Watauga County, North Carolina

County in NC, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

55,123

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

Median Age

31.4

years ∙ half population younger than 31.4, half older

Diversity Index

21.2%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

3.5%

foreign-born population

96.5%Native

3.5% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Watauga County is a county in North Carolina, United States.

Location

County in NC, US

Co-ordinates

DEC36.235368° N, 81.709888° W

DMS36° 14′ 07.32″ N, 81° 42′ 35.60″ W

Population Density & area

176.5/sq mi (68.12/km²)

Total Area

313.3 sq mi (811.5 km²)

Land Area

312.4 sq mi (809.2 km²) · 99.72%

Water Area

0.9 sq mi (2.3 km²) · 0.28%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

49.9% male

Male 49.9%

Female 50.1%

males per 100 females

Watauga County 99.5

North Carolina 95.6

United States 98

Nativity

3.5%

foreign-born population

96.5%Native

3.5% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Watauga County 3.5%

North Carolina 9.1%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

31.4

years ∙ half population younger than 31.4, half older

Watauga County

31.4

North Carolina

39.1

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

41.3

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Watauga County 41.3

North Carolina 63.8

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Watauga County	North Carolina	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	12.1%	21.8%	22%
Working age (18-64)	70.8%	61%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	17.1%	17.2%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	41.3	63.8	64.4
Child dependency ratio	17.1	35.6	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	24.2	28.2	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

88.5%

Black

1.6%

Asian

0.9%

Hispanic

6.2%

Other

2.8%

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

21.2%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Watauga County 21.2%

North Carolina 58.4%

United States 61.4%

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 Watauga County population

	Watauga County	North Carolina	United States
Hispanic or Latino	6.2%	11.3%	19.3%
Mexican	3.2%	5.6%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.6%	1.3%	1.8%
Cuban	0.4%	0.3%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	1.9%	4.1%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	93.8%	88.7%	80.7%
One race	91.1%	84.6%	76.4%
White	88.5%	60%	57.4%
Black or African American	1.6%	20%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.1%	0.8%	0.5%
Asian	0.9%	3.3%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0.1%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.1%	0.5%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	2.7%	4.1%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

51.1% family

Family 51.1%

Non family 48.9%

% family households

Watauga County 51.1%

North Carolina 64.3%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.29

persons per household

Watauga County

2.29

North Carolina

2.44

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Watauga County population

	Watauga County	North Carolina	United States
Total households	21,198	4,282,345	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.29	2.44	2.53
Family households	10,839	2,753,022	82,990,528
Average family size	2.8	3.03	3.14
Married couple family	8,812	2,021,951	60,637,388
Other families	2,027	731,071	22,353,140
Male householder	656	195,051	6,572,819
Female householder	1,371	536,020	15,780,321
Non-family households	10,359	1,529,323	46,236,968
One-person households	6,667	1,258,822	37,140,836
Male householder	3,019	544,050	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	1,059	160,332	5,225,110
Female householder	3,648	714,772	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	1,325	342,051	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	3,692	270,501	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

33,355

housing units

Watauga County 33,355

North Carolina 4,895,668

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

63.6% occupied

Occupied 63.6%

Vacant 36.4%

vacancy rate

Watauga County 36.4%

North Carolina 12.5%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

65.9%

Single family houses

65.9%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

26.3%

Mobile homes

7.8%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.1%

Median Year Built

1988

Half of houses were built before 1988, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

3.4%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

17.3%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

51.5%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

27.9%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Watauga County	North Carolina	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.4	5.6	5.5
1–3 rooms	14%	11.4%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	54.3%	54.9%	51.6%
7+ rooms	31.8%	33.6%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	2.4%	1.9%	2.9%
1 bedroom	8.5%	7.1%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	28.7%	23.8%	25%
3 bedrooms	41.3%	46.2%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	19.1%	21%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1988	1992	1981
Total housing units	33,355	4,895,668	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

