HomeNorth CarolinaYancey County
Yancey County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Yancey County, North Carolina had an estimated 18,993 residents on July 1, 2024, up 2.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 18,473, across 313 square miles. County output reached $605.1 m in 2024, 357 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 13 7(a) approvals worth $7.1 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Yancey County
How many people live in Yancey County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202418,797
- Households8,130
- Average household size2.31
- Median household income$58,709
- Median age49.2
- Median gross rent$882 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$243,100
- Home value to household income4.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher25.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over14,301
- Population under 183,379
- Share under 1818.0 percent
- Population 65 and over5,085
- Share 65 and over27.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6410,333
- Civilian labor force8,567
- Unemployment rate7.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.6 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties82nd of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1944th of 3,222
Yancey County is the 82nd largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 4.1 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 27.1 percent against 18.0 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.
Yancey County
Is Yancey County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202418,993
- Census 2020 base population18,473
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.81 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202453
- Births, 2024177
- Deaths, 2024296
- Natural change, 2024-119
- Net domestic migration, 2024152
- Net international migration, 202417
- Total net migration, 2024169
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024937
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents921st of 3,144
The county has grown 2.81 percent 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.
Yancey County
Where are people moving to Yancey County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving497
- People arriving, from those returns867
- Tax returns filed by households leaving373
- Net household movement124
- Adjusted gross income arriving$34.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$9.7 m
- Average income of an arriving household$69,994
- Average income of a leaving household$67,273
- Largest single originBuncombe County (91 households)
- Largest single destinationMitchell County (69 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buncombe County | 91 | 160 | $4.8 m |
| Mitchell County | 52 | 102 | $1.8 m |
| Madison County | 25 | 44 | $1.2 m |
Households arriving report $2,721 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 Buncombe 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.
Yancey County
What is the Yancey County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$605.1 m
- County GDP, 2023$580.8 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.2 percent
- GDP change over five years31.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among the North Carolina areas BEA publishes87th of 100
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2268th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$32,192
Output grew 4.2 percent in the latest year and 31.2 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.
Yancey County
Employment by industry in Yancey County
- Covered employment, annual average4,648
- Establishments reporting497
- Average annual pay$47,951
- Average weekly wage$922
- Manufacturing, employment1,226
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$61,316
- Retail trade, employment647
- Retail trade, average annual pay$33,450
- Health care and social assistance, employment439
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$43,765
- Construction, employment374
- Construction, average annual pay$54,200
- Accommodation and food services, employment354
- Other services, except public administration, employment120
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,226 | 18 | $61,316 |
| Retail trade | 647 | 67 | $33,450 |
| Health care and social assistance | 439 | 59 | $43,765 |
| Construction | 374 | 59 | $54,200 |
| Accommodation and food services | 354 | 30 | $20,851 |
| Other services, except public administration | 120 | 44 | $48,451 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 100 | 10 | $44,025 |
| Finance and insurance | 90 | 25 | $51,815 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,226 jobs, 26.4 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Yancey County
How many businesses are in Yancey County?
- Establishments, all industries357
- Employment at those establishments3,797
- Annual payroll$162.2 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.0
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.
Yancey County
Building permits in Yancey County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024100
- Declared construction value permitted$23.2 m
- Single family units authorized100
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$232,042
- Units authorized per 1,000 households12.3
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.
Yancey County
SBA loans in Yancey County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded13
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$7.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$543,446
- Median 7(a) approval$100,000
- Largest single approval$2,685,700
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)54
- Jobs per approval4.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active7
- Distinct industries receiving approvals11
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer15.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter8
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals7.7 percent
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (6)
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Yancey County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Yancey County
Do SBA loans in Yancey County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Exempt from disclosure9
Only 1 loan has 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.
Yancey County
How large is Yancey County?
- Land area313 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties80th of 100
- Width, east to west20.9 mi
- Height, north to south25.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land60
- Establishments per square mile1.14
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.
Yancey County
Flood risk in Yancey County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Yancey County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 370261
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Yancey 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 Yancey County (community 370261), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Yancey 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 Yancey 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 Yancey County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202418,797
- Households8,130
- Average household size2.31
- Median household income$58,709
- Median age49.2
Common questions
Yancey County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Yancey County, North Carolina?
The Census Bureau estimates 18,993 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 18,797, in 8,130 households, ranking 82nd of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Yancey County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.81 percent since the 2020 census base of 18,473, to 18,993 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 177 births against 296 deaths, with net migration of 169. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Yancey County?
$58,709. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $243,100, which is 4.1 times income, and median gross rent is $882 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Yancey County?
357 establishments, employing 3,797 people with an annual payroll of $162.2 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 Yancey County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,226 jobs, 26.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 4,648 jobs at an average annual pay of $47,951, or $922 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Yancey County?
13 7(a) approvals totaling $7.1 m since FY2020, across 7 lenders, with a median approval of $100,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Yancey County?
100 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $23.2 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Yancey 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 Yancey County come from?
The largest single origin is Buncombe County, with 91 households. Arriving households report an average income of $69,994 against $67,273 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Yancey 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 Yancey 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.
Yancey County
Cities and places in Yancey.
1 Census place lies wholly or partly in Yancey County. It carries enough published place level data for a page of its own and is linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burnsville | town | 2,082 | 13 | Wholly in this county |