Ashe County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Ashe County, NC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Ashe County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,946 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 62.8 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.01% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.6 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,199 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Ashe County grew by 5.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 26,946 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Ashe County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 26.2% of residents. That is 9.2 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,404 16.3% -5.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,863 18.0% -3.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,783 21.5% +0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,059 26.2% +9.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below North Carolina, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.2% of the people living in Ashe County and men 48.8%.
- Women 51.2% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 48.8% North Carolina 48.9%
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100% of everyone living in Ashe County
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Economy
Ashe County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Ashe County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,366 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.44% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Ashe County is about 21% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Ashe County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $251,500 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $859 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.4% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Ashe County is about 24.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $859 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Ashe County spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 180 hours, about 7.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Ashe County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.6 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.3 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 180 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,588 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.0% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,429 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 430 | 1,609 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
North Carolina:
Macon County (17.2 min), Watauga County (17.2 min), Dare County (17.4 min).
Slowest:
Gates County (35.9 min), Currituck County (33.9 min), Tyrrell County (33.6 min).
The average commute time in Ashe County is about the same as in North Carolina.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Ashe County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Ashe County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.3% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.18 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.5), Wake County (0.4), Durham County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hyde County (0.2), Greene County (0.2), Tyrrell County (0.2).
Health
Ashe County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Ashe County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.5 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.2% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.6% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.8), Wake County (0.8), Watauga County (0.8).
Lowest:
Robeson County (0.8), Lenoir County (0.8), Halifax County (0.8).
Ashe County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
How Ashe County, NC compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashe County, NC | 26,946 | $57,366 #1/3 | $251,500 #2/3 | 21.6 min #3/3 |
| Watauga County, NC | 55,114 | $52,022 | $376,675 | 17.2 min |
| Wilkes County, NC | 65,914 | $51,695 | $19,444 | 21.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Ashe County, North Carolina.
How big is Ashe County, North Carolina by population?
About 26,946 people live in Ashe County, North Carolina, in 12,199 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 48.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
Is Ashe County, North Carolina urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Ashe County, North Carolina has 63 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Ashe County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 4.4 times the median household income ($251,500 against $57,366), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $859 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Ashe County, North Carolina?
20.3% of adults in Ashe County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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