62.1% owners

Renter-occupied 37.9%

Owner-occupied 62.1%

homeownership rate

Watauga County 62.1%

North Carolina 66.6%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.31

Owner-occupied

2.25

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Watauga County 2.31

North Carolina 2.54

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Watauga County	North Carolina	United States
Total occupied units	21,198	4,282,345	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	32.7%	26.2%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	33.4%	39.2%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	14%	16.2%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	19.9%	18.5%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.6%	97.8%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	1%	1.5%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.4%	0.7%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	4.4%	5.3%	8.4%
1 vehicle	32%	31.4%	33.1%
2 vehicles	39%	38%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	24.7%	25.2%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	24.5%	30.5%	51.4%
Electricity	55.1%	65.5%	41.3%
Solar	0.2%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	15.1%	2%	3.9%
All other fuels	4.9%	1.3%	2%
No fuel used	0.3%	0.7%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.8%	0.3%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.9%	0.6%	0.8%
No telephone service available	1.6%	0.8%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$358,900

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Watauga County

$358,900

North Carolina

$288,900

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

32.2%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

32.2%

Owners without a mortgage

12.9%

Renters

65.9%

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

	Watauga County	North Carolina	United States
Property value
Median Value	$358,900	$288,900	$332,700
Under $100,000	9.6%	12.7%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	11%	18.9%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	18.7%	20.5%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	32.6%	28.3%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	21.7%	16.3%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	6.2%	3.3%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	50.7%	61.3%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	49.3%	38.7%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,668	$1,631	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$449	$490	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,127	$1,228	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

48.1%

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

Watauga County 48.1%

North Carolina 35.7%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

7.3%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Watauga County 7.3%

North Carolina 9.9%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

21,734

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

1.6%

K–12

23.3%

College / Undergraduate

68.3%

Graduate / Professional

6.8%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

85.4%

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

Watauga County

85.4%

North Carolina

39.3%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

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

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Watauga County	North Carolina	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	21,734	2,530,102	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	1.6%	5.3%	5.7%
K–12	23.3%	67.4%	67.6%
Kindergarten	1.9%	4.9%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	7.4%	20%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	6.4%	21%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	7.6%	21.5%	21.7%
College or graduate school	75.1%	27.3%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	68.3%	21.7%	21%
Graduate, professional school	6.8%	5.6%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	85.4%	39.3%	40.9%
School type
Public school	92.6%	82.3%	82%
Private school	7.4%	17.7%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

31,109

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

2.6%

9th-12th, no diploma

4.7%

HS graduate

20.8%

Some college no degree

16.6%

Associates degree

7.1%

Bachelors degree

26.3%

Graduate or professional degree

21.7%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

70.2% · 29.8%

9th-12th, no diploma

66.5% · 33.5%

HS graduate

55.3% · 44.7%

Some college no degree

47.1% · 52.9%

Associates degree

37.2% · 62.8%

Bachelors degree

48.9% · 51.1%

Graduate or professional degree

47.7% · 52.3%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Watauga County	North Carolina	United States
Population (25+)	31,109	7,380,330	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	2.6%	3.9%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	4.7%	6%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	20.8%	24.8%	26%
Some college, no degree	16.6%	19.6%	19.1%
Associate's degree	7.1%	10.1%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	48.1%	35.7%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	26.3%	22.2%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	21.7%	13.5%	14.1%
High School or higher	92.6%	90.1%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$40,800

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$27,428

HS graduate

$27,193

Some college or associates

$31,164

Bachelors degree

$45,170

Graduate or professional degree

$71,738

Poverty Rate

8.2%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

20.7%

HS graduate

15.2%

Some college or associates

14.6%

Bachelors degree or higher

8.2%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Watauga County	North Carolina	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$40,800	$49,275	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$27,428	$31,234	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$27,193	$37,346	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$31,164	$43,525	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$45,170	$64,395	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$71,738	$80,986	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	20.7%	26.6%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	15.2%	15.2%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	14.6%	10%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	8.2%	4.2%	4.5%

Insights for Watauga County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

Cite this page

Citation style

Url to be used as reference

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal or tax advice. We recommend that you consult with a qualified professional such as a lawyer or accountant before making a decision. Many of the products and services featured here are from our affiliate partners. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Read advertiser disclosure.