Live Federal Data

Buncombe County, North Carolina

FIPS 37021 · Asheville, NC · Pop. 274,360
9 Sources May 19, 2026
$74,436 ▲
Median Income
$80,734 national
4.8% ▲
Unemployment
5.2% national
136,831
Labor Force
45.9% ▲
Bachelor's+
35.7% national
Data / United States / North Carolina / Buncombe County
Demographics Economy Industry Concentration Housing Workforce AI Insights

Demographics & Population

Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 · 5-Year Estimates

Household Income

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$74,436 ▲
Per Capita
$43,371 ▲
Mean Household
$105,560 ▲
Poverty Rate
11.8% ▼
Median Income Comparison
Buncombe County$74,436
North Carolina$72,388
National$80,734

Population Profile

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003 · Median Age: 43
65+: 21.2% (58,291 residents) 55-64: 13.0% (35,746 residents) 35-54: 26.8% (73,597 residents) 18-34: 21.1% (57,801 residents) Under 18: 17.8% (48,925 residents) 43 Median Age
Cohorts
Under 18 · 17.8%
18-34 · 21.1%
35-54 · 26.8%
55-64 · 13.0%
65+ · 21.2%
Race & Ethnicity
White82.0%
Black or African American4.8%
Asian1.1%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)8.6%
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.

Educational Attainment

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
92.6%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▲ +3.0 pts
45.9%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▲ +10.2 pts
19.0%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▲ +4.9 pts

Employment Overview

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates
274,360
Population
136,831
Labor Force
Employed
130,666
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
4.8% ▲ +0.4 pts YoY
Mean Commute 5 min below national avg
21.1 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
17.6%
Key Takeaways
Auto-generated from benchmark deltas. Bullets only appear when the comparison is meaningful.

Economy & Industry

Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis

Top Industries by Employment

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics · Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages 2024 Annual
IndustryEmploymentShare of Top 10Avg Wage
1Health Care and Social Assistance		 23,432 22.4%
$66,490
2Accommodation and Food Services		 17,364 16.6%
$31,006
3Retail Trade		 17,265 16.5%
$36,955
4Manufacturing		 12,790 12.2%
$66,643
5Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services		 6,949 6.6%
$84,341
6Administrative and Support and Waste Management		 6,834 6.5%
$51,779
7Construction		 6,765 6.5%
$68,609
8Other Services (except Public Administration)		 5,756 5.5%
$44,112
9Transportation and Warehousing		 3,816 3.7%
$54,587
10Wholesale Trade		 3,556 3.4%
$78,134
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Key Takeaways
Generated from BLS QCEW.
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Industry Concentration

Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.

Location Quotient Analysis

Concentrated Industries
Source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector · Location Quotient vs. national employment share
Same source as the Top Industries table above, sub-sector view surfaces the specialization the supersector view masks (e.g., Plastics & Rubber Manufacturing inside the Manufacturing supersector).
Electrical Equipment, Appliance Manufacturing
6.64x
2,457
Textile Mills
5.30x
396
Textile Product Mills
2.34x
200
Accommodation
2.20x
3,714
Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing
2.18x
1,384
Machinery Manufacturing
1.97x
1,917
Apparel Manufacturing
1.92x
139
Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Misc. Retailers
1.73x
2,292
Personal and Laundry Services
1.71x
2,360
Private Households
1.70x
312

Cluster Depth

Source: BLS QCEW · Sub-sectors with LQ ≥ 1.5 indicate genuine cluster concentration
Dominant Cluster
Manufacturing Cluster
Coherent grouping of concentrated sub-sectors, signals supply-chain fit for site selectors
6,493
Cluster Employment
6.64x
Peak LQ
Concentrated Sub-Sectors
Electrical Equipment, Appliance Manufacturing
6.64x 2,457
Textile Mills
5.30x 396
Textile Product Mills
2.34x 200
Accommodation
2.20x 3,714
Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing
2.18x 1,384
Machinery Manufacturing
1.97x 1,917
Apparel Manufacturing
1.92x 139
Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Misc. Retailers
1.73x 2,292
Personal and Laundry Services
1.71x 2,360
Private Households
1.70x 312

Attraction Opportunities

LQ < 0.5 with ≥ 50 employed, realistic diversification targets. Source: BLS QCEW
0.14x
Chemical Manufacturing
114 employed
0.19x
Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry
67 employed
0.19x
Wood Product Manufacturing
68 employed
0.27x
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
118 employed
0.34x
Support Activities for Transportation
245 employed
Key Takeaways
Generated from BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
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Buncombe County's Top Sectors by Workforce Share
Each rectangle's area is proportional to that sector's share of total private-sector employment across all NAICS supersectors. Hover for exact employment.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2024 Annual · Private sector, NAICS supersectors

Housing & Affordability

Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026

Housing Overview

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$391,800 ▲
Median Home Value vs 2019
$1,362 ▲
Rent/Mo
66.2% ▲
Owner-Occ
24.3% ▲
Vacancy
5.3x
Home Value to Income Ratio - Stretched
vs. ~4.1x national average

HUD Fair Market Rents

Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$1,436/mo
1 Bedroom
$1,674/mo
2 Bedroom
$1,835/mo
3 Bedroom
$2,231/mo
4 Bedroom
$3,078/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$1,861/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
Generated from Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.

Workforce Pipeline

Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition

Labor Market Overview

Source: Census ACS 2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
167,144 ▲
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 5 min below national avg
21.1 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
17.6%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
79.3%
of prime-age population
Labor force participation rate: 81.9% of working-age population (18-64) 82% Participation
▼ vs 2019

Education & Talent Pipeline

Source: Census ACS 2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
45.9% ▲
HS Diploma+
92.6% ▲
Local Institutions
Total credentials awarded
47,592/yr
North Carolina State University at Raleigh 10,279/yr
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 9,997/yr
University of North Carolina at Charlotte 8,666/yr
East Carolina University 6,984/yr
Wake Technical Community College 6,278/yr
Appalachian State University 5,388/yr

Aging Workforce

Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
21.4%
55+ of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.

Workforce by Occupation

Source: Census ACS 2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
44.5%
Service
17.4%
Sales & Office
19.9%
Construction / Maint.
8.2%
Production / Transport
10.0%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 130,666 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
Generated from ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.

AI-Powered Insights

Machine learning analysis across 20+ federal data sources

Sample AI Insight
- a preview of the kind of synthesis EP produces for paying customers

Buncombe County shows strong potential for electrical equipment, appliance manufacturing attraction, with a 6.64x concentration and 2,457 jobs in this sub-sector, it ranks in the top decile nationally.

The interconnected base across electrical equipment, appliance manufacturing, textile mills, and textile product mills creates supply-chain attraction leverage rather than single-employer risk, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.

Industry Shift Analysis

Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100

Prospect Match Scores

Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100

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Economic
Demographic
Housing
Workforce
Median Income
$74,436
vs $80,734 national
Labor Force
136,831
Unemployment
4.8%
vs 5.2% national
Top Employers by Sector
Health Care and Social Assistance
23,432
Accommodation and Food Services
17,364
Retail Trade
17,265
Manufacturing
12,790
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
6,949
Census ACS, BLS QCEW, BEA, HUD · Auto-updatedPowered by ExecutivePulse
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Quality of Life
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Data Sources

All data from official federal APIs. Auto-refreshed on publication schedules.

Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2024 annual
BLS LAUS (via FRED)2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2023
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2025
USAspending.govFY2026
College ScorecardAY 2022-23