Census › North Carolina › Watauga County
Watauga County, NC
| Population | 55,123 | B01003 |
|---|---|---|
| Population, 2020 census | 54,086 | P1 |
| Median age | 31.4 | B01002 |
| Under 18 | 12.1% | B01001 |
| 65 and over | 17.1% | B01001 |
| Households | 21,198 | B11001 |
| Foreign born | 3.5% | B05002 |
| Median household income | $51,693 | B19013 |
|---|---|---|
| Median family income | $82,433 | B19113 |
| Per capita income | $34,167 | B19301 |
| Poverty rate | 25.5% | B17001 |
| Unemployment rate | 7.9% | B23025 |
| Civilian labor force | 29,053 | B23025 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 21.2 | B08013 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 48.1% | B15003 |
|---|
| Housing units | 33,355 | B25001 |
|---|---|---|
| Owner-occupied | 62.1% | B25003 |
| Renters | 37.9% | B25003 |
| Median home value | $358,900 | B25077 |
| Median gross rent | $1,127 | B25064 |
| White, not Hispanic | 88.5% | B03002 |
|---|---|---|
| Black | 1.6% | B03002 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 6.2% | B03002 |
| Asian | 0.9% | B03002 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.1% | B03002 |
Figures from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey five-year estimates (table codes link to the same table for this area at data.census.gov) and the 2020 census (P1), via IPUMS NHGIS. Estimates for small areas carry wide margins of error; a tract's figures describe its residents, not any one organization.
Against the state: median household income here is 71% of North Carolina's ($72,388); poverty 25.5% against 13.0%; 0.5% of the state's people live here.
Census tracts
Click an area for its page. Circles are FURP records at their ZIP code's center point, sized by how many. Download this map's areas with their census figures: CSV (center points) · GeoJSON (outlines), ready for Datawrapper, Mapshaper or Google My Maps. Outlines: Census TIGER/Line 2026, simplified.
Places in the county
- Boone 20,032 · median household income $30,065
- Cove Creek 1,629 · median household income $52,847
- Foscoe 1,226 · median household income $49,243
- Blowing Rock 992 · median household income $120,938
- Beech Mountain 987 · median household income $90,855
- Seven Devils 425 · median household income $111,667
- Valle Crucis 242 · median household income $-666,666,666
FURP records in Watauga County, NC
| Records | How many | Total | Biggest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonprofits | 684 | $1,941,307,456 revenue (latest return) | SAMARITANS PURSE ($1,615,288,885) |
| Nonprofit contractors | 43 | $23,952,184 paid by nonprofits | M&M CONSTRUCTION ($2,694,317) |
| Colleges and schools | 3 | 22,169 enrollment | Appalachian State University (21,253) |
| Form D issuers | 12 | $301,230,881 amount sold | Broadfield Partners LP ($92,941,014) |
| Political committees | 14 | WEW-WEST END WOMEN, JEANNE ALAINE MS. | |
| Form 5500 plan sponsors | 181 | 215 plans | SAMARITAN'S PURSE (7) |
| Open Payments recipients | 270 | $2,043,160 industry payments | MICHAEL JOSEPH MAYHEW ($946,515) |
| Patent and trademark owners | 167 | 514 patents and marks | ECR Software Corporation (55) |
| Federal award recipients | 3,059 | $1,527,152,524 federal awards | APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY ($682,212,998) |
| State business registrations | 431 | HASTINGS COMPANY |
Cross-reference: 684 nonprofits for 55,123 residents is 124.1 per 10,000 people; their latest-year revenue of $1,941,307,456 is $35,218 per resident, 177.2% of all household income here (households at the median income).
Highest-paid people on nonprofit returns here
| # | Name | Title | Organization | Pay | Year | Times the median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steven Anderson MD | Physician | APPALACHIAN REGIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM INC | $5,323,759 | 2024 | 103.0x |
| 2 | Benjamin Parker MD | Physician | APPALACHIAN REGIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM INC | $1,624,750 | 2024 | 31.4x |
| 3 | Charles Mantooth | CEO (thru 12/31/2024) | APPALACHIAN REGIONAL MEDICALASSOCIATES INC | $1,180,817 | 2024 | 22.8x |
| 4 | JAMES CALIFF MD | PHYSICIAN | APPALACHIAN REGIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM INC | $836,182 | 2022 | 16.2x |
| 5 | CHARLES MILLER | PHYSICIAN | APPALACHIAN REGIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM INC | $825,866 | 2022 | 16.0x |
| 6 | DOUGLAS TRATE | PHYSICIAN | APPALACHIAN REGIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM INC | $709,116 | 2023 | 13.7x |
| 7 | Anna Sobol | Physician (thru 12/31/2024) | APPALACHIAN REGIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM INC | $691,142 | 2024 | 13.4x |
| 8 | Cynthia Ballenger | Physician (thru 12/31/2024) | APPALACHIAN REGIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM INC | $678,152 | 2024 | 13.1x |
| 9 | GREGORY DIAMONTI | PHYSICIAN | APPALACHIAN REGIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM INC | $669,631 | 2023 | 13.0x |
| 10 | ANA SOBOL MD | PHYSICIAN | APPALACHIAN REGIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM INC | $653,013 | 2020 | 12.6x |
Each person's latest year on a 990 at a nonprofit placed here (reported pay including related organizations and other compensation); people paid under $50,000 are left out. The median household income here is $51,693.
