Watauga County, North Carolina's estimated population is 57,659 with a growth rate of 1.51% in the past year according to the most recent United States census data. Watauga County, North Carolina is the 49th largest county in North Carolina.
| Year | Population | Growth | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 57,659 | 857 | 1.51% |
| 2019 | 56,802 | 857 | 1.53% |
| 2018 | 55,945 | 857 | 1.56% |
| 2017 | 55,088 | 993 | 1.84% |
| 2016 | 54,095 | 1,033 | 1.95% |
| 2015 | 53,062 | 665 | 1.27% |
| 2014 | 52,397 | 100 | 0.19% |
| 2013 | 52,297 | 238 | 0.46% |
| 2012 | 52,059 | 442 | 0.86% |
| 2011 | 51,617 | 650 | 1.28% |
| 2010 | 50,967 | 14,015 | 37.93% |
| 1990 | 36,952 | 5,286 | 16.69% |
| 1980 | 31,666 | 8,262 | 35.30% |
| 1970 | 23,404 | 5,875 | 33.52% |
| 1960 | 17,529 | -813 | -4.43% |
| 1950 | 18,342 | 228 | 1.26% |
| 1940 | 18,114 | 2,949 | 19.45% |
| 1930 | 15,165 | 1,688 | 12.53% |
| 1920 | 13,477 | -79 | -0.58% |
| 1910 | 13,556 | 139 | 1.04% |
| 1900 | 13,417 | 2,806 | 26.44% |
| 1890 | 10,611 | 2,451 | 30.04% |
| 1880 | 8,160 | 2,873 | 54.34% |
| 1870 | 5,287 | 330 | 6.66% |
| 1860 | 4,957 | 1,557 | 45.79% |
| 1850 | 3,400 | 0.00% |
| Race | Population | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White | 50,824 | 93.92% |
| Black or African American | 900 | 1.66% |
| Two or More Races | 832 | 1.54% |
| Some Other Race | 612 | 1.13% |
| Asian | 516 | 0.95% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 355 | 0.66% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 78 | 0.14% |
| Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 20,355 | 2.37 | 60.6 |
| Non Family | 9,302 | 1.75 | 39.4 |
| Married | 9,107 | 2.81 | 86 |
| Female | 1,330 | 3.09 | 44.6 |
| Male | 616 | 3.7 | 41.9 |
| Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 1,209 | 3.90% |
| 9th to 12th Grade | 2,034 | 6.56% |
| High School Graduate | 6,294 | 20.31% |
| Some College | 5,937 | 19.16% |
| Associates Degree | 2,621 | 8.46% |
| Bachelors Degree | 7,440 | 24.01% |
| Graduate Degree | 5,449 | 17.59% |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among multiple races people with a rate of 100.00%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among multiple races people with a rate of 52.92%.
$31,676
Average Earnings
$34,993
Average Male
$27,975
Average Female
95.29% of Watauga County, North Carolina residents speak only English, while 4.71% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 2.47% of the population.
| Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 44,868 | 11,563 | 25.77% |
| Hispanic | 1,503 | 800 | 53.23% |
| Other | 533 | 354 | 66.42% |
| Black | 613 | 254 | 41.44% |
| Multiple | 680 | 222 | 32.65% |
| Asian | 431 | 215 | 49.88% |
| Native | 336 | 169 | 50.30% |
| Islander | 78 | 31 | 39.74% |
27.20%
Overall Poverty Rate
27.33%
Male Poverty Rate
27.05%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Watauga County, North Carolina is Other, with 66.42% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Watauga County, North Carolina is White, with 25.77% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.73%. Among those working part-time, it was 46.62%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 33.97%.
39.1%
Overall Marriage Rate
38.7%
Male Marriage Rate
39.4%
Female Marriage Rate
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 45-54.
| Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 2,679 | 6.03% |
| Hispanic | 52 | 3.83% |
| 2 or More | 24 | 5.32% |
| Asian | 7 | 1.54% |
| Indian | 6 | 1.97% |
| Black | 5 | 0.61% |
6.10%
Veteran Poverty Rate
30.91%
Veteran Disability Rate
56.3%
Labor Force Participation
52%
Employment Rate
7.4%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
96.94%
Native Born
3.06%
Foreign Born
1.65%
Non Citizen
96.94% of Watauga County, North Carolina residents were born in the United States, with 59.21% having been born in North Carolina. 1.65% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.