Yancey County, North Carolina Income Statistics
Yancey County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Yancey County Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Yancey County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $58,633 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $47,888 | $54,489 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 6.1% | 5.2% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 6.2% | 11.9% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 6.6% | 10.4% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Yancey County is about 19% lower than in North Carolina. Income has been growing faster in Yancey County (6.1%/yr) than in North Carolina (5.2%/yr).
About 6% of adults in Yancey County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the North Carolina average of 12%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Yancey County, North Carolina grew by 67.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $58,633 in 2024. That's an average of about 6.1% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Yancey County
| Metric | Yancey County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.518 | 0.547 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $57,596 | $63,136 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $49,795 | $52,579 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 13.5% | 16.7% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Yancey County, it is 0.518, lower than North Carolina's 0.547, so income is more evenly distributed here than there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 16% more than women's income in Yancey County, North Carolina. Over a 35-year career, a 16% wage gap accumulates to roughly $273,035 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Yancey County, North Carolina has narrowed from about 15% to 14% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 28% in 2010, and was narrowest at 11% in 2015. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $2,904 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Yancey County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 7.3% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 11.7% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 23 | 21 | 22 |
Approximately 625 people are unemployed in Yancey County, North Carolina.
The average commute time in Yancey County is 23 minutes, longer than the 21 minutes in North Carolina.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Yancey County, North Carolina has fallen from 8.9% to 7.3% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 11.0% in 2015 and fell as low as 5.1% in 2019.
Yancey County, NC Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Yancey County, NC is typical in size for this group, 18,788 residents against a local median of 21,867, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Yancey County, NC's unemployment, at 7.3%, runs 71% above the 4.3% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Income growth tells the same story from another angle: 6.1%/yr against a local median of 5.1%/yr, 20% above it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: income growth runs ahead of the neighbourhood while unemployment runs behind it, so Yancey County, NC is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread 3.4% on unemployment, so Yancey County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Yancey County, NC has the 6th lowest unemployment of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yancey County, NC | 18,788 | $58,633 #2/6 | 6.1%/yr #1/6 | 7.3% #6/6 | 0.518 #2/6 |
| Mitchell County, NC | 14,959 | $57,009 | 4.7%/yr | 6.5% | 0.503 |
| Unicoi County, TN | 17,742 | $52,731 | 5.1%/yr | 4.3% | 0.539 |
| McDowell County, NC | 44,809 | $57,967 | 5.7%/yr | 4.1% | 0.519 |
| Buncombe County, NC | 274,254 | $74,474 | 6.0%/yr | 4.3% | 0.536 |
| Madison County, NC | 21,867 | $58,302 | 4.8%/yr | 3.1% | 0.538 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Yancey County, North Carolina has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than North Carolina, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Yancey County, North Carolina.
How Rich Is Yancey County, North Carolina?
Yancey County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $58,633, about 19% lower than the North Carolina average of $72,438.
Are incomes growing in Yancey County, North Carolina?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Yancey County, North Carolina rose 68%, from $34,928 to $58,633. Over the same years, income here outpaced North Carolina as a whole: +68% against +61%.
What was the median household income in Yancey County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Yancey County, North Carolina was $55,787, up 5% from $53,087 in 2022. The North Carolina median that year was $69,937.
What was the median household income in Yancey County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Yancey County, North Carolina was $44,617. By 2024 it had risen 31% to $58,633.
How strong is the job market in Yancey County, North Carolina?
Unemployment in Yancey County, North Carolina is 7.3%, well above the North Carolina rate of 4.6%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What is the Gini coefficient in Yancey County, North Carolina?
The Gini coefficient in Yancey County is 0.518. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Yancey County, North Carolina?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Yancey County, North Carolina has narrowed from about 15% to 14% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 28% in 2010, and was narrowest at 11% in 2015. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $2,904 since 2009.
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