North Carolina · GEOID 37199

Yancey County

2024 ACS 5-year estimates · population 18,797 · 11,376 housing units

Median household income

$58,709

State $74,272

Median home value

$243,100

State $299,282

Median gross rent

$882

State $1,245

Homeownership rate

79.4%

State 66.6%

Renter cost-burden rate

47.4%

≥30% of income

Owner cost-burden rate

18.6%

≥30% of income

Homeowner vacancy

1.5%

Of owner-occupied + for-sale units

Rental vacancy

1.0%

Of renter-occupied + for-rent units

Overall vacancy

28.5%

All housing units

Price-to-income ratio

4.14

Affordable: 2.0–3.0

Section 1

Community Profile

Population, demographics, household composition, and income.

Community Data Summary

	Yancey County	North Carolina
Population	18,797	10,730,404
Population density (per sq. mi.)	60.13	—
Median household income	$58,709	$74,272
HUD Area Median Income (4-person, 100%)	$85,300	—
Households	8,130	—
Average household size	2.29 people	—
Owner-occupied	79.4%	66.6%
Renter-occupied	20.6%	33.4%
Race	92.1% White · 0.8% Black	0.0% White · 0.0% Black

Source: ACS 5-year 2024 (Tables DP05, S1101, DP04, S1901) and Census Gazetteer (land area); HUD FY2026 Income Limits.

Racial composition

Yancey County compared with North Carolina.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP05.

Educational attainment (population 25+)

25.1% hold a bachelor's degree or higher (state: 35.7%).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1501.

Median Household Income by Tenure

Owner-occupied vs. renter-occupied household income, county and state.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25119.

Median Household Income by Age of Householder

Median household income by age group of householder.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B19049.

Median Household Income by Number of Earners

Median household income for families with each earner count.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1903.

Household Size

Distribution of households by number of people.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2501.

Income by Number of Earners

Earners	Share	Median income	Attainable monthly housing cost	Attainable home
0 earners	25.4%	$45,451	$1,136	$138,165
1 earner	26.3%	$63,886	$1,597	$206,786
2 earners	39.5%	$103,581	$2,590	$354,544
3+ earners	8.8%	$132,308	$3,308	$461,476

Attainable monthly housing cost = 30% of gross income ÷ 12. Attainable home price assumes 30% housing budget, 30-yr mortgage at 7%, 5% down.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1903; affordability formula derived.

Households

8,130

Average size: 2.29 people

Households with children

1,970

24.2% of households

Per-capita income

$36,664

Poverty rate: 14.8%

Section 2

Residential Market Analysis

Housing stock characteristics — tenure, type, age, size, vacancy, rents.

Tenure

79.4% owner-occupied vs. state average 66.6%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP04.

Structure type

Single-family share 74.7% · Missing middle (2–19 units) 6.6%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25024.

Housing stock by decade

35.0% built before 1980 · Median structure age 1,988.00 yrs.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2504.

Housing size mismatch

Compares the share of housing units by bedroom count against the share of households by size — a common diagnostic of housing supply/demand alignment.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Tables B25041 (bedrooms) and S2501 (household size).

Home value distribution

Owner-occupied homes by value bracket. Median: $243,100.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP04.

Monthly Housing Costs

Distribution of monthly housing costs across all occupied units.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25104.

Number of Bedrooms

Housing units by number of bedrooms.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25041.

Median rent by bedroom

Overall median gross rent: $882.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25031.

Renters by age

Number of renter householders by age bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2502.

Owners by age

Number of owner householders by age bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2502.

Vacancy composition

All 3,246 vacant units split into Census's seven categories. Frictional vacancy (units actively on the market) reflects healthy churn. Structural vacancy (seasonal, migrant, other) sits outside the market for year-round residents — high values change how the headline vacancy rate should be read.

Vacant units by type

For sale 3.1% · For rent 0.5% · Seasonal 62.3% · Other 32.8%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25004.

Frictional vs structural

4.9% of vacancy is frictional (for sale + for rent + rented/sold not yet occupied); 95.1% is structural (seasonal + migrant + other).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25004.

