Transylvania County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Transylvania 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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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 79% of counties in North Carolina
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C
Income Below average
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 88% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Transylvania County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,685 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 88.6 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.25% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 52.7 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 14,583 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Transylvania County grew by 12.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 33,685 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Transylvania County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 28.8% of residents. That is 11.8 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,451 16.2% -5.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,451 16.2% -5.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,626 19.7% -0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 9,698 28.8% +11.8 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 51.7% of the people living in Transylvania County and men 48.3%.
- Women 51.7% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 48.3% North Carolina 48.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Transylvania County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Transylvania County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Transylvania County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,479 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.09% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Transylvania County is about 10% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Transylvania County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $378,378 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $966 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.7% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Transylvania County is about 32.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $966 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Transylvania County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 152 hours, about 6.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Transylvania County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.3 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.5 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 152 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,718 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.5% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,980 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 400 | 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 Transylvania County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes 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
Transylvania County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Transylvania County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.2% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.24 | 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
Transylvania County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Transylvania County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.9 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.0% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.5% | 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).
Transylvania County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Transylvania County, NC is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 33,685 residents against a local median of 118,522. The measure that sets Transylvania County, NC apart most is median home price: $378,378, 28% above the local median of $294,864.
The counties themselves spread $411,127 on median home price, so Transylvania County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Transylvania County, NC has the 3rd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transylvania County, NC | 33,685 | $65,479 #3/6 | $378,378 #3/6 | 18.3 min #2/6 |
| Pickens County, SC | 134,527 | $61,495 | $268,520 | 23.7 min |
| Henderson County, NC | 118,522 | $69,064 | $294,864 | 21.0 min |
| Jackson County, NC | 43,786 | $55,909 | $679,186 | 17.9 min |
| Haywood County, NC | 59,366 | $63,952 | $268,060 | 20.7 min |
| Buncombe County, NC | 274,254 | $74,474 | $426,146 | 20.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Transylvania County, North Carolina.
What is the population of Transylvania County, North Carolina?
About 33,685 people live in Transylvania County, North Carolina, in 14,583 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 52.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 15 years.
Is Transylvania County, North Carolina urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Transylvania County, North Carolina has 89 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 Transylvania County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 5.8 times the median household income ($378,378 against $65,479), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $966 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Transylvania County, North Carolina?
Unemployment in Transylvania County, North Carolina is only 2.8%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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