Buncombe County, North Carolina

NC · FIPS 37021 · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates

Key Statistics

Total Population
274,360
Rank #262 of 3,222
92th %ile
Median Household Income
$74,436 −0.9% vs nat'l
Rank #877 of 3,222
73th %ile
Poverty Rate
11.8% −6.1% vs nat'l
Rank #1,235 of 3,222
62th %ile
Median Home Value
$391,800 +39.0% vs nat'l
Rank #311 of 3,222
90th %ile
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
45.9% +36.2% vs nat'l
Rank #154 of 3,222
95th %ile
Unemployment Rate
4.3% −19.3% vs nat'l
Rank #1,483 of 3,222
54th %ile

At a Glance

66.2% Homeownership
89.1% Insured
45.9% Bachelor's+

Age & Sex Distribution

MaleFemale
0-910-1920-2930-3940-4950-5960-6970-7980+10%5%0%5%10%

Race & Ethnicity

White (non-Hispanic)Hispanic or LatinoBlack (non-Hispanic)Two or More RacesAsian (non-Hispanic)Other (non-Hispanic)American Indian (non-Hispanic)Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.0%18.2%36.4%54.7%72.9%80.8%8.6%4.8%4.3%1.1%0.4%0.1%0.0%

About Buncombe County, North Carolina

Buncombe County, North Carolina has a total population of 274,360, making it the 262nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Buncombe County is 42.6 years, which is 9.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Buncombe County is $74,436, which ranks #877 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 0.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.8%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.3%.

The median home value in Buncombe County is $391,800, 39.0% above the national median. Renters in Buncombe County pay a median gross rent of $1,362 per month. The homeownership rate is 66.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Buncombe County, 45.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 36.2% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 89.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.5 min.

Buncombe County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 80.8% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (8.6%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (4.8%).

All data for Buncombe County, North Carolina comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.

About this data

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024). All values are estimates derived from survey samples and are subject to margin of error. For more information, see our methodology.