Seasonal / recreational share of all housing

17.8%

2,023 units of 11,376 total

⚑ Above the 10% threshold — meaningful pressure on year-round residents from second-home / short-term-rental demand.

"Other vacant" share of all housing

9.4%

1,065 units of 11,376 total

⚑ Above the 5% threshold — possible indicator of disinvestment, abandonment, or condemned stock.

Section 3

Workforce Housing Needs Assessment

Affordability, cost burden, and the housing options for households in the workforce income range.

Workforce range — ACS median household income

80% MHI$46,967

100% MHI$58,709

120% MHI$70,451

County-wide median from ACS 5-year estimates. A household at 100% MHI in Yancey County should be able to afford a home up to roughly — (30% housing budget, default mortgage terms).

Workforce range — HUD Area Median Income

	1-person	2-person	4-person
80% AMI	$47,800	$54,600	$68,250
100% AMI	$59,710	$68,240	$85,300
120% AMI	$71,650	$81,900	$102,350

HUD FMR Area: Yancey County, NC. 80% AMI uses HUD's published Section 8 Low Income Limits; 100% is HUD MFI; 120% is the standard workforce convention.

Affordability calculator

Follows the standard 30%-of-gross-income affordability rule.

Income basis Household income Interest rate % Down payment % Taxes & insurance / yr

Affordable monthly—

Affordable home price—

Renter cost burden

47.4% of renter households spend ≥30% of income on rent (32.3% spend ≥50%).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25070.

Owner cost burden by income

18.6% of homeowners spend ≥30% of income on housing. Bars show counts of cost-burdened owners by income bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25106.

Household income — owners vs renters

Distribution of household income for owner-occupied (navy) and renter-occupied (gold) households.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25118.

Section 4

Industry & Workforce Wages

Employment, average wages, and the housing each industry's typical earner can afford in Yancey County.

Covered employment

4,494

Across 15 sectors

Establishments

467

QCEW 2024

Avg annual pay (workforce)

$47,110

Employment-weighted across sectors

Top 10 sectors by employment

Annual average employment by NAICS 2-digit sector. Counties with fewer than five covered establishments in a sector may show suppressed totals.

Source: BLS QCEW Annual Averages, 2024.

Attainable housing by industry

Industry	Employment	Avg annual wage	Affordable home price	vs. median value	Affordable monthly rent
NAICS 31-33 Manufacturing NAICS 31-33	1,226	$61,303	$197,171	−$45,929	$1,533
NAICS 44-45 Retail trade NAICS 44-45	658	$33,173	$92,462	−$150,638	$829
NAICS 62 Health care and social assistance NAICS 62	439	$43,773	$131,918	−$111,182	$1,094
NAICS 92 Public administration NAICS 92	426	$48,923	$151,089	−$92,011	$1,223
NAICS 61 Educational services NAICS 61	384	$45,658	$138,935	−$104,165	$1,141
NAICS 23 Construction NAICS 23	374	$54,152	$170,553	−$72,547	$1,354
NAICS 72 Accommodation and food services NAICS 72	354	$20,856	$46,614	−$196,486	$521
NAICS 81 Other services (except public administration) NAICS 81	126	$47,930	$147,392	−$95,708	$1,198
NAICS 71 Arts, entertainment, and recreation NAICS 71	109	$45,397	$137,964	−$105,136	$1,135
NAICS 52 Finance and insurance NAICS 52	90	$51,623	$161,139	−$81,961	$1,291
NAICS 48-49 Transportation and warehousing NAICS 48-49	89	$58,772	$187,750	−$55,350	$1,469
NAICS 54 Professional, scientific, and technical services NAICS 54	87	$41,498	$123,450	−$119,650	$1,037
NAICS 56 Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services NAICS 56	77	$38,217	$111,237	−$131,863	$955
NAICS 51 Information NAICS 51	29	$28,983	$76,865	−$166,235	$725
NAICS 53 Real estate and rental and leasing NAICS 53	26	$47,788	$146,864	−$96,236	$1,195

