Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC

Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA)

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2023 Population

133,924

1.25% 1-year growth

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

41.6

0.971% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

12.9%

6.33% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$68,358

6.09% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$401,700

9.13% 1-year growth

2022 Employed Population

61,890

0.946% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC had a population of 134k people with a median age of 41.6 and a median household income of $68,358. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC grew from 132,273 to 133,924, a 1.25% increase and its median household income grew from $64,437 to $68,358, a 6.09% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (78.3%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (7.75%), Two+ (Hispanic) (4.79%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.21%), and White (Hispanic) (2.05%).

10.3% of the households in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

95.7% of the residents in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC are Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (1,001 degrees awarded in 2022), University of North Carolina at Asheville (782 degrees), and Center for Massage (455910) (53 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC was $401,700, and the homeownership rate was 56.7%.

Most people in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC was 2 cars per household.

Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC borders Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC, Buncombe County (Northwest) PUMA, NC, Henderson & Transylvania Counties PUMA, NC, and Rutherford, Cleveland (West) & Polk Counties--Shelby City PUMA, NC.

United States North Carolina

Population & Diversity

Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC is home to a population of 134k people, from which 95.7% are citizens. As of 2023, 7.57% of Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC residents were born outside of the country (10.1k people).

In 2023, there were 10.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (105k people) in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 10.4k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 6.41k Two+ (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary langauge in households in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC are Spanish (8,857 households), Russian (1,043 households), and Other Indo-European Languages (527 households).

Population & Diversity

Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY

68,415

Women

51.4%

64,808

Men

48.6%

The resident population of United States in 2022 was 133,223 inhabitants, with 48.6% men, and 51.4% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in the United States.

With the upper buttons you can add a filter by race.

Citizenship

95.7%

2023 Citizenship

95.9%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 95.7% of Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC was 95.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
105k ± 2.35k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
10.4k ± 997
Two+ (Hispanic)
6.41k ± 1.3k

8.71%

Hispanic Population

11.7k people

8.71% of the people in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC are hispanic (11.7k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Mexico
1,951 ± 1,076 people
Ukraine
592 ± 596 people
Canada
493 ± 544 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC was Mexico, the natal country of 1,951 Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC residents, followed by Ukraine with 592 and Canada with 493.

Foreign-Born Population

7.57%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

10.1k people

7.26%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

9.61k people

As of 2023, 7.57% of Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC residents (10.1k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC was 7.26%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
8,857 households (6.93%)
Russian
1,043 households (0.816%)
Other Indo-European Languages
527 households (0.412%)

10.3% of the households in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is lower than the national average of 22%. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

In 2023, the most common non-English language spoken in households in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC was Spanish. 6.93% of the households in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,486 ± 489
Gulf War (2001-)
1,428 ± 330
Gulf War (1990s)
1,015 ± 309

Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.74 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC employs 61.9k people. The largest industries in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC are Restaurants & Food Services (6,808 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (3,972 people), and Construction (3,603 people), and the highest paying industries are Electric lighting & electrical equipment manufacturing, & other electrical component manufacturing, n.e.c. ($224,195), Car Dealers ($194,366), and Shoe stores ($162,337).

Males in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC have an average income that is 1.3 times higher than the average income of females, which is $58,392. The income inequality in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC (measured using the Gini index) is 0.492, which is higher than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

30,554

Women

48.6%

32,330

Men

51.4%

The workforce of Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC in 2020 was 62,884 people, with 48.6% woman, and 51.4% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC.

With the upper buttons you can see the distribution of the average salary and add a filter by race.

Occupations

61.9k

2022 Value

−0.946%

1 Year decline

± −0.946%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC declined at a rate of −0.946%, from 62.5k employees to 61.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC, are Waiters & waitresses (2,635 people), Retail salespersons (1,948 people), and Elementary & middle school teachers (1,810 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

61.9k

2022 Value

−0.946%

1 Year decline

± −0.946%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC declined at a rate of −0.946%, from 62.5k employees to 61.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC, are Restaurants & Food Services (6,808 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (3,972 people), and Construction (3,603 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC, though some of these residents may live in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$43,840

Median earning men ± $3,105

$37,643

Median earning women ± $2,131

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($74,639), Public Administration ($63,796), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($63,249).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($58,478), Wholesale Trade ($57,974), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($51,860).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Y-Axis

3.04%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in North Carolina.