Nonprofits: biggest by revenue (latest return)
- SAMARITANS PURSE Boone, NC · $1,615,288,885
- LEES-MCRAE COLLEGE INCORPORATED Banner Elk, NC · $52,335,611
- APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION INC Boone, NC · $39,141,698
- APPALACHIAN REGIONAL MEDICALASSOCIATES INC Boone, NC · $32,477,319
- HIGH COUNTRY COMMUNITY HEALTH Boone, NC · $27,774,944
- APPALACHIAN REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT CORPPRATION Boone, NC · $17,265,333
- ELK RIVER CLUB Banner Elk, NC · $14,367,086
- WINE TO WATER Boone, NC · $13,090,678
- BLOWING ROCK COUNTRY CLUB INC Blowing Rock, NC · $9,400,615
- WATAUGA OPPORTUNITIES INC Boone, NC · $7,842,002
Nonprofit contractors: biggest by paid by nonprofits
- M&M CONSTRUCTION Banner Elk, NC · $2,694,317
- ENTERLINE & RUSSEL BUILDERS INC Blowing Rock, NC · $2,577,231
- RICHARD ZADLO Boone, NC · $1,702,088
- GREENE CONSTRUCTION INC(CONTRUCTION SV Boone, NC · $1,691,523
- RWM Construction & Restoration Inc Boone, NC · $1,362,662
- CAREFREE MANAGEMENT Boone, NC · $1,160,453
- DEBORAH SMITH Zionville, NC · $1,084,815
- Art Beckman LLC Beech Mountain, NC · $1,015,616
- RWM CONSTRUCTION & RESTORATION SERVICES Boone, NC · $979,972
- High Country Anesthesia Boone, NC · $753,775
Colleges and schools: biggest by enrollment
- Appalachian State University Boone, NC · 21,253
- Lees-McRae College Banner Elk, NC · 839
- Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine Sugar Grove, NC · 77
Form D issuers: biggest by amount sold
- Broadfield Partners LP Boone, NC · $92,941,014
- Broadfield Income Fund LP Boone, NC · $91,249,327
- Pneuma Respiratory, Inc. Boone, NC · $81,217,054
- Southern Land Capital Fund, LLC Boone, NC · $34,316,871
- MOUNTAIN BEVERAGE LLC Boone, NC · $700,000
- New River Capital Holdings II, LLC Boone, NC · $420,000
- Watauga Meats & Butchery, LLC Vilas, NC · $386,615
- Appalachian Mountain Brewery, Inc. Boone, NC
- Excellent Purity Corp Boone, NC
- High Country Impact Fund III, LLC Boone, NC
Political committees
- BILLY KENNEDY FOR CONGRESS Vilas, NC
- CHARLIE WALLIN FOR CONGRESS Boone, NC
- COMMITTE TO ELECT MICHAEL ACKERMAN Banner Elk, NC
- DAVID CLAYTON FOR CONGRESS Boone, NC
- DICKSON, ERIN Blowing Rock, NC
- GLASGOW CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE Boone, NC
- JEANNE SUPIN FOR CONGRESS Boone, NC
- JOSH FOR US HOUSE Boone, NC
- KENNEDY, WILLIAM BEAN JR Vilas, NC
- NATURAL LAW PARTY OF FLORIDA Blowing Rock, NC
Form 5500 plan sponsors: biggest by plans
- SAMARITAN'S PURSE Boone, NC · 7
- HIGH COUNTRY COMMUNITY HEALTH INC. Boone, NC · 6
- APPALACHIAN REGIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM Boone, NC · 5
- BOONE DERMATOLOGY CLINIC, P.A. Boone, NC · 3
- ROBERT H. BRIDGEMAN, DDS, PA Boone, NC · 3
- BICKERS CONSULTING GROUP, LLC Blowing Rock, NC · 2
- BLUE RIDGE EAR, NOSE & THROAT, INC. Boone, NC · 2
- BOONE DRUGS, INC. Boone, NC · 2
- CARROLL COMPANIES, INC. Boone, NC · 2
- C.B. DOTY, INC. DBA THE LEADER CO OF NC Boone, NC · 2
Open Payments recipients: biggest by industry payments
- MICHAEL JOSEPH MAYHEW Boone, NC · $946,515
- NICOLE MARIE SCHEFFLER Boone, NC · $303,642
- BLUE RIDGE PEDIATRIC AND ADOLESCENT MEDICINE, INC Boone, NC · $105,477
