Avery County, North Carolina

7 cities & places have their primary county here.

Population: 17,643
Median household income: $57,657
Median home value: $233,200

Avery County, North Carolina counts 17,643 residents. 7 cities and places have their primary county here. The median household income of $57,657 is below the North Carolina median ($69,904).

Between 2019 and 2023, Avery County's population held roughly steady from 17,506 to 17,643, while its median household income rose 42.9% from $40,340 to $57,657.

67.5% of homes are single-family detached houses. The typical home was built around 1985.

Demographics

ACS 2019–2023

Population: 17,643
Median age: 46.5 yrs
Median household income: $57,657
Median home value: $233,200
Median gross rent: $791
Housing units: 14,051
Homeownership rate: 80.0%
Bachelor's degree or higher: 21.9%
Unemployment rate: 4.8%

Trends

ACS 5-year · 2019–2023

Population

17,50617,643

Median household income

$40,340$57,657

Median home value

$144,000$233,200

Median gross rent

$777$791

Year	Population	Median household income	Median home value	Median gross rent
2019	17,506	$40,340	$144,000	$777
2020	17,510	$42,695	$151,800	$759
2021	17,747	$46,383	$171,200	$774
2022	17,679	$53,513	$215,900	$811
2023	17,643	$57,657	$233,200	$791

Each year is a US Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimate ending that year.

Age distribution

Under 53.8%

5 to 1710.7%

18 to 248.9%

25 to 3412.3%

35 to 4412.2%

45 to 5414.1%

55 to 6414.9%

65 to 7413.7%

75 and over9.3%

	Count	Share
Under 5	674	3.8%
5 to 17	1,896	10.7%
18 to 24	1,568	8.9%
25 to 34	2,175	12.3%
35 to 44	2,150	12.2%
45 to 54	2,494	14.1%
55 to 64	2,627	14.9%
65 to 74	2,420	13.7%
75 and over	1,639	9.3%

Race & ethnicity

	Count	Share
White (non-Hispanic)	15,354	87.0%
Black or African American	742	4.2%
American Indian & Alaska Native	42	0.2%
Asian	76	0.4%
Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander	21	0.1%
Some other race	11	0.1%
Two or more races	392	2.2%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	1,005	5.7%

Educational attainment (age 25+)

No high school diploma13.6%

High school graduate32.0%

Some college or associate's32.5%

Bachelor's degree13.7%

Graduate or professional degree8.2%

	Count	Share
No high school diploma	1,840	13.6%
High school graduate	4,328	32.0%
Some college or associate's	4,383	32.5%
Bachelor's degree	1,846	13.7%
Graduate or professional degree	1,108	8.2%

Commute to work

Mean travel time to work: 22 min

Drove alone80.5%

Carpooled8.1%

Public transit0.5%

Walked2.2%

Bicycle0.0%

Worked from home7.0%

Other means1.6%

How workers get to work

	Count	Share
Drove alone	5,048	80.5%
Carpooled	510	8.1%
Public transit	34	0.5%
Walked	139	2.2%
Bicycle	0	0.0%
Worked from home	440	7.0%
Other means	98	1.6%

Travel time

	Count	Share
Under 15 min	2,064	35.4%
15 to 29 min	2,047	35.1%
30 to 44 min	1,051	18.0%
45 to 59 min	464	8.0%
60+ min	203	3.5%

Households

Average household size: 2.27
Poverty rate: 11.0% (1,641 of 14,968)

	Count	Share
Family households	4,269	65.1%
Nonfamily households	2,290	34.9%

Housing

Median year structure built: 1985

Occupancy

	Count	Share
Occupied	6,559	46.7%
Vacant	7,492	53.3%

Tenure (of occupied units)

	Count	Share
Owner-occupied	5,245	80.0%
Renter-occupied	1,314	20.0%

1-unit, detached67.5%

1-unit, attached0.6%

2 to 4 units8.7%

5 to 19 units5.1%

20 or more units6.2%

Mobile home & other11.8%

Units in structure

	Count	Share
1-unit, detached	9,490	67.5%
1-unit, attached	90	0.6%
2 to 4 units	1,220	8.7%
5 to 19 units	714	5.1%
20 or more units	874	6.2%
Mobile home & other	1,663	11.8%

Geography

County GEOID: 37011
State: North Carolina
Land area: 247 sq mi
Water area: 0.17 sq mi
Center point: 36.0721, -81.9203