Education

In 2022, universities in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC awarded 1,894 degrees. The student population of Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 3,742 male students and 5,876 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC are White (1,427 and 76.6%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (174 and 9.34%), Black or African American (79 and 4.24%), and Unknown (70 and 3.76%).

The largest universities in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC by number of degrees awarded are Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (1,001 and 52.9%), University of North Carolina at Asheville (782 and 41.3%), and Center for Massage (455910) (53 and 2.8%).

The most popular majors in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (282 and 14.9%), General Psychology (108 and 5.7%), and General Business Administration & Management (88 and 4.65%).

The median tuition cost in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC for a public four year colleges is $4,122 for in-state students and $21,470 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 74.3%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 15.9%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 9,618 (38.9% men and 61.1% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2022 there were 9,618 students enrolled in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC, 38.9% men and 61.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 7,039 records, of which 60.4% were women and 39.6% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
50 degrees awarded
Digital Arts
47 degrees awarded
General Psychology
108 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC was General Business Administration & Management with 50 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
1,001 degrees awarded
University of North Carolina at Asheville
782 degrees awarded
Center for Massage (455910)
53 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College with 1,001 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 753 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC, which is 0.66 times less than the 1,141 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,427 degrees mean that there were 8.2 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 174 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($65,720) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($3,258) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($2,000) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Measure

In 2022, 0.446% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.785% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC in 2022 were Bachelors Degree (29.8k), High School or Equivalent (23.5k), and Graduate Degree (21.1k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC was $401,700 in 2023, which is 1.32 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $368,100 to $401,700, a 9.13% increase. The homeownership rate in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC is 56.7%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC have an average commute time of 19.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC is $68,358. In 2023, the PUMA with the highest Median Household Income in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC was Wake County (Southwest)--Apex & Holly Springs Towns PUMA, NC with a value of $143,176, followed by Wake County (Northwest)--Raleigh City (Northwest) & Morrisville Town PUMA, NC and Union County (West)--Indian Trail & Stallings Towns PUMA, NC, with respective values of $139,831 and $123,543.

Housing

Property

$401,700

Median Property Value 2023

±$14,805

$29,780

Median Property Taxes

±$1,406

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

56.7%

Homeownership

2023

69.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 56.7% of the housing units in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 56.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2023, the PUMA with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC was Wake County (Southwest)--Apex & Holly Springs Towns PUMA, NC with a value of $143,176, followed by Wake County (Northwest)--Raleigh City (Northwest) & Morrisville Town PUMA, NC and Union County (West)--Indian Trail & Stallings Towns PUMA, NC, with respective values of $139,831 and $123,543.

The following map shows all of the PUMAs in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$68,358

Median Household Income

± $2,859

52.6k

Number of Households

± 2,018

In 2023, the median household income of the 52.6k households in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC grew to $68,358 from the previous year's value of $64,437.

The following chart displays the households in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

0.492

2022 Wage GINI in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC

0.497

2021 Wage GINI in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC

In 2022, the income inequality in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC was 0.492 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.983% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC was higher than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (69.5%)
Worked At Home (18.1%)
Carpooled (6.3%)

In 2023, 69.5% of workers in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (18.1%) and those who carpooled to work (6.3%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

19.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC have a shorter commute time (19.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 0.957% of the workforce in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

12.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC (16.8k out of 130k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

88.2% of the population of Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC has health coverage, with 44% on employee plans, 11.6% on Medicaid, 14.1% on Medicare, 17.2% on non-group plans, and 1.23% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see 1413 patients per year on average, which represents a 1% increase from the previous year (1399 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1657 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 336 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

1,413 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in North Carolina

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see an average of 1,413 patients per year. This represents a 1% increase from the previous year (1,399 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in North Carolina in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.4% under 18 years, 22.1% between 18 and 34 years, 40% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.1% were men and 51.9% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

11.8%

Uninsured

44%

Employer Coverage

11.6%

Medicaid

14.1%

Medicare

17.2%

Non-Group

1.23%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC grew by 12.1% from 10.6% to 11.8%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Buncombe County (Southeast)--Asheville City PUMA, NC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.