Watauga County, North Carolina

NC · FIPS 37189 · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates

Key Statistics

Total Population
55,123
Rank #945 of 3,222
71th %ile
Median Household Income
$51,693 −31.2% vs nat'l
Rank #2,679 of 3,222
17th %ile
Poverty Rate
25.5% +102.0% vs nat'l
Rank #3,007 of 3,222
7th %ile
Median Home Value
$358,900 +27.3% vs nat'l
Rank #390 of 3,222
88th %ile
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
48.1% +42.7% vs nat'l
Rank #126 of 3,222
96th %ile
Unemployment Rate
7.9% +48.2% vs nat'l
Rank #2,926 of 3,222
9th %ile

At a Glance

62.1% Homeownership
90.7% Insured
48.1% Bachelor's+

Age & Sex Distribution

MaleFemale
0-910-1920-2930-3940-4950-5960-6970-7980+15%10%5%0%5%10%15%

Race & Ethnicity

White (non-Hispanic)Hispanic or LatinoTwo or More RacesBlack (non-Hispanic)Asian (non-Hispanic)American Indian (non-Hispanic)Other (non-Hispanic)0.0%18.1%36.3%54.4%72.6%88.5%6.2%2.7%1.6%0.9%0.1%0.1%

About Watauga County, North Carolina

Watauga County, North Carolina has a total population of 55,123, making it the 945th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Watauga County is 31.4 years, which is 19.3% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Watauga County is $51,693, which ranks #2,679 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 31.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 25.5%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 7.9%.

The median home value in Watauga County is $358,900, 27.3% above the national median. Renters in Watauga County pay a median gross rent of $1,127 per month. The homeownership rate is 62.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Watauga County, 48.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 42.7% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 90.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.7 min.

Watauga County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 88.5% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (6.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).

All data for Watauga 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.