Watauga County, NC
Demographics & Statistics
Updated: 2025-10-25
Updated: 2025-10-25
Life in Watauga County research summary. HomeSnacks has been researching the quality of life in Watauga County over the past eight years using Census data, FBI crime data, cost of living data, and other primary sources. Based on the most recently available data, we found the following about life in Watauga County:
The population in Watauga County is 54,607.
The median home value in Watauga County is $506,465.
The median income in Watauga County is $51,367.
The median rent in Watauga County is $1,066.
The unemployment rate in Watauga County is 9.0%.
The poverty rate in Watauga County is 24.7%.
The average high in Watauga County is 67.7° and there are 124.6 inches of rainfall annually.
The average high in Watauga County is 67.7°.
There are 90.59 nice days each year.
Expect an average of 124.6 inches of rain each year with 8.2 inches of snow.
There is an average of 4:37 hours of sun each day in Watauga County.
| Stat | Watauga County |
|---|---|
| Mean High | 67.7 |
| Nice Days | 90.59 |
| Rainfall | 124.6 |
| Snowfall | 8.2 |
| Sunny Hours | 4:37 |
The current population in Watauga County is 54,607. The population has decreased -1.5% from 2019.
| Year | Population | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 54,077 | -2.9% |
| 2022 | 55,669 | 1.4% |
| 2021 | 54,925 | - |
Watauga County is 50.1% female with 27,367 female residents.
Watauga County is 49.9% male with 27,240 male residents.
| Gender | Watauga County | NC | USA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 50.1% | 51.1% | 50.5% |
| Male | 49.9% | 48.9% | 49.5% |
Watauga County is:
88.9% White with 48,547 White residents.
1.6% African American with 889 African American residents.
0.2% American Indian with 116 American Indian residents.
1.2% Asian with 643 Asian residents.
0.0% Hawaiian with 0 Hawaiian residents.
0.1% Other with 37 Other residents.
2.0% Two Or More with 1,072 Two Or More residents.
6.0% Hispanic with 3,303 Hispanic residents.
| Race | Watauga County | NC | USA |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 88.9% | 60.6% | 58.2% |
| African American | 1.6% | 20.3% | 12.0% |
| American Indian | 0.2% | 0.8% | 0.5% |
| Asian | 1.2% | 3.1% | 5.7% |
| Hawaiian | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Other | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Two Or More | 2.0% | 3.7% | 3.9% |
| Hispanic | 6.0% | 10.9% | 19.0% |
10.2% of households in Watauga County earn Less than $10,000.
5.7% of households in Watauga County earn $10,000 to $14,999.
10.2% of households in Watauga County earn $15,000 to $24,999.
10.5% of households in Watauga County earn $25,000 to $34,999.
12.2% of households in Watauga County earn $35,000 to $49,999.
13.3% of households in Watauga County earn $50,000 to $74,999.
11.5% of households in Watauga County earn $75,000 to $99,999.
13.3% of households in Watauga County earn $100,000 to $149,999.
6.8% of households in Watauga County earn $150,000 to $199,999.
6.2% of households in Watauga County earn $200,000 or more.
| Income | Watauga County | NC | USA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than $10,000 | 10.2% | 5.0% | 4.9% |
| $10,000 to $14,999 | 5.7% | 3.9% | 3.6% |
| $15,000 to $24,999 | 10.2% | 7.6% | 6.6% |
| $25,000 to $34,999 | 10.5% | 7.8% | 6.8% |
| $35,000 to $49,999 | 12.2% | 12.0% | 10.4% |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 13.3% | 17.0% | 15.7% |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 11.5% | 13.0% | 12.7% |
| $100,000 to $149,999 | 13.3% | 16.5% | 17.4% |
| $150,000 to $199,999 | 6.8% | 7.8% | 9.3% |
| $200,000 or more | 6.2% | 9.5% | 12.6% |
2.0% of adults in Watauga County completed < 9th grade.
5.0% of adults in Watauga County completed 9-12th grade.
21.0% of adults in Watauga County completed high school / ged.
17.0% of adults in Watauga County completed some college.
7.0% of adults in Watauga County completed associate's degree.
26.0% of adults in Watauga County completed bachelor's degree.
14.0% of adults in Watauga County completed master's degree.
3.0% of adults in Watauga County completed professional degree.
5.0% of adults in Watauga County completed doctorate degree.
| Education | Watauga County | NC | USA |
|---|---|---|---|
| < 9th Grade | 1% | 3% | 5% |
| 9-12th Grade | 5% | 6% | 6% |
| High School / GED | 21% | 25% | 26% |
| Some College | 17% | 20% | 19% |
| Associate's Degree | 7% | 10% | 9% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 26% | 22% | 21% |
| Master's Degree | 14% | 9% | 10% |
| Professional Degree | 3% | 2% | 2% |
| Doctorate Degree | 5% | 2% | 2% |
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