+24.0%) |
| Median home value | $238,200 → $360,000 (+51.1%) | $167,000 → $234,900 (+40.7%) |
| Median gross rent | $975 → $1,281 (+31.4%) | $878 → $1,108 (+26.2%) |
Buncombe County
256,886271,790
$52,207$70,578
$238,200$360,000
$975$1,281
Guilford County
527,868542,987
$53,261$66,027
$167,000$234,900
$878$1,108
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Buncombe County | Guilford County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 4.6% | 5.6% |
| 5 to 17 | 13.5% | 16.5% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.5% | 11.7% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.7% | 13.4% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.9% | 12.3% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.7% | 12.6% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.3% | 12.3% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.4% | 9.3% |
| 75 and over | 8.4% | 6.3% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Buncombe County | Guilford County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 81.2% | 46.8% |
| Black or African American | 5.4% | 33.5% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Asian | 1.1% | 5.2% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.4% | 0.7% |
| Two or more races | 3.5% | 3.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.3% | 9.8% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Buncombe County | Guilford County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 7.7% | 9.7% |
| High school graduate | 22.7% | 22.6% |
| Some college or associate's | 25.0% | 29.6% |
| Bachelor's degree | 26.5% | 23.7% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 18.2% | 14.4% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Buncombe County | Guilford County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 72.6% | 74.5% |
| Carpooled | 6.9% | 8.4% |
| Public transit | 0.8% | 1.5% |
| Walked | 2.1% | 1.8% |
| Bicycle | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Worked from home | 16.2% | 12.1% |
| Other means | 1.2% | 1.6% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Buncombe County | Guilford County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 63.8% | 62.7% |
| 1-unit, attached | 2.8% | 6.1% |
| 2 to 4 units | 5.2% | 5.9% |
| 5 to 19 units | 10.2% | 14.7% |
| 20 or more units | 5.8% | 7.5% |
| Mobile home & other | 12.2% | 3.0% |
Poverty & households
| Buncombe County | Guilford County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 11.8% | 15.2% |
| Average household size | 2.58 | 2.41 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 21 | 23 |
| Median year structure built | 1989 | 1986 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
21- Largest by population — counties in North Carolina
- Most densely populated — counties in North Carolina
- Highest median household income — counties in North Carolina
- Highest median home value — counties in North Carolina
- Most affordable home values — counties in North Carolina
- Highest median gross rent — counties in North Carolina
- Cheapest median gross rent — counties in North Carolina
- Oldest by median age — counties in North Carolina
- Youngest by median age — counties in North Carolina
- Most college-educated — counties in North Carolina
- Highest poverty rate — counties in North Carolina
- Lowest poverty rate — counties in North Carolina
- Highest homeownership rate — counties in North Carolina
- Lowest homeownership rate — counties in North Carolina
- Longest commutes — counties in North Carolina
- Shortest commutes — counties in North Carolina
- Largest households — counties in North Carolina
- Newest housing — counties in North Carolina
- Oldest housing — counties in North Carolina
- Fastest-growing (2019–2023) — counties in North Carolina
- Fastest-shrinking (2019–2023) — counties in North Carolina