Lake Junaluska, NC

Census-Designated Place in Haywood County, NC, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

3,175

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

46.8

years ∙ half population younger than 46.8, half older

Diversity Index

21.3%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

2.3%

foreign-born population

97.7%Native

2.3% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Lake Junaluska is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Haywood County, North Carolina, United States.

Location

Census-Designated Place in Haywood County, NC, US

Co-ordinates

DEC35.530206° N, 82.972773° W

DMS35° 31′ 48.74″ N, 82° 58′ 21.98″ W

Population Density & area

600.2/sq mi (231.6/km²)

Total Area

5.6 sq mi (14.52 km²)

Land Area

5.29 sq mi (13.71 km²) · 94.4%

Water Area

0.31 sq mi (0.81 km²) · 5.6%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

46.2% male

Male 46.2%

Female 53.8%

males per 100 females

Lake Junaluska 85.8

Haywood County 95.2

North Carolina 95.6

Nativity

2.3%

foreign-born population

97.7%Native

2.3% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Lake Junaluska 2.3%

Haywood County 2.8%

North Carolina 9.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

46.8

years ∙ half population younger than 46.8, half older

Lake Junaluska

46.8

Haywood County

47.8

North Carolina

39.1

Dependency ratio

102.5

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Lake Junaluska 102.5

Haywood County 76.4

North Carolina 63.8

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Lake Junaluska	Haywood County	North Carolina
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	22%	17.6%	21.8%
Working age (18-64)	49.4%	56.7%	61%
Senior (65+)	28.6%	25.7%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	102.5	76.4	63.8
Child dependency ratio	44.5	31	35.6
Old-age dependency ratio	58	45.3	28.2

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

88.5%

Black

Asian

1.4%

Hispanic

5.5%

Other

4.6%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

21.3%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Lake Junaluska 21.3%

Haywood County 17.9%

North Carolina 58.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Lake Junaluska population

	Lake Junaluska	Haywood County	North Carolina
Hispanic or Latino	5.5%	5%	11.3%
Mexican	5%	2.5%	5.6%
Puerto Rican	0%	0.6%	1.3%
Cuban	0%	0.6%	0.3%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.5%	1.3%	4.1%
Not Hispanic or Latino	94.5%	95%	88.7%
One race	93.6%	92.3%	84.6%
White	88.5%	90.4%	60%
Black or African American	0%	0.9%	20%
American Indian and Alaska Native	1.5%	0.4%	0.8%
Asian	1.4%	0.4%	3.3%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.1%
Some Other Race	2.1%	0.2%	0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	0.9%	2.7%	4.1%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

66.6% family

Family 66.6%

Non family 33.4%

% family households

Lake Junaluska 66.6%

Haywood County 64.7%

North Carolina 64.3%

Average household size

2.39

persons per household

Lake Junaluska

2.39

Haywood County

2.29

North Carolina

2.44

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Lake Junaluska population

	Lake Junaluska	Haywood County	North Carolina
Total households	1,321	27,123	4,282,345
Average houshold size	2.39	2.29	2.44
Family households	880	17,553	2,753,022
Average family size	2.97	2.79	3.03
Married couple family	622	13,781	2,021,951
Other families	258	3,772	731,071
Male householder	90	914	195,051
Female householder	168	2,858	536,020
Non-family households	441	9,570	1,529,323
One-person households	388	8,083	1,258,822
Male householder	56	3,197	544,050
Senior (65+) living alone	46	1,527	160,332
Female householder	332	4,886	714,772
Senior (65+) living alone	182	2,806	342,051
Other living arrangements	53	1,487	270,501

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

1,826

housing units

Lake Junaluska 1,826

Haywood County 35,560

North Carolina 4,895,668

Occupancy status

72.3% occupied

Occupied 72.3%

Vacant 27.7%

vacancy rate

Lake Junaluska 27.7%

Haywood County 23.7%

North Carolina 12.5%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

79%

Single family houses

79%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

13.5%

Mobile homes

7.1%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.4%

Median Year Built

1980

Half of houses were built before 1980, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

7.4%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

43.7%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

31.2%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

17.8%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Lake Junaluska	Haywood County	North Carolina
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.5	5.6	5.6
1–3 rooms	8.7%	9.5%	11.4%
4–6 rooms	63.4%	59.6%	54.9%
7+ rooms	27.9%	30.9%	33.6%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.9%	1.5%	1.9%
1 bedroom	4.6%	6.5%	7.1%
2 bedrooms	16.6%	29.5%	23.8%
3 bedrooms	63.3%	48.8%	46.2%
4+ bedrooms	13.6%	13.7%	21%
At a glance
Median year built	1980	1983	1992
Total housing units	1,826	35,560	4,895,668

