Ashe County, North Carolina
Located in North Carolina, Ashe County has a population of 26,950 residents and a median age of 49.8 years, making it the #1,579 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.5%. The median home value is $243,100, and the median household income is $56,866, which is 24% below the national median.
Demographics
Ashe County has a population of 26,950, making it the #1,579 most populous county in the US. The median age is 49.8 years, which is 28.0% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Ashe County is $56,866, ranking #2,341 out of 3,222 counties — 24.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.5% and unemployment stands at 4.8%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Ashe County is $243,100 (-13.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $859/mo and the homeownership rate is 79.4%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Ashe County, 25.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 23.0% below the national average, ranking #1,118 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Ashe County is 75.7 years. 17.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.4% of adults in Ashe County smoke , 33.9% are obese , and 21.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 17.3 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 27.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 16.4 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
22.0% of children in Ashe County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 25.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Ashe County is 72.9%. The mean commute time is 27.5 min, which is 0.2% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Ashe County voted Republican with a margin of 44.4%. The vote was 27.4% Dem / 71.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +1.7 toward Democrats .
Vote Share Over Time
About Ashe County, North Carolina
Ashe County, North Carolina has a total population of 26,950, making it the 1,579th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Ashe County is 49.8 years, which is 28.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Ashe County is $56,866, which ranks #2,341 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 24.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.5%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.8%.
The median home value in Ashe County is $243,100, 13.8% below the national median. Renters in Ashe County pay a median gross rent of $859 per month. The homeownership rate is 79.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Ashe County, 25.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 23.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 90.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.5 min.
Ashe County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 90.8% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (6.0%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
All data for Ashe County, North Carolina comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.