Banner Elk, NC

Census Place

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

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.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Banner Elk, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
1.19k ± 187
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
109 ± 47
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
64 ± 45

5.84%

Hispanic Population

86 people

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.

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Mexico
228,441 ± 11,609 people
India
90,815 ± 7,367 people
Honduras
52,061 ± 5,588 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 228,441 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 90,815 and Honduras with 52,061.

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.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
29 ± 27
Gulf War (2001-)
17 ± 25
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.

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.

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

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.

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).

Education

The student population of Banner Elk, NC in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 297 male students and 613 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Banner Elk, NC are White (165 and 78.9%), Black or African American (15 and 7.18%), Hispanic or Latino (13 and 6.22%), and Unknown (12 and 5.74%).

The largest universities in Banner Elk, NC by number of degrees awarded are Lees-McRae College (214 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Banner Elk, NC are Wildlife Biology (43 and 20.1%), Criminal Justice - Law Enforcement Administration (30 and 14%), and General Human Services (20 and 9.35%).

The median tuition cost for private four year colleges is $30,500.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Banner Elk, NC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 76.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 13.9%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 910 (32.6% men and 67.4% 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 2024 there were 910 students enrolled in Banner Elk, NC, 32.6% men and 67.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 517 records, of which 70% were women and 30% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Wildlife Biology
43 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
20 degrees awarded
General Human Services
20 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Banner Elk, NC was Wildlife Biology with 43 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Lees-McRae College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

214 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Lees-McRae College with 214 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 64 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Banner Elk, NC, which is 0.427 times less than the 150 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 165 degrees mean that there were 11 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 15 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

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($30,500) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($3,350) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Banner Elk, NC is from North Carolina.

0.466

2024 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.467

2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2024, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.466 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.16% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.474. 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 (55.5%)
Worked At Home (31.5%)
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.

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.

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.

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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

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

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

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