Yancey County, NC

County

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2023 Population

18,676

0.744% 1-year growth

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

47.9

0.208% 1-year decrease

2023 Poverty Rate

14.9%

2.49% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$54,961

3.5% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$222,300

7.86% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

7,579

1.52% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Yancey County, NC had a population of 18.7k people with a median age of 47.9 and a median household income of $54,961. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Yancey County, NC grew from 18,538 to 18,676, a 0.744% increase and its median household income grew from $53,103 to $54,961, a 3.5% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Yancey County, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (91.3%), Other (Hispanic) (2.47%), Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) (1.68%), Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) (1.49%), and White (Hispanic) (1.16%).

None of the households in Yancey 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.

97.8% of the residents in Yancey County, NC are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Yancey County, NC was $222,300, and the homeownership rate was 77.2%.

Most people in Yancey County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 27.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Yancey County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Yancey County, NC borders Buncombe County, NC, McDowell County, NC, Madison County, NC, Mitchell County, NC, and Unicoi County, TN.

United States North Carolina

Population & Diversity

Yancey County, NC is home to a population of 18.7k people, from which 97.8% are citizens. As of 2023, 2.98% of Yancey County, NC residents were born outside of the country (556 people).

In 2023, there were 36.9 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (17.1k people) in Yancey County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 462 Other (Hispanic) and 314 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.8%

2023 Citizenship

98.1%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 97.8% of Yancey County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Yancey County, NC was 98.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Yancey County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
17.1k ± 84
Other (Hispanic)
462 ± 145
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
314 ± 102

5.63%

Hispanic Population

1.05k people

5.63% of the people in Yancey County, NC are hispanic (1.05k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Yancey 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

2.98%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

556 people

2.69%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

498 people

As of 2023, 2.98% of Yancey County, NC residents (556 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 Yancey County, NC was 2.69%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
554 ± 146
Gulf War (2001-)
155 ± 76
Gulf War (1990s)
67 ± 42

Yancey County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.57 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Yancey County, NC employs 7.58k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Yancey County, NC were Health Care & Social Assistance (1,295 people), Manufacturing (1,154 people), and Retail Trade (971 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($72,917), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($69,545), and Construction ($50,786).

Employment

Occupations

7.58k

2023 Value

± 589

−1.52%

1 Year decline

± 10.9%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Yancey County, NC declined at a rate of −1.52%, from 7.7k employees to 7.58k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Yancey County, NC, are Production Occupations (921 people), Sales & Related Occupations (756 people), and Construction & Extraction Occupations (641 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Yancey 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

7.58k

2023 Value

± 589

−1.52%

1 Year decline

± 10.9%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Yancey County, NC declined at a rate of −1.52%, from 7.7k employees to 7.58k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Yancey County, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,295 people), Manufacturing (1,154 people), and Retail Trade (971 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Yancey County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Yancey County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$47,182

Median earning men ± $3,688

$33,240

Median earning women ± $1,754

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Public Administration ($56,016), Manufacturing ($55,647), and Construction ($50,893).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Construction ($42,212), Manufacturing ($40,583), and Public Administration ($37,607).

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

33
Construction
31
Retail Trade
29
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

$44.8k
Manufacturing
$18.5k
Retail Trade
$18k
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 Yancey County, NC was $222,300 in 2023, which is 0.733 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $206,100 to $222,300, a 7.86% increase. The homeownership rate in Yancey County, NC is 77.2%, which is higher than the national average of 65%.

People in Yancey County, NC have an average commute time of 27.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Yancey County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Yancey County, NC is $54,961. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Yancey County, NC was Census Tract 9602, Yancey County, NC with a value of $64,924, followed by Census Tract 9604, Yancey County, NC and Census Tract 9601.01, Yancey County, NC, with respective values of $56,287 and $51,919.

In 2024, 11.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Yancey County, NC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 0.848%.

Housing

Property

$222,300

Median Property Value 2023

±$12,175

$6,324

Median Property Taxes

±$532

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

Rent vs Own

77.2%

Homeownership

2023

67.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 77.2% of the housing units in Yancey County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 78.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Yancey 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 9602, Yancey County, NC
Census Tract 9604, Yancey County, NC
Census Tract 9601.01, Yancey County, NC

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Yancey County, NC was Census Tract 9602, Yancey County, NC with a value of $64,924, followed by Census Tract 9604, Yancey County, NC and Census Tract 9601.01, Yancey County, NC, with respective values of $56,287 and $51,919.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Yancey 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.

$54,961

Median Household Income

± $5,646

8.19k

Number of Households

± 591

In 2023, the median household income of the 8.19k households in Yancey County, NC grew to $54,961 from the previous year's value of $53,103.

The following chart displays the households in Yancey 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 Yancey 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 (80.4%)
Worked At Home (8.66%)
Carpooled (7.28%)

In 2023, 80.4% of workers in Yancey County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (8.66%) and those who carpooled to work (7.28%).

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

27.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Yancey County, NC have a longer commute time (27.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.28% of the workforce in Yancey County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2024, 11.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Yancey County, NC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 0.848%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

14.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Yancey County, NC (2.76k out of 18.5k 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 Males 45 - 54, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Yancey 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 2024, 21.4% of the children was living in poverty in Yancey County, NC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 9.6%.

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 42.7 in Yancey County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 67.4 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

90.6% of the population of Yancey County, NC has health coverage, with 32.2% on employee plans, 21% on Medicaid, 20.5% on Medicare, 14.9% on non-group plans, and 2% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Yancey County, NC see 1,705 patients per year on average, which represents a 3.65% increase from the previous year (1,645 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 3135 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 470 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

1,705 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Yancey County, NC

Primary care physicians in Yancey County, NC see an average of 1,705 patients per year. This represents a 3.65% increase from the previous year (1,645 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.9% under 18 years, 15.8% between 18 and 34 years, 38% between 35 and 64 years, and 26.3% 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

9.43%

Uninsured

32.2%

Employer Coverage

21%

Medicaid

20.5%

Medicare

14.9%

Non-Group

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Yancey County, NC declined by 6.44% from 10.1% to 9.43%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2015, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 70.7 in Yancey County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Yancey 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 35.5% in Yancey County, NC.

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