Buncombe County, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Buncombe County Courthouse in Asheville | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
| Motto: "People To Match Our Mountains" | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofNorth Carolina | |
 Interactive map of Buncombe County, North Carolina | |
| Coordinates:35°37′N82°32′W / 35.61°N 82.53°W /35.61; -82.53 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  North Carolina |
| Founded | 1792 |
| Named after | Edward Buncombe |
| Seat | Asheville |
| Largest city | Asheville |
| Area | |
• Total | 659.95 sq mi (1,709.3 km2) |
| • Land | 656.50 sq mi (1,700.3 km2) |
| • Water | 3.45 sq mi (8.9 km2) 0.52% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 269,452 |
• Estimate (2024) | 279,210 |
| • Density | 410.37/sq mi (158.44/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 11th |
| Website | buncombecounty.org |
Buncombe County (/ˈbʌŋkəm/BUNK-um)[1][2] is acounty located in theU.S. state ofNorth Carolina. It is classified withinWestern North Carolina. The2020 census reported the population was 269,452, making it the7th-most populous county in North Carolina.[3] Itscounty seat isAsheville.[4] Buncombe County is part of the Asheville, NCMetropolitan Statistical Area.
The area of modern day Buncombe County and its environs was originally populated by theAnigiduwagi, better known as the Cherokee people.[5] Europeans, primarily of German, Scottish and English descent, began to live in Buncombe in the early 18th century.[6] Some of the earliest permanent European settlers in Buncombe arrived in 1784.[7] These European settlers frequently broke their treaties with the Cherokee, gradually dispelling them from their land in Buncombe County by force.[8]
In 1791, Colonel William Davidson andDavid Vance petitioned theNorth Carolina House of Commons to create a new county in the western part of the state from parts ofBurke andRutherford counties.[9] The proposal named the county as "Union County". In January 1792, the proposed new county was officially created and named afterEdward Buncombe, a colonel in theAmerican Revolutionary War .[10] Locals referred to this area as “the state of Buncombe” due to it being so large. The original county would be split into eleven counties total. The first meeting of the county government took place in April 1792 in Colonel Davidson's barn (located on the present-dayBiltmore Estate).[11]
In December 1792 and April 1793, the county seat of Buncombe came under dispute. CommissionerJohn Dillard assisted with the resolution. The original documentation for the creation of Buncombe County proposed a committee of five persons to select the county seat. A dispute arose between two factions of Buncombe County residents on opposite sides of theSwannanoa River, one faction pressing for the county seat to be north of Swannanoa, which is now the center of Asheville, and the other faction demanding it to be at a place south of Swannanoa River, which later became known as the "Steam Saw Mill Place", and is now the southern part of the city of Asheville.
In December 1792, seven men met to select a courthouse location for the county. The desire was to have a courthouse closer to the community than Morganton, the closest place to record deeds at the time, due to the travel to Morganton being so laborious. The first courthouse was built at the present-day Pack Square site in Asheville.[12]
As the population of Buncombe County increased, parts of the county were reallocated to new counties. In 1808, the western part of Buncombe County becameHaywood County. In 1833, parts of Burke and Buncombe counties were combined to formYancey County. In 1838, the southern part of what was left of Buncombe County becameHenderson County. In 1851, parts of Buncombe and Yancey counties were combined to formMadison County. Finally, in 1925 the Broad River township ofMcDowell County was transferred to Buncombe County.[4]
In 1820, a U.S. Congressman whose district included Buncombe County, unintentionally contributed a word to the English language. In theSixteenth Congress, after lengthy debate on theMissouri Compromise, members of theHouse called for an immediate vote on that important question.Felix Walker rose to address his colleagues, insisting that his constituents expected him to make a speech "for Buncombe." It was later remarked that Walker's untimely and irrelevant oration was not justfor Buncombe—it "was Buncombe."Buncombe, afterwards spelledbunkum and later shortened tobunk, became a term for empty, nonsensical talk.[13] That, in turn, is theetymology of the verbdebunk.
On June 16, 2020, Buncombe County Commissioners decided to remove several Confederate monuments including theVance Monument[14] which is named after North Carolina governorZeb Vance, a slave owner who used convict labor to build the railroad to Western North Carolina.[15][16]
In September 2024,Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic, record-breaking flooding throughout Buncombe County andWestern North Carolina. 47 deaths were recorded in Buncombe County as a result of the storm, the most of any county in the US. Prior to the storm, the county was classified by FEMA as being at low risk of deadly hurricanes.[17]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, Buncombe county has a total area of 659.95 square miles (1,709.3 km2), of which 656.50 square miles (1,700.3 km2) is land and 3.45 square miles (8.9 km2) (0.52%) is water.[18]
TheFrench Broad River enters the county at its border withHenderson County to the south and flows north intoMadison County. The source of theSwannanoa River, which joins the French Broad River in Asheville, is in northeast Buncombe County nearMount Mitchell, a part of theBlack Mountains range. Mt. Mitchell is the highest point in the eastern United States at 6,684 ft.[19] Its summit lies in adjacent Yancey County; the highest point in Buncombe County is Potato Knob, at 6400+ feet, which lies a short distance south of Mount Mitchell.
