Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC

Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA)

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2024 Population

134,627

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

41.4

0.481% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

12.6%

2.16% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$73,578

7.64% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$441,000

9.78% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

62,354

0.75% 1-year growth

About

10% of the households in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, 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.

96.2% of the residents in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, 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 Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC was $441,000, and the homeownership rate was 58%.

Most people in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC was 2 cars per household.

Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC borders Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC, Buncombe County (Northwest) PUMA, NC, Henderson & Transylvania Counties PUMA, NC, and Rutherford, Cleveland (West) & Polk Counties--Shelby City PUMA, NC.

United States North Carolina

Population & Diversity

Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC is home to a population of 135k people, from which 96.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 7.09% of Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC residents were born outside of the country (9.54k people).

In 2024, there were 12.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (107k people) in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 8.7k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 7k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary language in households in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC are Spanish (8,016 households), Russian (1,134 households), and French (Incl. Cajun) (799 households).

Population & Diversity

Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY

68,299

Women

51%

65,662

Men

49%

The resident population of United States in 2023 was 133,961 inhabitants, with 49% men, and 51% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC.

With the upper buttons you can add a filter by race.

Citizenship

96.2%

2024 Citizenship

95.7%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.2% of Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC was 95.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
107k ± 2.45k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
8.7k ± 922
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
7k ± 1.07k

8.42%

Hispanic Population

11.3k people

8.42% of the people in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC are hispanic (11.3k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Mexico
2,254 ± 1,156 people
Honduras
649 ± 624 people
Canada
554 ± 577 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC was Mexico, the natal country of 2,254 Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC residents, followed by Honduras with 649 and Canada with 554.

Foreign-Born Population

7.09%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

9.54k people

7.57%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

10.1k people

As of 2024, 7.09% of Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC residents (9.54k 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 Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC was 7.57%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
8,016 households (6.21%)
Russian
1,134 households (0.879%)
French (Incl. Cajun)
799 households (0.619%)

10% of the households in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is lower than the national average of 22.3%. 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.

In 2024, the most common non-English language spoken in households in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC was Spanish. 6.21% of the households in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,372 ± 505
Gulf War (2001-)
1,468 ± 351
Gulf War (1990s)
708 ± 223

Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.62 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC.

Economy

The economy of Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC employs 62.4k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC were Restaurants & Food Services (7,066 people), Construction (3,963 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (3,423 people), and the highest paying industries were Car Dealers ($213,883), Nondepository credit & related activities ($149,578), and Other professional, scientific & technical services ($138,274).

Males in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC have an average income that is 1.25 times higher than the average income of females, which is $60,914. The income inequality in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC (measured using the Gini index) is 0.485, which is higher than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

29,936

Women

48%

32,418

Men

52%

The workforce of Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC in 2023 was 62,354 people, with 48% woman, and 52% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC.

With the upper buttons you can see the distribution of the average salary and add a filter by race.

Occupations

62.4k

2023 Value

0.75%

1 Year growth

± 0.75%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC grew at a rate of 0.75%, from 61.9k employees to 62.4k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC, are Waiters & waitresses (2,287 people), Retail salespersons (2,054 people), and Elementary & middle school teachers (1,631 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, 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

62.4k

2023 Value

0.75%

1 Year growth

± 0.75%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC grew at a rate of 0.75%, from 61.9k employees to 62.4k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC, are Restaurants & Food Services (7,066 people), Construction (3,963 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (3,423 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC, though some of these residents may live in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$46,890

Median earning men ± $3,120

$39,751

Median earning women ± $2,304

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($81,797), Public Administration ($71,810), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($66,789).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($62,833), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($52,615), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($51,389).

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.

Education

In 2023, universities in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC awarded 2,245 degrees. The student population of Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 3,690 male students and 5,909 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, 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 Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, 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 Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, 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 Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, 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 Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, 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.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 9,599 students enrolled in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, 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.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
286 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
78 degrees awarded
Other Mental, Social Health Services, & Allied Professions
25 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 286 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
1,456 degrees awarded
University of North Carolina Asheville
684 degrees awarded
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.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 877 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, 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.

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 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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Measure

In 2023, 0.597% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.644% of women were in the same situation.

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

Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC in 2023 were Bachelors Degree (30.4k), High School or Equivalent (23.5k), and Graduate Degree (22k).

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 Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC was $441,000 in 2024, which is 1.33 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $401,700 to $441,000, a 9.78% increase. The homeownership rate in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC is 58%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC have an average commute time of 19.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$441,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$11,991

$30,058

Median Property Taxes

±$1,489

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 Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

58%

Homeownership

2024

69%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 58% of the housing units in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 56.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, 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.

$73,578

Median Household Income

± $3,978

51.8k

Number of Households

± 2,021

In 2024, the median household income of the 51.8k households in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC grew to $73,578 from the previous year's value of $68,358.

The following chart displays the households in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, 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

0.485

2023 Wage GINI in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC

0.492

2022 Wage GINI in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC

In 2023, the income inequality in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC was 0.485 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.52% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC was higher than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (67.6%)
Worked At Home (19.7%)
Carpooled (6.73%)

In 2024, 67.6% of workers in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (19.7%) and those who carpooled to work (6.73%).

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

19.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC have a shorter commute time (19.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.791% of the workforce in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

12.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC (16.6k out of 131k 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 Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

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
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.

Health

88.9% of the population of Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC has health coverage, with 43.3% on employee plans, 11.7% on Medicaid, 14.3% on Medicare, 18.5% on non-group plans, and 1.19% 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, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

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

1,413 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in North Carolina

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see an average of 1,413 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,413 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.2% under 18 years, 22.8% between 18 and 34 years, 39.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

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

Uninsured People

11.1%

Uninsured

43.3%

Employer Coverage

11.7%

Medicaid

14.3%

Medicare

18.5%

Non-Group

1.19%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC declined by 6.5% from 11.8% to 11.1%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.