- KHURRAM TARIQ Boone, NC · $99,393
- LYNDA GIOIA-FLYNT Boone, NC · $65,260
- Blue Ridge Pediatrics And Adolescent Medicine,Inc Boone, NC · $52,410
- BENJAMIN R PARKER Boone, NC · $30,721
- Watauga Medical Center Boone, NC · $21,476
- TIM EDMISTEN Boone, NC · $21,325
- WATAUGA MEDICAL CENTER Boone, NC · $20,311
Patent and trademark owners: biggest by patents and marks
- ECR Software Corporation Boone, NC · 55
- Pneuma Respiratory, Inc. Boone, NC · 38
- Samaritan's Purse Boone, NC · 26
- Wellovate, LLC Boone, NC · 14
- Appalachian State University Boone, NC · 13
- Carroll Companies, Inc. Boone, NC · 13
- Tweetsie Railroad, Inc. Blowing Rock, NC · 12
- Hospitality Mints, LLC Boone, NC · 11
- BOONE BREWING COMPANY, LLC Blowing Rock, NC · 10
- MOUNTAIN BEVERAGE LLC Boone, NC · 10
Federal award recipients: biggest by federal awards
- APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY Boone, NC · $682,212,998
- SAMARITANS PURSE Boone, NC · $386,666,257
- NORTHWESTERN REGIONAL HOUSING AUTHORITY Boone, NC · $233,804,563
- APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY Boone, NC · $55,200,564
- LEES-MCRAE COLLEGE, INCORPORATED Banner Elk, NC · $44,204,369
- HIGH COUNTRY COMMUNITY HEALTH Boone, NC · $36,094,074
- WATAUGA COUNTY Boone, NC · $17,897,529
- HOSPITALITY HOUSE OF NW NC Boone, NC · $4,016,215
- TWEETSIE RAILROAD INC Blowing Rock, NC · $3,841,110
- WELLOVATE LLC Boone, NC · $3,620,344
All 13 tracts
Every tract with its figures is in the CSV and GeoJSON downloads.
| Tract | Population | Median household income | Poverty rate | Median age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Census Tract 9205 | 8,477 | $32,010 | 44.6% | 19.7 |
| Census Tract 9204 | 8,426 | $32,173 | 41.3% | 27.1 |
| Census Tract 9207.03 | 6,286 | $69,564 | 19.9% | 42.4 |
| Census Tract 9206.01 | 5,676 | $21,835 | 59.8% | 21.7 |
| Census Tract 9201 | 4,442 | $71,298 | 5.2% | 49.1 |
| Census Tract 9209 | 4,249 | $59,432 | 14.4% | 45.7 |
| Census Tract 9202 | 4,155 | $46,739 | 16.4% | 46.4 |
| Census Tract 9206.02 | 3,021 | $73,333 | 28.7% | 27.4 |
| Census Tract 9207.02 | 2,826 | $80,735 | 10.9% | 48.1 |
| Census Tract 9208 | 2,509 | $83,319 | 3.1% | 52.6 |
| Census Tract 9203 | 2,070 | $56,087 | 17.9% | 45.4 |
| Census Tract 9207.01 | 2,031 | $65,396 | 7.0% | 48.1 |
| Census Tract 9210 | 955 | $87,500 | 6.1% | 62.7 |
Census figures are from IPUMS NHGIS: the American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimates (ACS table codes shown with each figure) and the 2020 decennial census (Demographic and Housing Characteristics), by state, county, place and census tract. FURP records are placed by ZIP code (the Census Bureau's 2020 ZCTA-to-county and ZCTA-to-tract relationship files: the county or tract holding most of the ZIP's land) and by city name (Census place names, normalized), so a record's tract is its ZIP's main tract, not its street's. Cite: Jonathan Schroeder, David Van Riper, Steven Manson, Grace Cooper, Zachary Krause, Tracy Kugler, Tsu Zhu, and Steven Ruggles. IPUMS National Historical Geographic Information System: Version 21.0 [dataset]. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS. 2026. http://doi.org/10.18128/D050.V21.0