Asheville, North Carolina Population 2023

97,949

Asheville is a city located in Buncombe County North Carolina. It is also the county seat of Buncombe County. With a 2023 population of 97,949, it is the 11th largest city in North Carolina and the 363rd largest city in the United States.Asheville is currently growing at a rate of 1.16% annually and its population has increased by 3.55% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 94,589 in 2020. Spanning over 46 miles, Asheville has a population density of 2,149 people per square mile.

The average household income in Asheville is $70,949 with a poverty rate of 14.97%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Asheville is 39.6 years, 37.7 years for males, and 41.5 years for females.

Asheville serves as the county seat of Buncombe County and is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Area Employers

The largest employers in the area include Mission Health System, Buncombe County Schools System and Ingles Markets. Each of these companies employs over 3,000 people. The State of North Carolina and Buncombe County also use thousands of people.

Asheville Population Growth

Though Asheville’s growth was quite slow during its earliest years, it has seen steady growth according to data from censuses dating back to the 1800s. The city did lose inhabitants during the 1970s and 1980s but quickly rebounded to again post strong growth at the time of the census in 1990. Between 2000 and 2010m the city saw 21.1% growth as the city continues to grow and modernize. Recent estimates show that the population is up almost 9% since the last census was taken in 2010, indicating that this mountain city still has much growing to do in its future.

The region that is now known as Asheville was first inhabited by Cherokees. The European explorer Hernando de Soto first arrived in 1540 and brought diseases which killed many of the natives. The region was primarily used for hunting by these visitors.

In 1784, Asheville was settled by Colonel Samuel Davidson after redeeming a land grant. However, he was killed, and his wife, child, and slave fled. His twin brother and his brother-in-law returned to retrieve the body and avenge the murder. At the end of the expedition, the men and their extended family settled in the area. The nearby county seat was incorporated with the land and renamed as Asheville after the governor of North Carolina.

It was during the 1880s that the Western North Carolina Railroad constructed a line running from Salisbury to Asheville. It was at this time that the population began to increase, although it was quite slow. Industrial plants were being erected during this time, attracting more residents.

By 1900, Asheville was the third largest city in North Carolina. The city was quite prosperous in the decades that followed. It was during the early 1900s that the Burton Street Community for African Americans was developed and a sanitary district was established in West Asheville, which later incorporated within Asheville’s borders. As with other cities around the nation, the Great Depression had a significant impact on Asheville, with eight of its banks closing and the city debt reaching the highest in the nation. The city didn’t default on its obligations that were used to build infrastructure and buildings but instead paid it off. Because of this, economic growth was, and much of the downtown area was left as it originally was.

The positive thing about this is that the city has retained much of its buildings constructed in the Art Deco style, including its city hall. There is other noteworthy architecture located throughout the city, including the Grove Park Inn, which is a luxurious hotel and spa situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Today, Asheville is a beautiful mountainous city that offers modern attractions, many restaurants, and hotels, as well as historic landmarks and sights, including the popular Biltmore House, the largest private residence in the country that draws in visitors from all around the world.

Asheville Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Asheville was:

  • White: 82.64%
  • Black or African American: 11.11%
  • Two or more races: 2.98%
  • Asian: 1.52%
  • Other race: 1.06%
  • Native American: 0.41%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.29%
The current population of Asheville, North Carolina is 97,949 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 94,589.

Asheville, North Carolina Population 2023

Asheville Metro Area Population by Year

Population by Race

White

Black or African American

Two or more races

Asian

Other race

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Asheville Population by Race

Asheville Population Pyramid 2023

Asheville Median Age

39.6

Total

37.7

Male

41.5

Female

Asheville Adults

There are 76,176 adults, (17,436 of whom are seniors) in Asheville.

Asheville Age Dependency

57.2

Age Dependency Ratio

29.7

Old Age Dependency Ratio

27.5

Child Dependency Ratio

Asheville Sex Ratio

Female48,03452.03%
Male44,29447.97%

Asheville Population by Age

Asheville Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

3.03

Average Family Size

2.23

Average Household Size

49.1%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Asheville Households and Families

Male

Female

Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Asheville Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Asheville Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 52.02%.

Asheville Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

$35,073

Average Earnings

$37,779

Average Male

$32,462

Average Female

Asheville Earnings by Educational Attainment

Asheville Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Asheville Language

91.01% of Asheville residents speak only English, while 8.99% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 5.7% of the population.

Asheville Language

Asheville Poverty by Race

rate

14.97%

Overall Poverty Rate

11.82%

Male Poverty Rate

14.65%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Asheville

The race most likely to be in poverty in Asheville is Other, with 40.4% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Asheville is Native, with 0.58% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.58%. Among those working part-time, it was 17.7%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 21.12%.

Asheville Poverty

Asheville Poverty Rate by Education

Asheville Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Asheville Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

mean

median

Income by Household Type

Asheville Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

38.6%

Overall Marriage Rate

41.1%

Male Marriage Rate

36.4%

Female Marriage Rate

Asheville Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Asheville Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.

Asheville Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Asheville Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

5,886

Number of Veterans

5,311

Male Veterans

575

Female Veterans

Asheville Veterans by War

Asheville Veterans by Age

count

Asheville Veterans by Race

Asheville Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

9%

Veteran Poverty Rate

27.37%

Veteran Disability Rate

Asheville Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

64%

Labor Force Participation

61.6%

Employment Rate

3.7%

Unemployment Rate

Asheville Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Asheville Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Asheville Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

43.96%

Born in Asheville

90.44%

Native Born

7.17%

Foreign Born

4.55%

Non Citizen

2.62%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

90.44% of Asheville residents were born in the United States, with 43.96% having been born in North Carolina. 4.55% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

Asheville Place of Birth

Note: data after 2020 is projected based on recent growth

Asheville Population by Year