Median Household Income
$51,693
Median Home Value
$358,900
Median Gross Rent
$1,127/mo
Poverty Rate
25.5%
Unemployment Rate
7.9%
Homeownership Rate
62.1%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
48.1%
Median Age
31.4
Population Over Time
Watauga County grew 6.2% from 2014 to 2024.
2014
51,903
2016
52,745
2018
54,117
2020
55,669
2022
54,540
2024
55,123
Business & Industry
Watauga County has 1,740 business establishments employing 20,781 people.
Construction
233
Accommodation and food services
187
Professional, scientific, and technical services
177
Other services (except public administration)
162
Health care and social assistance
161
Real estate and rental and leasing
158
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
83
Finance and insurance
63
Establishments by industry sector. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, ACS 2020-2024.