Banner Elk, NC

Census Place

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2024 Population
1,473
US Senator
Thom Tillis
Republican Party
US Senator
Ted Budd
Republican Party
2024 Poverty Rate
13%
18.7% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$86,382
27.2% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$458,100
8.32% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
489
12.4% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Banner Elk, 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.

93.3% of the residents in Banner Elk, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Banner Elk, NC are Lees-McRae College (215 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Banner Elk, NC was $458,100, and the homeownership rate was 68.9%.

Most people in Banner Elk, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 11.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Banner Elk, NC was 2 cars per household.

United StatesNorth CarolinaAvery County, NCBoone High Country--Watauga, Ashe, Yancey, Avery & Mitchell Counties PUMA, NC

Population & Diversity

Banner Elk, NC is home to a population of 1.47k people, from which 93.3% are citizens. As of 2024, 8.83% of Banner Elk, NC residents were born outside of the country (130 people).

In 2024, there were 11 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.19k people) in Banner Elk, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 109 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 64 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

93.3%
2024 Citizenship
95.6%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 93.3% of Banner Elk, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Banner Elk, NC was 95.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Banner Elk, 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 Banner Elk, NC
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    1.19k ± 187
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    109 ± 47
  3. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    64 ± 45
5.84%
Hispanic Population
86 people

In 2024, there were 11 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.19k people) in Banner Elk, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 109 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 64 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

5.84% of the people in Banner Elk, NC are hispanic (86 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Banner Elk, 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

8.83%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
130 people
6.65%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
89 people

As of 2024, 8.83% of Banner Elk, NC residents (130 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 Banner Elk, NC was 6.65%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    29 ± 27
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    17 ± 25
  3. Korea
    1 ± 14

Banner Elk, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.71 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Banner Elk, NC employs 489 people. In 2024, the largest industries in Banner Elk, NC were Retail Trade (105 people), Accommodation & Food Services (92 people), and Manufacturing (71 people), and the highest paying industries were Manufacturing ($120,996), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($81,875), and Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($78,125).

Employment

Occupations

489
2024 Value
± 163
12.4%
1 Year growth
± 42.6%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Banner Elk, NC grew at a rate of 12.4%, from 435 employees to 489 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Banner Elk, NC, are Sales & Related Occupations (115 people), Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (75 people), and Computer & Mathematical Occupations (61 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Banner Elk, 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

489
2024 Value
± 163
12.4%
1 Year growth
± 42.6%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Banner Elk, NC grew at a rate of 12.4%, from 435 employees to 489 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Banner Elk, NC, are Retail Trade (105 people), Accommodation & Food Services (92 people), and Manufacturing (71 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Banner Elk, NC, though some of these residents may live in Banner Elk, 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

$57,000
Median earning men ± $44,848
$15,966
Median earning women ± $12,308

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($81,875), Construction ($68,472), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($63,750).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($87,500), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($36,442), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($16,875).

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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 Banner Elk, NC awarded 215 degrees. The student population of Banner Elk, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 279 male students and 560 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Banner Elk, NC are White (160 and 75.5%), Unknown (19 and 8.96%), Black or African American (16 and 7.55%), and Hispanic or Latino (11 and 5.19%).

The largest universities in Banner Elk, NC by number of degrees awarded are Lees-McRae College (215 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Banner Elk, NC are Wildlife Biology (48 and 22.3%), General Human Services (36 and 16.7%), and Criminal Justice - Law Enforcement Administration (25 and 11.6%).

The median tuition cost in Banner Elk, NC for private four year colleges is $28,790.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Banner Elk, NC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 80.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 13.8%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 839 (33.3% men and 66.7% 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 839 students enrolled in Banner Elk, NC, 33.3% men and 66.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 622 records, of which 68.2% were women and 31.8% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. Wildlife Biology
    48 degrees awarded
  2. General Human Services
    36 degrees awarded
  3. Criminal Justice - Law Enforcement Administration
    25 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Banner Elk, NC was Wildlife Biology with 48 degrees awarded.

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

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Universities

Gender
Race
Lees-McRae College
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
215 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Lees-McRae College with 215 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 61 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Banner Elk, NC, which is 0.396 times less than the 154 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 160 degrees mean that there were 8.42 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Unknown, with 19 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 not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($28,790) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($2,950) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($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 Banner Elk, NC was $458,100 in 2024, which is 1.38 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $422,900 to $458,100, a 8.32% increase. The homeownership rate in Banner Elk, NC is 68.9%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Banner Elk, NC have an average commute time of 11.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Banner Elk, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$458,100
Median Property Value 2024
±$21,259
$279
Median Property Taxes
±$102

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

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

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Rent vs Own

68.9%
Homeownership
2024
67.5%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 68.9% of the housing units in Banner Elk, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 62.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Banner Elk, 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.
$86,382
Median Household Income
± $37,063
405
Number of Households
± 116

In 2024, the median household income of the 405 households in Banner Elk, NC grew to $86,382 from the previous year's value of $67,917.

The following chart displays the households in Banner Elk, 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 $150k - $200k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Banner Elk, 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 (55.5%)
  2. Worked At Home (31.5%)
  3. Walked (8.28%)

In 2024, 55.5% of workers in Banner Elk, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (31.5%) and those who walked to work (8.28%).

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

11.6 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Banner Elk, NC have a shorter commute time (11.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0% of the workforce in Banner Elk, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Banner Elk, 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 Banner Elk, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Banner Elk, NC have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

13% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Banner Elk, NC (96 out of 737 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 18 - 24, followed by Males 16 - 17 and then Males 18 - 24.

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

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

92.2% of the population of Banner Elk, NC has health coverage, with 52.9% on employee plans, 6.99% on Medicaid, 10% on Medicare, 21% on non-group plans, and 1.22% 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, 50.2% were men and 49.8% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.1% under 18 years, 47.6% between 18 and 34 years, 18% between 35 and 64 years, and 13.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.2% were men and 49.8% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

7.81%
Uninsured
52.9%
Employer Coverage
6.99%
Medicaid
10%
Medicare
21%
Non-Group
1.22%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Banner Elk, NC grew by 4.46% from 7.47% to 7.81%.

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

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