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

74.9% owners

Renter-occupied 25.1%

Owner-occupied 74.9%

homeownership rate

Lake Junaluska 74.9%

Haywood County 74.9%

North Carolina 66.6%

Average household size

2.51

Owner-occupied

2.04

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Lake Junaluska 2.51

Haywood County 2.37

North Carolina 2.54

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Lake Junaluska	Haywood County	North Carolina
Total occupied units	1,321	27,123	4,282,345
Year moved in
2020 or later	19.4%	20.1%	26.2%
2010 to 2019	45.7%	39.2%	39.2%
2000 to 2009	8.5%	16.3%	16.2%
1999 or earlier	26.4%	24.4%	18.5%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	100%	99.2%	97.8%
1.01 to 1.50	0%	0.5%	1.5%
1.51 or more	0%	0.3%	0.7%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	7.2%	4%	5.3%
1 vehicle	39.7%	30.7%	31.4%
2 vehicles	35.4%	36.4%	38%
3 or more vehicles	17.6%	28.9%	25.2%
House heating fuel used
Gas	5.7%	14.8%	30.5%
Electricity	79.8%	61.2%	65.5%
Solar	0%	0.1%	0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	11.4%	17%	2%
All other fuels	3%	6.2%	1.3%
No fuel used	0.2%	0.7%	0.7%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0%	0.9%	0.3%
Lacking complete kitchen	0%	1.2%	0.6%
No telephone service available	1.3%	0.9%	0.8%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$389,200

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Lake Junaluska

$389,200

Haywood County

$279,200

North Carolina

$288,900

Housing Cost Burden

28.6%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

28.6%

Owners without a mortgage

3.6%

Renters

55.9%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Lake Junaluska	Haywood County	North Carolina
Property value
Median Value	$389,200	$279,200	$288,900
Under $100,000	9.2%	13.4%	12.7%
$100,000 - $200,000	6.3%	17.9%	18.9%
$200,000 - $300,000	20.3%	23.6%	20.5%
$300,000 - $500,000	36.6%	28.2%	28.3%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	22.1%	14.7%	16.3%
$1,000,000 and more	5.6%	2.3%	3.3%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	49.4%	50.3%	61.3%
Without a mortgage	50.6%	49.7%	38.7%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,622	$1,447	$1,631
Without a mortgage	$571	$480	$490
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,137	$1,067	$1,228

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

55%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Lake Junaluska 55%

Haywood County 29.5%

North Carolina 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

5.8%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Lake Junaluska 5.8%

Haywood County 8.8%

North Carolina 9.9%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

675

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

2.8%

K–12

73.2%

College / Undergraduate

24%

Graduate / Professional

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

40.3%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Lake Junaluska

40.3%

Haywood County

28.6%

North Carolina

39.3%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Lake Junaluska	Haywood County	North Carolina
Total enrolled (age 3+)	675	11,160	2,530,102
Nursery / preschool	2.8%	7.3%	5.3%
K–12	73.2%	72%	67.4%
Kindergarten	1.2%	3.4%	4.9%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	31.1%	24.9%	20%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	22.1%	21.6%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	18.8%	22%	21.5%
College or graduate school	24%	20.7%	27.3%
College, undergraduate	24%	18.5%	21.7%
Graduate, professional school	0%	2.2%	5.6%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	40.3%	28.6%	39.3%
School type
Public school	75.3%	82.5%	82.3%
Private school	24.7%	17.5%	17.7%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

2,353

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

1.2%

9th-12th, no diploma

4.6%

HS graduate

16.2%

Some college no degree

14.1%

Associates degree

8.9%

Bachelors degree

36.1%

Graduate or professional degree

18.9%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

41.4% · 58.6%

9th-12th, no diploma

45.9% · 54.1%

HS graduate

53.3% · 46.7%

Some college no degree

31% · 69%

Associates degree

37.3% · 62.7%

Bachelors degree

30% · 70%

Graduate or professional degree

68.7% · 31.3%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Lake Junaluska	Haywood County	North Carolina
Population (25+)	2,353	47,569	7,380,330
Less than 9th grade	1.2%	3.1%	3.9%
9th–12th, no diploma	4.6%	5.7%	6%
High school diploma or GED	16.2%	26.9%	24.8%
Some college, no degree	14.1%	21.9%	19.6%
Associate's degree	8.9%	13%	10.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher	55%	29.5%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	36.1%	18.1%	22.2%
Graduate or professional	18.9%	11.5%	13.5%
High School or higher	94.1%	91.3%	90.1%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$47,373

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$14,302

HS graduate

$—

Some college or associates

$46,607

Bachelors degree

$58,462

Graduate or professional degree

$81,731

Poverty Rate

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

15%

HS graduate

11.3%

Some college or associates

3.2%

Bachelors degree or higher

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Lake Junaluska	Haywood County	North Carolina
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$47,373	$44,461	$49,275
Less than high school graduate	$14,302	$32,958	$31,234
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$—	$34,245	$37,346
Some college or associate's degree	$46,607	$41,776	$43,525
Bachelor's degree	$58,462	$57,096	$64,395
Graduate or professional degree	$81,731	$69,857	$80,986
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	15%	27.9%	26.6%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	11.3%	13.8%	15.2%
Some college or associate's degree	3.2%	9.8%	10%
Bachelor's degree or higher	6%	5.7%	4.2%

Insights for Lake Junaluska, by topic

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