Henderson County, NC

County

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2024 Population

118,484

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

47.5

0.636% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

11.6%

0.968% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$68,187

0.834% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$351,400

10.6% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

54,648

1.01% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Henderson 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.

95.2% of the residents in Henderson County, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Henderson County, NC are Blue Ridge Community College (801 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Henderson County, NC was $351,400, and the homeownership rate was 75%.

Most people in Henderson County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Henderson County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Henderson County, NC borders Buncombe County, NC, Haywood County, NC, Polk County, NC, Rutherford County, NC, Transylvania County, NC, and Greenville County, SC.

United States North Carolina Asheville, NC

Population & Diversity

Henderson County, NC is home to a population of 118k people, from which 95.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 8.29% of Henderson County, NC residents were born outside of the country (9.82k people).

In 2024, there were 15.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (94.2k people) in Henderson County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 6.16k Other (Hispanic) and 4.81k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.2%

2024 Citizenship

95.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 95.2% of Henderson County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Henderson County, NC was 95.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Henderson County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
94.2k ± 343
Other (Hispanic)
6.16k ± 1.22k
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
4.81k ± 1.03k

13.1%

Hispanic Population

15.5k people

13.1% of the people in Henderson County, NC are hispanic (15.5k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Henderson 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

8.29%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

9.82k people

7.66%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

8.99k people

As of 2024, 8.29% of Henderson County, NC residents (9.82k 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 Henderson County, NC was 7.66%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
3,145 ± 378
Gulf War (2001-)
1,410 ± 333
Gulf War (1990s)
1,026 ± 244

Henderson County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.23 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Henderson County, NC employs 54.6k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Henderson County, NC were Health Care & Social Assistance (8,696 people), Retail Trade (7,084 people), and Manufacturing (6,438 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($72,185), Finance & Insurance ($70,208), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($60,000).

Employment

Occupations

54.6k

2024 Value

± 2,002

1.01%

1 Year growth

± 5.12%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Henderson County, NC grew at a rate of 1.01%, from 54.1k employees to 54.6k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Henderson County, NC, are Management Occupations (5,459 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (5,383 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (5,178 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Henderson 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

54.6k

2024 Value

± 2,002

1.01%

1 Year growth

± 5.12%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Henderson County, NC grew at a rate of 1.01%, from 54.1k employees to 54.6k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Henderson County, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (8,696 people), Retail Trade (7,084 people), and Manufacturing (6,438 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Henderson County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Henderson County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$47,503

Median earning men ± $2,324

$34,714

Median earning women ± $1,538

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($87,368), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($85,801), and Public Administration ($61,084).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($52,765), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($51,477), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($42,799).

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

320
Construction
202
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
199
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

$413k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$394k
Manufacturing
$213k
Retail Trade

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Henderson County, NC awarded 801 degrees. The student population of Henderson County, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,109 male students and 1,713 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Henderson County, NC are White (609 and 77.8%), Hispanic or Latino (106 and 13.5%), Black or African American (29 and 3.7%), and Unknown (26 and 3.32%).

The largest universities in Henderson County, NC by number of degrees awarded are Blue Ridge Community College (801 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Henderson County, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (170 and 21.2%), Accounting & Finance (70 and 8.74%), and General Business Administration & Management (62 and 7.74%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 2,822 students enrolled in Henderson County, NC, 39.3% men and 60.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,044 records, of which 58.5% were women and 41.5% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Accounting & Finance
49 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
46 degrees awarded
Welding Technology
42 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years recipients in Henderson County, NC was Accounting & Finance with 49 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years from schools in Henderson County, NC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Blue Ridge Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

801 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Blue Ridge Community College with 801 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 356 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Henderson County, NC, which is 0.8 times less than the 445 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 609 degrees mean that there were 5.75 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 106 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 ($228) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,751) 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 Henderson County, NC was $351,400 in 2024, which is 1.06 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $317,800 to $351,400, a 10.6% increase. The homeownership rate in Henderson County, NC is 75%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Henderson County, NC have an average commute time of 22.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Henderson County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 11.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Henderson County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.28%.

Housing

Property

$351,400

Median Property Value 2024

±$8,797

$38,311

Median Property Taxes

±$1,457

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

Rent vs Own

75%

Homeownership

2024

70.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 75% of the housing units in Henderson County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 74.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Henderson 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.

$68,187

Median Household Income

± $3,678

51.1k

Number of Households

± 1,777

In 2024, the median household income of the 51.1k households in Henderson County, NC grew to $68,187 from the previous year's value of $67,623.

The following chart displays the households in Henderson 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 Henderson 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 (76.4%)
Carpooled (11.3%)
Worked At Home (10.4%)

In 2024, 76.4% of workers in Henderson County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.3%) and those who worked at home (10.4%).

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

22.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Henderson County, NC have a shorter commute time (22.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.3% of the workforce in Henderson County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 11.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Henderson County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.28%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

11.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Henderson County, NC (13.5k out of 117k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Henderson 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 2025, 15.5% of the children was living in poverty in Henderson County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 7.5%.

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 121 in Henderson County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 35.3 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

87.6% of the population of Henderson County, NC has health coverage, with 34.6% on employee plans, 15.1% on Medicaid, 20% on Medicare, 16.7% on non-group plans, and 1.16% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Henderson County, NC see 1,145 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,145 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1596 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 364 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.4% were men and 51.6% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,145 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Henderson County, NC

Primary care physicians in Henderson County, NC see an average of 1,145 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,145 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.8% under 18 years, 15.9% between 18 and 34 years, 38.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 26.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.4% were men and 51.6% were women.

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

Uninsured People

12.4%

Uninsured

34.6%

Employer Coverage

15.1%

Medicaid

20%

Medicare

16.7%

Non-Group

1.16%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Henderson County, NC grew by 1.93% from 12.2% to 12.4%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Henderson 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 55.6 in Henderson County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Henderson 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 33.9% in Henderson County, NC.

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