Asheville, NC

Census Place

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2024 Population
94,535
US Senator
Thom Tillis
Republican Party
US Senator
Ted Budd
Republican Party
2024 Poverty Rate
14.3%
2.64% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$71,102
5.77% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$440,000
7.06% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
48,194
0.805% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Asheville, 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.

96.4% of the residents in Asheville, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Asheville, NC are Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (1,456 degrees awarded in 2023), University of North Carolina Asheville (684 degrees), and Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medical Arts (42 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Asheville, NC was $440,000, and the homeownership rate was 51.9%.

Most people in Asheville, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 18.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Asheville, NC was 2 cars per household.

United StatesNorth CarolinaBuncombe County, NCAsheville, NCBuncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NCBuncombe County (Northwest) PUMA, NCHenderson & Transylvania Counties PUMA, NC

Population & Diversity

Asheville, NC is home to a population of 94.5k people, from which 96.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 6.96% of Asheville, NC residents were born outside of the country (6.58k people).

In 2024, there were 9.84 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (75.5k people) in Asheville, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 7.67k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 3.85k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.4%
2024 Citizenship
95.8%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.4% of Asheville, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Asheville, NC was 95.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Asheville, NC
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    75.5k ± 1.58k
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    7.67k ± 854
  3. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    3.85k ± 830
6.63%
Hispanic Population
6.26k people

In 2024, there were 9.84 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (75.5k people) in Asheville, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 7.67k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 3.85k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

6.63% of the people in Asheville, NC are hispanic (6.26k people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    224,963 ± 11,520 people
  2. India
    83,219 ± 7,055 people
  3. 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.

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Foreign-Born Population

6.96%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
6.58k people
7.62%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
7.19k people

As of 2024, 6.96% of Asheville, NC residents (6.58k 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 Asheville, NC was 7.62%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    1,555 ± 483
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    1,072 ± 321
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    545 ± 202

Asheville, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.45 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Asheville, NC employs 48.2k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Asheville, NC were Health Care & Social Assistance (7,796 people), Accommodation & Food Services (5,946 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (5,382 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance ($85,096), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($68,820), and Public Administration ($65,000).

Employment

Occupations

48.2k
2024 Value
± 2,279
−0.805%
1 Year decline
± 6.76%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Asheville, NC declined at a rate of −0.805%, from 48.6k employees to 48.2k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Asheville, NC, are Sales & Related Occupations (5,332 people), Management Occupations (5,298 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (4,606 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Asheville, NC.

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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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

48.2k
2024 Value
± 2,279
−0.805%
1 Year decline
± 6.76%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Asheville, NC declined at a rate of −0.805%, from 48.6k employees to 48.2k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Asheville, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (7,796 people), Accommodation & Food Services (5,946 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (5,382 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Asheville, NC, though some of these residents may live in Asheville, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$43,940
Median earning men ± $2,724
$40,732
Median earning women ± $2,104

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($70,474), Information ($69,732), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($62,013).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Construction ($75,562), Wholesale Trade ($62,273), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($61,500).

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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.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Asheville, NC awarded 2,245 degrees. The student population of Asheville, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 3,690 male students and 5,909 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Asheville, NC are White (1,697 and 75.9%), Hispanic or Latino (240 and 10.7%), Unknown (92 and 4.12%), and Two or More Races (84 and 3.76%).

The largest universities in Asheville, NC by number of degrees awarded are Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (1,456 and 64.9%), University of North Carolina Asheville (684 and 30.5%), and Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medical Arts (42 and 1.87%).

The most popular majors in Asheville, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (306 and 13.6%), General Business Administration & Management (97 and 4.32%), and General Psychology (80 and 3.56%).

The median tuition cost in Asheville, NC for a public four year colleges is $4,122 for in-state students and $21,470 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Asheville, NC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 93.9%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 12.3%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 9,599 (38.4% men and 61.6% 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.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 9,599 students enrolled in Asheville, NC, 38.4% men and 61.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 6,884 records, of which 60.6% were women and 39.4% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. Liberal Arts & Sciences
    286 degrees awarded
  2. Registered Nursing
    78 degrees awarded
  3. Other Mental, Social Health Services, & Allied Professions
    25 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Asheville, NC was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 286 degrees awarded.

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

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
    1,456 degrees awarded
  2. University of North Carolina Asheville
    684 degrees awarded
  3. Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medical Arts
    42 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College with 1,456 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 877 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Asheville, NC, which is 0.641 times less than the 1,368 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 1,697 degrees mean that there were 7.07 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 240 degrees awarded.

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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.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($16,200) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($3,339) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($3,600) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Asheville, NC was $440,000 in 2024, which is 1.32 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $411,000 to $440,000, a 7.06% increase. The homeownership rate in Asheville, NC is 51.9%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Asheville, NC have an average commute time of 18.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Asheville, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$440,000
Median Property Value 2024
±$13,277
$19,413
Median Property Taxes
±$1,167

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 Asheville, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

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Rent vs Own

51.9%
Homeownership
2024
64.1%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 51.9% of the housing units in Asheville, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 50.3%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$71,102
Median Household Income
± $3,950
37.4k
Number of Households
± 1,721

In 2024, the median household income of the 37.4k households in Asheville, NC grew to $71,102 from the previous year's value of $67,221.

The following chart displays the households in Asheville, 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 $75k - $100k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Asheville, 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (66.1%)
  2. Worked At Home (20.1%)
  3. Carpooled (6.93%)

In 2024, 66.1% of workers in Asheville, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (20.1%) and those who carpooled to work (6.93%).

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.

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Commute Time

18.2 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Asheville, NC have a shorter commute time (18.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.647% of the workforce in Asheville, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

14.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Asheville, NC (13k out of 91.3k 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 Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Asheville, NC is White, followed by Black 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.

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Health

88.2% of the population of Asheville, NC has health coverage, with 42.5% on employee plans, 11.8% on Medicaid, 14.4% on Medicare, 18.4% on non-group plans, and 1.16% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see 1,413 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,413 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1634 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 299 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 16.2% under 18 years, 25.7% between 18 and 34 years, 38.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

11.8%
Uninsured
42.5%
Employer Coverage
11.8%
Medicaid
14.4%
Medicare
18.4%
Non-Group
1.16%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Asheville, NC declined by 7.38% from 12.7% to 11.8%.

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

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