Haywood County, NC

County

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2024 Population

62,662

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Poverty Rate

13.1%

16.4% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$61,912

1.49% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$279,200

9.53% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

28,690

1.45% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Haywood 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 Haywood County, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Haywood County, NC are Haywood Community College (421 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Haywood County, NC was $279,200, and the homeownership rate was 74.9%.

Most people in Haywood County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Haywood County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Haywood County, NC borders Buncombe County, NC, Henderson County, NC, Jackson County, NC, Madison County, NC, Swain County, NC, Transylvania County, NC, Cocke County, TN, and Sevier County, TN.

United States North Carolina Asheville, NC

Population & Diversity

Haywood County, NC is home to a population of 62.7k people, from which 98.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 2.76% of Haywood County, NC residents were born outside of the country (1.73k people).

In 2024, there were 32.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (56.7k people) in Haywood County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.73k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 1.51k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.6%

2024 Citizenship

98.8%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.6% of Haywood County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Haywood County, NC was 98.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Haywood County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
56.7k ± 152
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
1.73k ± 317
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
1.51k ± 196

4.95%

Hispanic Population

3.1k people

4.95% of the people in Haywood County, NC are hispanic (3.1k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Haywood 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

2.76%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.73k people

2.25%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.4k people

As of 2024, 2.76% of Haywood County, NC residents (1.73k 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 Haywood County, NC was 2.25%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,088 ± 345
Gulf War (2001-)
889 ± 220
Gulf War (1990s)
560 ± 181

Haywood County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.35 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Haywood County, NC employs 28.7k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Haywood County, NC were Health Care & Social Assistance (4,195 people), Manufacturing (3,493 people), and Retail Trade (3,391 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($68,333), Utilities ($65,333), and Public Administration ($63,457).

Employment

Occupations

28.7k

2024 Value

± 1,379

1.45%

1 Year growth

± 6.61%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Haywood County, NC grew at a rate of 1.45%, from 28.3k employees to 28.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Haywood County, NC, are Management Occupations (3,477 people), Sales & Related Occupations (2,748 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,659 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Haywood 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

28.7k

2024 Value

± 1,379

1.45%

1 Year growth

± 6.61%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Haywood County, NC grew at a rate of 1.45%, from 28.3k employees to 28.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Haywood County, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (4,195 people), Manufacturing (3,493 people), and Retail Trade (3,391 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Haywood County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Haywood County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$47,597

Median earning men ± $3,099

$35,929

Median earning women ± $2,159

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($68,243), Public Administration ($63,951), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($58,634).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($56,488), Wholesale Trade ($45,795), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($43,500).

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

141
Construction
125
Other Services (except Public Administration)
110
Retail Trade

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

$138k
Manufacturing
$136k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$105k
Retail Trade

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Haywood County, NC awarded 421 degrees. The student population of Haywood County, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 474 male students and 786 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Haywood County, NC are White (333 and 79.3%), Hispanic or Latino (36 and 8.57%), Black or African American (31 and 7.38%), and Unknown (11 and 2.62%).

The largest universities in Haywood County, NC by number of degrees awarded are Haywood Community College (421 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Haywood County, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (69 and 16.4%), Medical Office Management (34 and 8.08%), and General Business Administration & Management (32 and 7.6%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 1,260 students enrolled in Haywood County, NC, 37.6% men and 62.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,029 records, of which 61.5% were women and 38.5% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
69 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
22 degrees awarded
Early Childhood Education & Teaching
20 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Haywood County, NC was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 69 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Haywood Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

421 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Haywood Community College with 421 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 152 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Haywood County, NC, which is 0.565 times less than the 269 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 333 degrees mean that there were 9.25 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 36 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

Public, 2-year ($2,432) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($180) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,390) 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 Haywood County, NC was $279,200 in 2024, which is 0.839 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $254,900 to $279,200, a 9.53% increase. The homeownership rate in Haywood County, NC is 74.9%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Haywood County, NC have an average commute time of 23.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Haywood County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 14.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Haywood County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 2.25%.

Housing

Property

$279,200

Median Property Value 2024

±$9,537

$20,314

Median Property Taxes

±$1,050

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

Rent vs Own

74.9%

Homeownership

2024

64%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 74.9% of the housing units in Haywood County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 75%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Haywood County, 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.

$61,912

Median Household Income

± $2,423

27.1k

Number of Households

± 1,306

In 2024, the median household income of the 27.1k households in Haywood County, NC grew to $61,912 from the previous year's value of $61,001.

The following chart displays the households in Haywood 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 Haywood 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 2024

Drove Alone (78.3%)
Worked At Home (9.19%)
Carpooled (9.08%)

In 2024, 78.3% of workers in Haywood County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (9.19%) and those who carpooled to work (9.08%).

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

23.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Haywood County, NC have a shorter commute time (23.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.67% of the workforce in Haywood County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 14.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Haywood County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 2.25%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

13.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Haywood County, NC (8.12k out of 61.8k 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 65 - 74 and then Females 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Haywood County, NC is White, followed by Two Or More 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.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 17.3% of the children was living in poverty in Haywood County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, 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 278 in Haywood County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 17 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

88.6% of the population of Haywood County, NC has health coverage, with 35.1% on employee plans, 14.9% on Medicaid, 18.4% on Medicare, 18.2% on non-group plans, and 1.93% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Haywood County, NC see 1,453 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,453 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2236 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 246 patients per year.

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

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,453 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Haywood County, NC

Primary care physicians in Haywood County, NC see an average of 1,453 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,453 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.6% under 18 years, 17.4% between 18 and 34 years, 38.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 25.4% 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.

Uninsured People

11.4%

Uninsured

35.1%

Employer Coverage

14.9%

Medicaid

18.4%

Medicare

18.2%

Non-Group

1.93%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Haywood County, NC grew by 1.23% from 11.3% to 11.4%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 71.6 in Haywood County, NC.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, 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 31.5% in Haywood County, NC.

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