A milestone was achieved in 2003 whenInterstate 26, still called Future I-26 in northern Buncombe County, was extended fromMars Hill (north of Asheville) toJohnson City, Tennessee. This completed a 20-year, half-billion dollar construction project through theBlue Ridge Mountains.[20]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 5,812 | — | |
| 1810 | 9,277 | 59.6% | |
| 1820 | 10,542 | 13.6% | |
| 1830 | 16,281 | 54.4% | |
| 1840 | 10,084 | −38.1% | |
| 1850 | 13,425 | 33.1% | |
| 1860 | 12,654 | −5.7% | |
| 1870 | 15,412 | 21.8% | |
| 1880 | 21,909 | 42.2% | |
| 1890 | 35,266 | 61.0% | |
| 1900 | 44,288 | 25.6% | |
| 1910 | 49,798 | 12.4% | |
| 1920 | 64,148 | 28.8% | |
| 1930 | 97,937 | 52.7% | |
| 1940 | 108,755 | 11.0% | |
| 1950 | 124,403 | 14.4% | |
| 1960 | 130,074 | 4.6% | |
| 1970 | 145,056 | 11.5% | |
| 1980 | 160,934 | 10.9% | |
| 1990 | 174,821 | 8.6% | |
| 2000 | 206,330 | 18.0% | |
| 2010 | 238,318 | 15.5% | |
| 2020 | 269,452 | 13.1% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 279,210 | [24] | 3.6% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[25] 1790–1960[26] 1900–1990[27] 1990–2000[28] 2010[29] 2020[3] | |||
Since 1970, the county has had a steady rise in population, attracting retirees, second-home buyers and others from outside the region.
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[30] | Pop 2010[31] | Pop 2020[32] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 180,721 | 201,241 | 214,862 | 87.59% | 84.44% | 79.74% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 15,310 | 14,979 | 15,017 | 7.42% | 6.29% | 5.57% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 748 | 778 | 727 | 0.36% | 0.33% | 0.27% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 1,354 | 2,388 | 3,274 | 0.66% | 1.00% | 1.22% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 77 | 271 | 467 | 0.04% | 0.11% | 0.17% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 221 | 335 | 1,382 | 0.11% | 0.14% | 0.51% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 2,169 | 4,072 | 11,801 | 1.05% | 1.71% | 4.38% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5,730 | 14,254 | 21,922 | 2.78% | 5.98% | 8.14% |
| Total | 206,330 | 238,318 | 269,452 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 census, there were 269,452 people, 116,237 households, and 63,675 families residing in the county.[33] From 2010 to 2020, Buncombe County added 31,104 people or 13.0% population growth,[34] making it the fastest growing county in Western North Carolina during the decade.
The median age was 42.1 years; 18.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.6% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.5 males age 18 and over.[33]
The racial makeup of the county was 81.2%White, 5.7%Black or African American, 0.5%American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%Asian, 0.2%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 4.2% from some other race, and 7.0% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 8.1% of the population.[35]
77.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 22.3% lived in rural areas.[36]
There were 116,237 households in the county, of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 43.0% were married-couple households, 19.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[33]
There were 129,141 housing units, of which 10.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 62.9% were owner-occupied and 37.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.8%.[33]
At the2000 census,[37] there were 206,330 people, 85,776 households, and 55,668 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 314 people per square mile (121 people/km2). There were 93,973 housing units at an average density of 143 units per square mile (55 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.06%White, 7.48%Black orAfrican American, 0.39%Native American, 0.66%Asian, 0.04%Pacific Islander, 1.15% fromother races, and 1.23% from two or more races. 2.78% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 85,776 households, out of which 27.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.50% weremarried couples living together, 10.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.10% were non-families. Of all households 28.90% were made up of individuals, and 10.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.90% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 29.30% from 25 to 44, 24.80% from 45 to 64, and 15.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,666, and the median income for a family was $45,011. Males had a median income of $30,705 versus $23,870 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $20,384. About 7.80% of families and 11.40% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 15.30% of those under age 18 and 9.80% of those age 65 or over.
Buncombe County is a member of theLand-of-Sky Regional Council of governments. Buncombe County has a council/manager form of government. Current commissioners are Amanda Edwards (Chair), Al Whitesides, Jennifer Horton, Terri Wells, Martin Moore, Parker Sloan, and Drew Ball.[38]
Buncombe County Public Libraries has 11 branch locations, with a central location atPack Memorial Library in downtownAsheville.[39]
There are two public school systems within Buncombe County, includingBuncombe County Schools andAsheville City Schools as well as many private schools and charter schools. There are four colleges in Buncombe County, includingAsheville-Buncombe Technical Community College,University of North Carolina at Asheville,Montreat College, andWarren Wilson College.
