Watauga County, NC Demographics & Local Data
Analyze population trends, housing costs, and the local economy by exploring Map AI.
Area Snapshot
Key statistics on population, economy, housing, and commuting compared to state and national averages. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
B
D
B
Population
| Metric | Watauga County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 56,115 | 10,790,063 | 334,821,731 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 179.2 | 200.3 | 85.8 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.51% | 0.90% | 0.57% |
| Median age | 32.6 | 37.6 | 37.1 |
| Households | 21,185 | 4,184,344 | 128,459,983 |
Population Over Time
Race & Ethnicity
Economy
Watauga County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Watauga County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,880 | $69,937 | $78,145 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.02% | 5.43% | 5.07% |
| Unemployment rate | 9.0% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
Housing
| Metric | Watauga County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $402,543 | $265,624 | $242,182 |
| Median rent | $1,066 | $1,162 | $1,342 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.2% | 66.4% | 65.1% |
Mobility & Commuting
The most common departure window is 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM , followed by 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM .
| Metric | Watauga County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average commute time (min) | 17.4 | 21.8 | 22.5 |
| Work from home | 9.6% | 14.5% | 13.4% |
Education & Households
Watauga County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Watauga County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.3% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.29 | 2.46 | 2.54 |
Health
Watauga County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Watauga County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.3 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.9% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.8% | 20.7% | 19.0% |