Avery County, North Carolina
Located in North Carolina, Avery County has a population of 17,680 residents and a median age of 47.1 years, making it the #2,000 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 10.2%. The median home value is $265,800, and the median household income is $61,428, which is 18% below the national median.
Demographics
Avery County has a population of 17,680, making it the #2,000 most populous county in the US. The median age is 47.1 years, which is 21.1% 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 Avery County is $61,428, ranking #1,939 out of 3,222 counties — 18.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 10.2% and unemployment stands at 4.8%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Avery County is $265,800 (-5.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $773/mo and the homeownership rate is 83.0%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Avery County, 25.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 25.7% below the national average, ranking #1,219 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Avery County is 75.9 years. 17.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 15.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.0% of adults in Avery County smoke , 33.1% are obese , and 21.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 19.0 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 16.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 14.6 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
22.1% of children in Avery County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 17.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Avery County is 64.7%. The mean commute time is 26.0 min, which is 5.9% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Avery County voted Republican with a margin of 52.4%. The vote was 23.4% Dem / 75.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +0.2 toward Democrats .
Vote Share Over Time
About Avery County, North Carolina
Avery County, North Carolina has a total population of 17,680, making it the 2,000th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Avery County is 47.1 years, which is 21.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Avery County is $61,428, which ranks #1,939 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 18.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 10.2%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.8%.
The median home value in Avery County is $265,800, 5.7% below the national median. Renters in Avery County pay a median gross rent of $773 per month. The homeownership rate is 83.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Avery County, 25.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 25.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 87.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.0 min.
Avery County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 85.7% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (6.1%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (3.8%).
All data for Avery 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.