Watauga County, NC

County

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2024 Population

55,123

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

31.4

2.48% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

25.5%

3.13% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$51,693

0.635% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$358,900

11.6% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

26,768

0.545% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Watauga County, NC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.9% of the residents in Watauga County, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Watauga County, NC are Appalachian State University (5,253 degrees awarded in 2023) and Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine (13 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Watauga County, NC was $358,900, and the homeownership rate was 62.1%.

Most people in Watauga County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Watauga County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Watauga County, NC borders Ashe County, NC, Avery County, NC, Caldwell County, NC, Wilkes County, NC, and Johnson County, TN.

United States North Carolina Boone, NC

Population & Diversity

Watauga County, NC is home to a population of 55.1k people, from which 97.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.42% of Watauga County, NC residents were born outside of the country (1.89k people).

In 2024, there were 34.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (48.8k people) in Watauga County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.4k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 1.29k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.9%

2024 Citizenship

97.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.9% of Watauga County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Watauga County, NC was 97.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Watauga County, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Watauga County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
48.8k ± 140
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
1.4k ± 452
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
1.29k ± 212

6.19%

Hispanic Population

3.41k people

6.19% of the people in Watauga County, NC are hispanic (3.41k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Watauga County, NC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
224,963 ± 11,520 people
India
83,219 ± 7,055 people
Honduras
48,247 ± 5,380 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 224,963 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 83,219 and Honduras with 48,247.

Foreign-Born Population

3.42%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.89k people

3.71%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

2.03k people

As of 2024, 3.42% of Watauga County, NC residents (1.89k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Watauga County, NC was 3.71%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Watauga County, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,048 ± 262
Gulf War (1990s)
297 ± 125
Gulf War (2001-)
296 ± 150

Watauga County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.53 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Watauga County, NC.

Economy

The economy of Watauga County, NC employs 26.8k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Watauga County, NC were Educational Services (4,348 people), Retail Trade (4,215 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (3,858 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($87,656), Finance & Insurance ($61,250), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($59,909).

Employment

Occupations

26.8k

2024 Value

± 1,441

0.545%

1 Year growth

± 7.6%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Watauga County, NC grew at a rate of 0.545%, from 26.6k employees to 26.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Watauga County, NC, are Sales & Related Occupations (3,317 people), Management Occupations (3,306 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (2,914 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Watauga County, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

26.8k

2024 Value

± 1,441

0.545%

1 Year growth

± 7.6%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Watauga County, NC grew at a rate of 0.545%, from 26.6k employees to 26.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Watauga County, NC, are Educational Services (4,348 people), Retail Trade (4,215 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (3,858 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Watauga County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Watauga County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$29,734

Median earning men ± $3,273

$24,028

Median earning women ± $1,608

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($102,188), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($56,016), and Information ($51,196).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($83,854), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($52,675), and Public Administration ($47,902).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Y-Axis

3.04%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in North Carolina.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

156
Construction
131
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
125
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$307k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$113k
Retail Trade
$82.1k
Accommodation and Food Services

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2023, universities in Watauga County, NC awarded 5,266 degrees. The student population of Watauga County, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 9,047 male students and 12,283 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Watauga County, NC are White (4,378 and 83.6%), Hispanic or Latino (370 and 7.07%), Black or African American (202 and 3.86%), and Two or More Races (177 and 3.38%).

The largest universities in Watauga County, NC by number of degrees awarded are Appalachian State University (5,253 and 99.8%) and Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine (13 and 0.247%).

The most popular majors in Watauga County, NC are General Psychology (333 and 6.32%), Kinesiology & Exercise Science (277 and 5.26%), and General Business Administration & Management (255 and 4.84%).

The median tuition costs in Watauga County, NC are $N/A for private four year colleges, and $4,242 and $21,238 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Watauga County, NC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 88.6%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 19.9%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 21,330 (42.4% men and 57.6% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 21,330 students enrolled in Watauga County, NC, 42.4% men and 57.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 17,178 records, of which 57.1% were women and 42.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Kinesiology & Exercise Science
255 degrees awarded
General Marketing & Marketing Management
204 degrees awarded
General Psychology
317 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Watauga County, NC was Kinesiology & Exercise Science with 255 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Watauga County, NC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Appalachian State University
5,253 degrees awarded
Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine
13 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Appalachian State University with 5,253 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 2,048 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Watauga County, NC, which is 0.636 times less than the 3,218 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 4,378 degrees mean that there were 11.8 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 370 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($4,242) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($3,299) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($800) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Watauga County, NC was $358,900 in 2024, which is 1.08 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $321,500 to $358,900, a 11.6% increase. The homeownership rate in Watauga County, NC is 62.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Watauga County, NC have an average commute time of 21.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Watauga County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 21.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Watauga County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.95%.

Housing

Property

$358,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$18,269

$13,157

Median Property Taxes

±$848

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Watauga County, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Watauga County, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

62.1%

Homeownership

2024

69.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 62.1% of the housing units in Watauga County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 61.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Watauga County, NC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$51,693

Median Household Income

± $3,285

21.2k

Number of Households

± 1,223

In 2024, the median household income of the 21.2k households in Watauga County, NC grew to $51,693 from the previous year's value of $51,367.

The following chart displays the households in Watauga County, NC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Watauga County, NC is from North Carolina.

0.467

2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.467 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.639% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in North Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (72.5%)
Worked At Home (10.4%)
Carpooled (9.91%)

In 2024, 72.5% of workers in Watauga County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.4%) and those who carpooled to work (9.91%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

21.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Watauga County, NC have a shorter commute time (21.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.41% of the workforce in Watauga County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Watauga County, NC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Watauga County, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Watauga County, NC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 21.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Watauga County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.95%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

25.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Watauga County, NC (12.4k out of 48.7k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 18 - 24, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Watauga County, NC is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 12.3% of the children was living in poverty in Watauga County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 9.9%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 121 in Watauga County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 10.7 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

90.7% of the population of Watauga County, NC has health coverage, with 45.3% on employee plans, 9.4% on Medicaid, 13.8% on Medicare, 21.4% on non-group plans, and 0.858% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Watauga County, NC see 1,261 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,261 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1312 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 191 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.9% were men and 50.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,261 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Watauga County, NC

Primary care physicians in Watauga County, NC see an average of 1,261 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,261 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Watauga County, NC in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 16.8% under 18 years, 36.6% between 18 and 34 years, 29.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 17% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.9% were men and 50.1% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

9.33%

Uninsured

45.3%

Employer Coverage

9.4%

Medicaid

13.8%

Medicare

21.4%

Non-Group

0.858%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Watauga County, NC declined by 12.5% from 10.7% to 9.33%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Watauga County, NC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 27.5 in Watauga County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Watauga County, NC.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 33.7% in Watauga County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Watauga County, NC.