HomeNorth CarolinaAvery County
Avery County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Avery County, North Carolina had an estimated 17,811 residents on July 1, 2024, down 0.0 percent since the 2020 census base of 17,814, across 247 square miles. County output reached $890.3 m in 2024, 539 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 6 7(a) approvals worth $1.2 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Avery County
How many people live in Avery County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202417,680
- Households6,791
- Average household size2.60
- Median household income$61,428
- Median age47.1
- Median gross rent$773 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$265,800
- Home value to household income4.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher25.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over13,532
- Population under 182,554
- Share under 1814.4 percent
- Population 65 and over4,180
- Share 65 and over23.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6410,946
- Civilian labor force7,260
- Unemployment rate4.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over48.0 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties84th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2000th of 3,222
Avery County is the 84th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 4.3 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.6 percent against 14.4 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Avery County
Is Avery County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202417,811
- Census 2020 base population17,814
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.02 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024100
- Births, 2024131
- Deaths, 2024240
- Natural change, 2024-109
- Net domestic migration, 2024129
- Net international migration, 202479
- Total net migration, 2024208
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024220
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1830th of 3,144
The county has lost 0.02 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Avery County
Where are people moving to Avery County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving549
- People arriving, from those returns938
- Tax returns filed by households leaving508
- Net household movement41
- Adjusted gross income arriving$60.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$26.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$109,632
- Average income of a leaving household$66,266
- Largest single originWatauga County (74 households)
- Largest single destinationWatauga County (56 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watauga County | 74 | 121 | $7.6 m |
| Mitchell County | 25 | 42 | $1.2 m |
Households arriving report $43,366 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Watauga County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Avery County
What is the Avery County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$890.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$857.6 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.8 percent
- GDP change over five years34.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among the North Carolina areas BEA publishes78th of 100
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1940th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$50,357
Output grew 3.8 percent in the latest year and 34.6 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Avery County
Employment by industry in Avery County
- Covered employment, annual average7,186
- Establishments reporting698
- Average annual pay$44,456
- Average weekly wage$855
- Accommodation and food services, employment985
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$26,267
- Arts, entertainment and recreation, employment847
- Arts, entertainment and recreation, average annual pay$44,278
- Retail trade, employment839
- Retail trade, average annual pay$31,711
- Construction, employment655
- Construction, average annual pay$56,608
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment518
- Other services, except public administration, employment206
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 985 | 62 | $26,267 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 847 | 21 | $44,278 |
| Retail trade | 839 | 85 | $31,711 |
| Construction | 655 | 101 | $56,608 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 518 | 55 | $47,193 |
| Other services, except public administration | 206 | 59 | $40,042 |
| Wholesale trade | 134 | 17 | $55,460 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 122 | 50 | $55,064 |
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 985 jobs, 13.7 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Avery County
How many businesses are in Avery County?
- Establishments, all industries539
- Employment at those establishments5,509
- Annual payroll$224.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents30.5
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Avery County
Building permits in Avery County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202495
- Declared construction value permitted$100.1 m
- Single family units authorized95
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$1,054,140
- Units authorized per 1,000 households14.0
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Avery County
SBA loans in Avery County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded6
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$207,500
- Median 7(a) approval$60,000
- Largest single approval$910,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)24
- Jobs per approval4.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active6
- Distinct industries receiving approvals6
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer16.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter5
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Avery County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Avery County
Do SBA loans in Avery County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure6
Only 0 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Avery County
SBA lending by place in Avery County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- Banner Elk, approvals4
- Newland, approvals1
- Sugar Mountain, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Banner Elk | 4 | $150,000 |
| Newland | 1 | $910,000 |
| Sugar Mountain | 1 | $185,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Avery County
How large is Avery County?
- Land area247 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties91st of 100
- Width, east to west19.3 mi
- Height, north to south25.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land72
- Establishments per square mile2.18
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Avery County
Flood risk in Avery County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Avery County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 370010
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book9
- Of those, participating in the NFIP9
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Avery County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Avery County (community 370010), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Avery County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Avery County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Avery County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202417,680
- Households6,791
- Average household size2.60
- Median household income$61,428
- Median age47.1
Common questions
Avery County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Avery County, North Carolina?
The Census Bureau estimates 17,811 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 17,680, in 6,791 households, ranking 84th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Avery County's population growing?
The population has fallen 0.02 percent since the 2020 census base of 17,814, to 17,811 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 131 births against 240 deaths, with net migration of 208. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Avery County?
$61,428. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $265,800, which is 4.3 times income, and median gross rent is $773 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Avery County?
539 establishments, employing 5,509 people with an annual payroll of $224.1 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Avery County?
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 985 jobs, 13.7 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 7,186 jobs at an average annual pay of $44,456, or $855 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Avery County?
6 7(a) approvals totaling $1.2 m since FY2020, across 6 lenders, with a median approval of $60,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Avery County?
95 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $100.1 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Avery County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Avery County come from?
The largest single origin is Watauga County, with 74 households. Arriving households report an average income of $109,632 against $66,266 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Avery County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Avery County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Avery County
Cities and places in Avery.
9 Census places lie wholly or partly in Avery County. All 9 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banner Elk | town | 1,473 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Beech Mountain | town | 987 | None recorded | 21.4 percent here, 78.6 percent Watauga County |
| Newland | town | 866 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Elk Park | town | 560 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sugar Mountain | village | 539 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Seven Devils | town | 425 | None recorded | 27.9 percent here, 72.1 percent Watauga County |
| Linville | CDP | 291 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Crossnore | town | 115 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Grandfather Village | village | 14 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |