Ashe County, NC

County

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2023 Population

26,831

0.269% 1-year growth

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

49.8

0.403% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

14.1%

0.471% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$50,827

3.36% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$221,900

11.4% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

11,196

4.39% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Ashe County, NC had a population of 26.8k people with a median age of 49.8 and a median household income of $50,827. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Ashe County, NC grew from 26,759 to 26,831, a 0.269% increase and its median household income grew from $49,176 to $50,827, a 3.36% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Ashe County, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (91.2%), White (Hispanic) (2.78%), Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) (2.08%), Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) (1.19%), and Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (0.991%).

None of the households in Ashe 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.

98.6% of the residents in Ashe County, NC are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Ashe County, NC was $221,900, and the homeownership rate was 78.4%.

Most people in Ashe County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Ashe County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Ashe County, NC borders Alleghany County, NC, Watauga County, NC, Wilkes County, NC, Johnson County, TN, and Grayson County, VA.

United States North Carolina

Population & Diversity

Ashe County, NC is home to a population of 26.8k people, from which 98.6% are citizens. As of 2023, 2.99% of Ashe County, NC residents were born outside of the country (802 people).

In 2023, there were 32.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (24.5k people) in Ashe County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 745 White (Hispanic) and 558 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.6%

2023 Citizenship

98.5%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 98.6% of Ashe County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Ashe County, NC was 98.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Ashe County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
24.5k ± 42
White (Hispanic)
745 ± 335
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
558 ± 261

5.85%

Hispanic Population

1.57k people

5.85% of the people in Ashe County, NC are hispanic (1.57k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Ashe 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

2.99%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

802 people

3.07%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

821 people

As of 2023, 2.99% of Ashe County, NC residents (802 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Ashe County, NC was 3.07%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
823 ± 184
Gulf War (2001-)
191 ± 103
Korea
93 ± 69

Ashe County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 4.31 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Ashe County, NC employs 11.2k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Ashe County, NC were Health Care & Social Assistance (1,658 people), Manufacturing (1,591 people), and Retail Trade (1,395 people), and the highest paying industries were Wholesale Trade ($70,139), Transportation & Warehousing ($56,296), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($55,764).

Employment

Occupations

11.2k

2023 Value

± 810

−4.39%

1 Year decline

± 10.6%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Ashe County, NC declined at a rate of −4.39%, from 11.7k employees to 11.2k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Ashe County, NC, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,223 people), Management Occupations (1,080 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (1,051 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Ashe 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

11.2k

2023 Value

± 810

−4.39%

1 Year decline

± 10.6%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Ashe County, NC declined at a rate of −4.39%, from 11.7k employees to 11.2k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Ashe County, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,658 people), Manufacturing (1,591 people), and Retail Trade (1,395 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Ashe County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Ashe County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$38,418

Median earning men ± $3,641

$31,795

Median earning women ± $1,755

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Wholesale Trade ($63,508), Information ($59,091), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($56,563).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($55,536), Information ($44,200), and Public Administration ($42,009).

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

69
Construction
62
Retail Trade
46
Other Services (except Public Administration)

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

$62.4k
Construction
$54k
Manufacturing
$43.4k
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

Education

Completions

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2023, 0.995% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.855% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (2.18M), Some college (1.81M), and Bachelors Degree (1.69M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Ashe County, NC was $221,900 in 2023, which is 0.731 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $199,200 to $221,900, a 11.4% increase. The homeownership rate in Ashe County, NC is 78.4%, which is higher than the national average of 65%.

People in Ashe County, NC have an average commute time of 24.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Ashe County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Ashe County, NC is $50,827. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Ashe County, NC was Census Tract 9704, Ashe County, NC with a value of $50,119, followed by Census Tract 9702, Ashe County, NC and Census Tract 9703, Ashe County, NC, with respective values of $47,947 and $46,289.

In 2024, 9.72% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Ashe County, NC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 4.48%.

Housing

Property

$221,900

Median Property Value 2023

±$17,069

$9,405

Median Property Taxes

±$674

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 Ashe 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 Ashe County, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

78.4%

Homeownership

2023

66.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 78.4% of the housing units in Ashe County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 79.8%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9704, Ashe County, NC
Census Tract 9702, Ashe County, NC
Census Tract 9703, Ashe County, NC

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Ashe County, NC was Census Tract 9704, Ashe County, NC with a value of $50,119, followed by Census Tract 9702, Ashe County, NC and Census Tract 9703, Ashe County, NC, with respective values of $47,947 and $46,289.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Ashe County, NC colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$50,827

Median Household Income

± $3,707

12k

Number of Households

± 823

In 2023, the median household income of the 12k households in Ashe County, NC grew to $50,827 from the previous year's value of $49,176.

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

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Ashe 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 2023

Drove Alone (79.5%)
Carpooled (9.56%)
Worked At Home (9.36%)

In 2023, 79.5% of workers in Ashe County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.56%) and those who worked at home (9.36%).

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

24.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Ashe County, NC have a shorter commute time (24.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 3.16% of the workforce in Ashe County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2024, 9.72% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Ashe County, NC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 4.48%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

14.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Ashe County, NC (3.72k out of 26.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Males 25 - 34 and then Females 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Ashe 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 2024, 20.6% of the children was living in poverty in Ashe County, NC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 10.4%.

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 81.2 in Ashe County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 58.9 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

87.9% of the population of Ashe County, NC has health coverage, with 34.3% on employee plans, 17.8% on Medicaid, 19.5% on Medicare, 15.6% on non-group plans, and 0.742% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Ashe County, NC see 2,055 patients per year on average, which represents a 5.93% increase from the previous year (1,940 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2465 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 589 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.4% were men and 50.6% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,055 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Ashe County, NC

Primary care physicians in Ashe County, NC see an average of 2,055 patients per year. This represents a 5.93% increase from the previous year (1,940 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.4% under 18 years, 15.5% between 18 and 34 years, 39.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 26.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.4% were men and 50.6% were women.

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

Uninsured People

12.1%

Uninsured

34.3%

Employer Coverage

17.8%

Medicaid

19.5%

Medicare

15.6%

Non-Group

0.742%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Ashe County, NC grew by 9.71% from 11% to 12.1%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2020, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 56.7 in Ashe County, NC.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2024, 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 38.2% in Ashe County, NC.

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