Watauga County, North Carolina
Watauga County, North Carolina, had an estimated population of 54,786 in 2025 across 809 km². The figures below come from the US Census Bureau's population estimates and the American Community Survey, each shown with its own vintage and its rank among North Carolina's counties and nationally.
- Population
- 54,786
- 2025 estimate
- Area
- 809 km²
- Density
- 68
- per km²
- Median income
- $51,693
- household, ACS 2024
- Median age
- 31.4
- years, ACS 2024
How North Carolina's counties spread
Amenities & Infrastructure
| Indicator | Value | In North Carolina | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households with Broadband2024 | 90.7% | 21 / 100 | 669 / 3,144 |
| Median Gross Rent2024 | $1,127 | 26 / 100 | 659 / 3,137 |
| Median Home Value2024 | $358,900 | 12 / 100 | 389 / 3,139 |
| Owner-Occupied Homes2024 | 62.1% | 87 / 100 | 2,825 / 3,144 |
| Vacant Homes2024 | 36.4% | 4 / 100 | 142 / 3,144 |
Demography
| Indicator | Value | In North Carolina | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 and Over2024 | 17.1% | 80 / 100 | 2,381 / 3,144 |
| American Indian & Alaska Native2024 | 0.1% | 55 / 100 | 1,566 / 3,144 |
| Asian, non-Hispanic2024 | 0.9% | 43 / 100 | 1,115 / 3,144 |
| Average Household Size2024people | 2.3 | 65 / 100 | 2,402 / 3,144 |
| Black, non-Hispanic2024 | 1.6% | 91 / 100 | 1,721 / 3,144 |
| Foreign-Born2024 | 3.5% | 63 / 100 | 1,346 / 3,144 |
| Hispanic or Latino2024 | 6.2% | 62 / 100 | 1,344 / 3,144 |
| Median Age2024years | 31.4 | 99 / 100 | 3,072 / 3,144 |
| Sex Ratio2024per 1,000 males | 1,005 | 74 / 100 | 1,419 / 3,144 |
| Speak a Language Other Than English2024 | 5.9% | 64 / 100 | 1,489 / 3,144 |
| Under 182024 | 12.1% | 100 / 100 | 3,120 / 3,144 |
| Veterans2024 | 4.4% | 99 / 100 | 2,908 / 3,144 |
| White, non-Hispanic2024 | 88.5% | 9 / 100 | 956 / 3,144 |
Economy
| Indicator | Value | In North Carolina | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below Poverty Line2024 | 25.5% | 3 / 100 | 137 / 3,144 |
| Households on SNAP2024 | 7.5% | 95 / 100 | 2,418 / 3,144 |
| Income Inequality2024index | 0.539 | 1 / 100 | 51 / 3,144 |
| Median Household Income2024 | $51,693 | 80 / 100 | 2,679 / 3,143 |
| Per Capita Income2024 | $34,167 | 47 / 100 | 1,732 / 3,144 |
| Unemployment Rate2024 | 7.9% | 9 / 100 | 239 / 3,144 |
Education
| Indicator | Value | In North Carolina | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher2024 | 48.1% | 6 / 100 | 124 / 3,144 |
| High School or Higher2024 | 92.6% | 14 / 100 | 876 / 3,144 |
Health Coverage
| Indicator | Value | In North Carolina | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| No Health Insurance2024 | 9.3% | 63 / 100 | 1,197 / 3,144 |
| With a Disability2024 | 12.2% | 91 / 100 | 2,619 / 3,144 |
Population & Density
| Indicator | Value | In North Carolina | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population2025 | 54,786 | 50 / 100 | 952 / 3,144 |
| Population Density2025/km² | 68 | 32 / 100 | 609 / 3,144 |
Work & Commute
| Indicator | Value | In North Carolina | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commute by Public Transit2024 | 1.7% | 3 / 100 | 215 / 3,144 |
| Households with No Vehicle2024 | 4.4% | 71 / 100 | 2,111 / 3,144 |
| Mean Commute Time2024minutes | 21.2 | 96 / 100 | 2,223 / 3,143 |
| Work from Home2024 | 10.4% | 37 / 100 | 1,083 / 3,144 |
Other counties of North Carolina
- Alamance County
- Alexander County
- Alleghany County
- Anson County
- Ashe County
- Avery County
- Beaufort County
- Bertie County
- Bladen County
- Brunswick County
- Buncombe County
- Burke County
- Cabarrus County
- Caldwell County
- Camden County
- Carteret County
- Caswell County
- Catawba County
- Chatham County
- Cherokee County
- Chowan County
- Clay County
- Cleveland County
- Columbus County
- Craven County
- Cumberland County
- Currituck County
- Dare County
- Davidson County
- Davie County
- Duplin County
- Durham County
- Edgecombe County
- Forsyth County
- Franklin County
- Gaston County
- Gates County
- Graham County
- Granville County
- Greene County
- Guilford County
- Halifax County
- Harnett County
- Haywood County
- Henderson County
- Hertford County
- Hoke County
- Hyde County
- Iredell County
- Jackson County
- Johnston County
- Jones County
- Lee County
- Lenoir County
- Lincoln County
- Macon County
- Madison County
- Martin County
- McDowell County
- Mecklenburg County
- Mitchell County
- Montgomery County
- Moore County
- Nash County
- New Hanover County
- Northampton County
- Onslow County
- Orange County
- Pamlico County
- Pasquotank County
- Pender County
- Perquimans County
- Person County
- Pitt County
- Polk County
- Randolph County
- Richmond County
- Robeson County
- Rockingham County
- Rowan County
- Rutherford County
- Sampson County
- Scotland County
- Stanly County
- Stokes County
- Surry County
- Swain County
- Transylvania County
- Tyrrell County
- Union County
- Vance County
- Wake County
- Warren County
- Washington County
- Wayne County
- Wilkes County
- Wilson County
- Yadkin County
- Yancey County
Compare Watauga County against every other county on a map, add layers and run a scatter — open the atlas. Sources and vintages for every figure on this page are listed under datasets, or browse all 3,144 counties.