Subsector	Employment	Avg annual wage	Affordable home price	vs. median value	Affordable monthly rent
NAICS 611 Educational services NAICS 611	384	$45,658	$138,935	−$104,165	$1,141
NAICS 921 Executive, legislative, and other general government support NAICS 921	334	$45,615	$138,775	−$104,325	$1,140
NAICS 722 Food services and drinking places NAICS 722	311	$19,432	$41,313	−$201,787	$486
NAICS 238 Specialty trade contractors NAICS 238	207	$53,892	$169,585	−$73,515	$1,347
NAICS 621 Ambulatory health care services NAICS 621	205	$52,952	$166,086	−$77,014	$1,324
NAICS 541 Professional, scientific, and technical services NAICS 541	87	$41,498	$123,450	−$119,650	$1,037
NAICS 561 Administrative and support services NAICS 561	77	$38,217	$111,237	−$131,863	$955
NAICS 444 Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers NAICS 444	70	$52,714	$165,200	−$77,900	$1,318
NAICS 456 Health and personal care retailers NAICS 456	70	$54,304	$171,118	−$71,982	$1,358
NAICS 522 Credit intermediation and related activities NAICS 522	68	$50,194	$155,820	−$87,280	$1,255
NAICS 457 Gasoline stations and fuel dealers NAICS 457	67	$39,591	$116,352	−$126,748	$990
NAICS 321 Wood product manufacturing NAICS 321	62	$42,515	$127,236	−$115,864	$1,063
NAICS 455 General merchandise retailers NAICS 455	56	$34,210	$96,322	−$146,778	$855
NAICS 441 Motor vehicle and parts dealers NAICS 441	55	$31,985	$88,040	−$155,060	$800
NAICS 813 Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations NAICS 813	52	$45,430	$138,086	−$105,014	$1,136
NAICS 721 Accommodation NAICS 721	43	$31,154	$84,946	−$158,154	$779
NAICS 484 Truck transportation NAICS 484	39	$54,421	$171,554	−$71,546	$1,361
NAICS 926 Administration of economic programs NAICS 926	36	$66,210	$215,437	−$27,663	$1,655
NAICS 922 Justice, public order, and safety activities NAICS 922	34	$67,819	$221,426	−$21,674	$1,695
NAICS 459 Sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, book, and miscellaneous retailers NAICS 459	34	$32,243	$89,000	−$154,100	$806
NAICS 811 Repair and maintenance NAICS 811	32	$72,899	$240,335	−$2,765	$1,822
NAICS 491 Postal service NAICS 491	30	$68,079	$222,394	−$20,706	$1,702
NAICS 924 Administration of environmental quality programs NAICS 924	22	$41,646	$124,001	−$119,099	$1,041
NAICS 814 Private households NAICS 814	22	$27,916	$72,893	−$170,207	$698
NAICS 812 Personal and laundry services NAICS 812	19	$38,417	$111,982	−$131,118	$960
NAICS 113 Forestry and logging NAICS 113	18	$45,662	$138,950	−$104,150	$1,142
NAICS 524 Insurance carriers and related activities NAICS 524	16	$52,964	$166,130	−$76,970	$1,324
NAICS 445 Food and beverage retailers NAICS 445	11	$16,630	$30,883	−$212,217	$416
NAICS 712 Museums, historical sites, and similar institutions NAICS 712	9	$61,049	$196,226	−$46,874	$1,526
NAICS 519 Web search portals, libraries, archives, and other information services NAICS 519	9	$25,876	$65,300	−$177,800	$647
NAICS 111 Crop production NAICS 111	8	$28,355	$74,527	−$168,573	$709
NAICS 485 Transit and ground passenger transportation NAICS 485	5	$51,240	$159,713	−$83,387	$1,281
NAICS 523 Securities, commodity contracts, and other financial investments and related activities NAICS 523	5	$77,093	$255,947	+$12,847	$1,927

Affordable home price assumes the industry's average earner uses 30% of gross income for housing, with a 30-year mortgage at 7%, 5% down, $2,500/yr taxes & insurance, and 0.5% PMI. Adjust the Section 3 calculator for other terms. Affordable rent is 30% of monthly gross pay.

