• county
  • FIPS 37011
  • Largest town: Banner Elk

Avery County, North Carolina

Avery County had 17,811 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 247.3 square miles of land. It ranks 84th of 100 in North Carolina by population and 91st by land area.

Population
17,811
#84 of 100 in North Carolina · #1,943 in US
Area
247.3 sq mi
#91 of 100 in North Carolina · #2,918 in US
Density
72 / sq mi
#69 of 100 in North Carolina · #1,157 in US
Median household income
$55,922
#64 of 100 in North Carolina · #2,241 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Avery County within North Carolina. Pin: Raleigh.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Avery County

Avery County population, land area and income

Avery County had 17,811 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 247.3 square miles of land. It ranks 84th of 100 in North Carolina by population and 91st by land area. That works out to 72.0 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and above the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in North Carolina has 52,768 residents, so Avery County has 34% of the typical county's population.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $55,922 is below the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

17,811

3144th1st

1943rd of 3,144 (US)

Land area

247 sq mi

3144th1st

2918th of 3,144 (US)

Density

72.0 / sq mi

3144th1st

1157th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$55,922

3143rd1st

2241st of 3,143 (US)

Rank within North Carolina (100)

Population

17,811

100th1st

84th of 100 (NC)

Land area

247 sq mi

100th1st

91st of 100 (NC)

Density

72.0 / sq mi

100th1st

69th of 100 (NC)

Median household income

$55,922

100th1st

64th of 100 (NC)

How Avery County's population changed since 2020

Avery County lost 4 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 0.0%. That ranks 87th of 100 in North Carolina for growth. The median North Carolina county changed by +2.7%, and the state as a whole by +5.7%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Avery County recorded 573 births and 1,009 deaths, a natural change of -436. Net international migration added +205 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +236. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 436 people.

17.8k202017.5k202117.6k202217.7k202317.8k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
573
Deaths
1,009
Net international migration
+205
Net domestic migration
+236
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+100

Where Avery County is

The Census internal point of Avery County is at 36.072100, -81.920300. It sits in UTM zone 17N. The map shades North Carolina's 100 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Avery County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Scotland County: +1.4%Rockingham County: +2.5%Franklin County: +15.6%Caswell County: -0.5%Stokes County: +2.9%Granville County: +2.3%Edgecombe County: +0.7%Randolph County: +2.8%Alexander County: +0.8%Person County: +2.4%Cherokee County: +5.2%Ashe County: +2.5%Davidson County: +5.2%Cabarrus County: +7.8%Mecklenburg County: +8.1%Burke County: +1.5%Cumberland County: +0.4%Northampton County: -4.9%Buncombe County: +3.5%Wilson County: +0.8%Bladen County: +0.5%Pitt County: +4.1%Yancey County: +2.7%Stanly County: +7.4%Harnett County: +9.3%Wilkes County: +0.5%Tyrrell County: +8.8%Pamlico County: +1.9%Hoke County: +6.0%Transylvania County: +2.5%Carteret County: +3.8%Durham County: +6.5%Anson County: +1.8%Pender County: +15.6%Alamance County: +6.7%Polk County: +4.9%Lenoir County: +0.5%Washington County: -3.0%Avery County: -0.0%Hyde County: +1.5%Gates County: -1.4%Davie County: +5.8%Jackson County: +7.4%Montgomery County: +2.5%Martin County: -2.0%Pasquotank County: +2.9%Perquimans County: +3.4%Cleveland County: +2.3%Sampson County: +2.3%Catawba County: +3.8%Alleghany County: +4.5%Robeson County: +2.3%Macon County: +4.4%Clay County: +8.0%Haywood County: +1.3%Duplin County: +3.8%Henderson County: +3.6%Craven County: +2.6%Warren County: +2.6%Graham County: +1.7%Union County: +9.9%Wayne County: +2.2%Gaston County: +5.9%Guilford County: +3.7%Yadkin County: +2.0%Watauga County: +1.0%Rowan County: +4.4%Swain County: -1.1%Chatham County: +9.4%Bertie County: -4.4%Halifax County: -2.9%Forsyth County: +4.1%Onslow County: +3.8%Dare County: +3.1%Chowan County: +1.3%Brunswick County: +20.9%Johnston County: +14.9%Orange County: +6.4%Currituck County: +13.6%New Hanover County: +7.5%Richmond County: -1.7%Vance County: -0.5%Iredell County: +9.9%Lincoln County: +12.0%Caldwell County: +0.2%McDowell County: +1.6%Rutherford County: +1.9%Mitchell County: +0.9%Moore County: +8.1%Columbus County: -0.8%Lee County: +8.1%Greene County: +1.1%Madison County: +5.0%Camden County: +7.5%Hertford County: -12.0%Beaufort County: -0.3%Jones County: +3.5%Wake County: +9.0%Nash County: +3.0%Surry County: +0.2%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < +0.5%
  2. < +2.3%
  3. < +3.7%
  4. < +7.4%
  5. ≥ +7.4%
no data

Orange pin: Avery County internal point. Dark pin: Raleigh.

Internal point

Decimal
36.072100, -81.920300
DMS
36°04'19.56"N 81°55'13.08"W
UTM
17N 417130.0E 3992337.3N
Geohash
dnmtpyern
Plus code
868W33CH+RV

Towns in Avery County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Avery County, 1,186 people together, or 7% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Avery County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Banner Elk with 1,186.

  1. 01Banner Elk1,186
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Avery County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 7 neighbors for Avery County, including 2 across a state line. The most populous is Burke County, NC, with 88,545 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Raleigh and the nearest big city

Raleigh is 184.7 miles E of Avery County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Charlotte, NC (population 943,476), 85.4 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Boone, NC (population 20,080), 17.3 miles away.

Avery County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Avery County is 37011: state code 37 for North Carolina plus county code 011. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $55,922.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Avery County, North Carolina?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 17,811. That is down 4 people (0.0%) from the July 2020 estimate of 17,815.

What is the FIPS code of Avery County?

37011. The first two digits (37) are North Carolina; the last three (011) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Avery County?

Banner Elk, with 1,186 residents inside Avery County in 2024.

Which counties border Avery County?

7 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Burke County, NC; Caldwell County, NC; Carter County, TN; Watauga County, NC; McDowell County, NC; Johnson County, TN; Mitchell County, NC.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.