Source: BLS QCEW Annual Averages, 2024; ACS 5-year 2024 (median home value).

Section 5

Wages by Occupation

Selected essential-worker occupations for the MSA or nonmetropolitan area containing this county — jobs, the 10-year change, wages, and the housing each typical earner can afford. Both jobs counts and wages are reported at the MSA / nonmetropolitan-area level (BLS does not publish OEWS at the county level), so every county inside the same area shows the same numbers. For county-accurate employment totals, see Section 4 above.

Occupational wages and affordable housing

Occupation	2025 jobs	2015–2025 change	% change	Hourly wage	Annual wage	Affordable home price	Affordable monthly rent
Fast Food and Counter Workers SOC 35-3023 · prior-year code differs	5,200	(4,910)	(49%)	$13.76	$28,610	$75,477	$715
Cashiers SOC 41-2011	7,720	1,040	16%	$14.11	$29,340	$78,194	$734
Childcare Workers SOC 39-9011	690	—	—	$15.07	$31,340	$85,639	$784
Retail Salespersons SOC 41-2031	8,030	90	1%	$15.91	$33,090	$92,153	$827
Firefighters SOC 33-2011	950	200	27%	$15.93	$33,130	$92,302	$828
Janitors and Cleaners SOC 37-2011	3,360	110	3%	$16.17	$33,640	$94,200	$841
Waiters and Waitresses SOC 35-3031	5,180	1,700	49%	$16.65	$34,630	$97,885	$866
Home Health and Personal Care Aides SOC 31-1131 · prior-year code differs	4,150	(4,880)	(54%)	$17.85	$37,120	$107,154	$928
Office Clerks, General SOC 43-9061	3,710	(1,230)	(25%)	$19.09	$39,710	$116,795	$993
Tellers SOC 43-3071	420	(500)	(54%)	$20.42	$42,470	$127,068	$1,062
Construction Laborers SOC 47-2061	2,320	1,600	222%	$21.22	$44,140	$133,285	$1,104
Carpenters SOC 47-2031	1,130	240	27%	$21.52	$44,760	$135,592	$1,119
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General SOC 49-9071	2,950	(70)	(2%)	$21.91	$45,570	$138,607	$1,139
Paramedics SOC 29-2043 · prior-year code differs	680	(10)	(1%)	$23.94	$49,790	$154,316	$1,245
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers SOC 33-3051	1,760	120	7%	$24.76	$51,490	$160,644	$1,287
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education SOC 25-2021	3,210	(570)	(15%)	—	$52,980	$166,190	$1,325
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters SOC 47-2152	490	(40)	(8%)	$25.88	$53,840	$169,391	$1,346
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers SOC 53-3032	3,840	(430)	(10%)	$26.15	$54,390	$171,439	$1,360
Electricians SOC 47-2111	1,110	550	98%	$26.41	$54,930	$173,449	$1,373
Registered Nurses SOC 29-1141	4,760	(730)	(13%)	$39.87	$82,930	$277,674	$2,073

Affordable home price uses the same Section 3 formula (30% housing budget, 30-year mortgage at 7%, 5% down, $2,500/yr T&I, 0.5% PMI). Affordable rent is 30% of monthly wages. Negative job-change values are shown in red parentheses. A "prior-year code differs" note flags occupations whose SOC code changed between the two vintages (2010 SOC → 2018 SOC) — the change estimate is best-effort.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (10-year change vs. May 2015). Jobs counts and wages reflect the MSA or nonmetropolitan area containing this county, not the county alone — OEWS is not published at the county level.

Methodology & sources

All figures derive from the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. State and national comparisons are population-weighted aggregates of county-level estimates (an approximation; ACS publishes its own state and national medians which can differ slightly).

The affordability calculator uses a 30% housing-budget rule with a 30-year mortgage. Defaults are 7% interest, 5% down, $2,500/year taxes and insurance, and 0.5% PMI — adjustable above.

Variables: 37199 · pulled from Full Housing Data Table.xlsx.