The Buncombe County Sheriff provides court protection and jail administration for the entire county and provides patrol and detective services for the unincorporated areas of the county. The Sheriff's Office is organized into six divisions: Enforcement, Detention, Animal Control, Support Operations, School Resources, Civil Process.[40] The current Sheriff is Quentin Miller who was elected in 2018.[41] Asheville has a municipal police department, with David Zack named as the Chief of Police in 2020.[42] The municipalities of Black Mountain, Biltmore Forest, Montreat, Weaverville, and Woodfin also have municipal police departments, and UNC Asheville and Montreat College havecampus police departments. TheNC State Highway Patrol Troop G regional headquarters is located in east Asheville.[43]
As of 2023, in theNorth Carolina Senate,Julie Mayfield (D–49th) andWarren Daniel (R–46th) both represent parts of Buncombe County. Mayfield represents most of the county including Asheville and the west side. Daniel represents a portion of the east side of the county as well as McDowell and Burke counties.
In theNorth Carolina House of Representatives,Eric Ager (D–114th),Lindsey Prather (D–115th), andCaleb Rudow (D–116th) each represent part of the county.
Buncombe had long been abellwether county in presidential elections. It voted for the winning candidate in all but one election from 1928 until 2012, with the exception being 1960.
Since 2008, the county has trended strongly toward theDemocratic Party. It swung from a 0.6 point win forGeorge W. Bush to a 14-point win forBarack Obama in 2008, and has gone Democratic by double-digit margins at every election since then. WhenDonald Trump won the electoral college (and the election) after losing the popular vote, the county lost its bellwether status. In 2024,Kamala Harris achieved the strongest performance by a Democrat in the county sinceFranklin Roosevelt's1944 landslide. Despite losing North Carolina overall, she pushed the county two points further to the left.
North Carolina is represented in theUnited States Senate by RepublicansTed Budd andThom Tillis, fromAdvance andHuntersville, respectively. All of the county is located inNorth Carolina's 11th congressional district, which is currently held by RepublicanChuck Edwards.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1880 | 1,591 | 44.37% | 1,995 | 55.63% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1884 | 2,007 | 42.87% | 2,649 | 56.58% | 26 | 0.56% |
| 1888 | 2,873 | 48.29% | 2,956 | 49.68% | 121 | 2.03% |
| 1892 | 3,125 | 44.18% | 3,588 | 50.73% | 360 | 5.09% |
| 1896 | 4,611 | 52.80% | 4,098 | 46.93% | 24 | 0.27% |
| 1900 | 4,140 | 52.41% | 3,724 | 47.15% | 35 | 0.44% |
| 1904 | 2,591 | 44.70% | 3,181 | 54.88% | 24 | 0.41% |
| 1908 | 3,572 | 50.03% | 3,506 | 49.10% | 62 | 0.87% |
| 1912 | 426 | 6.53% | 3,716 | 56.92% | 2,386 | 36.55% |
| 1916 | 3,830 | 47.52% | 4,229 | 52.48% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 8,017 | 44.09% | 10,167 | 55.91% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 6,285 | 37.30% | 10,098 | 59.93% | 467 | 2.77% |
| 1928 | 16,590 | 57.22% | 12,405 | 42.78% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 8,745 | 31.97% | 18,241 | 66.69% | 367 | 1.34% |
| 1936 | 9,470 | 28.60% | 23,646 | 71.40% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 8,723 | 25.96% | 24,878 | 74.04% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 9,398 | 31.04% | 20,878 | 68.96% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 11,460 | 37.15% | 17,072 | 55.34% | 2,319 | 7.52% |
| 1952 | 24,444 | 52.15% | 22,425 | 47.85% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 22,655 | 54.33% | 19,044 | 45.67% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 28,040 | 54.61% | 23,303 | 45.39% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 19,372 | 37.99% | 31,623 | 62.01% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 21,031 | 44.23% | 14,624 | 30.76% | 11,889 | 25.01% |
| 1972 | 32,091 | 70.38% | 12,626 | 27.69% | 877 | 1.92% |
| 1976 | 22,461 | 45.49% | 26,633 | 53.94% | 285 | 0.58% |
| 1980 | 26,124 | 48.80% | 24,837 | 46.40% | 2,569 | 4.80% |
| 1984 | 37,698 | 61.62% | 23,337 | 38.14% | 148 | 0.24% |
| 1988 | 36,828 | 57.55% | 26,964 | 42.14% | 200 | 0.31% |
| 1992 | 30,892 | 40.92% | 32,955 | 43.65% | 11,645 | 15.43% |
| 1996 | 30,518 | 44.19% | 31,658 | 45.84% | 6,891 | 9.98% |
| 2000 | 46,101 | 53.93% | 38,545 | 45.09% | 830 | 0.97% |
| 2004 | 52,491 | 49.99% | 51,868 | 49.39% | 654 | 0.62% |
| 2008 | 52,494 | 42.40% | 69,716 | 56.32% | 1,585 | 1.28% |
| 2012 | 54,701 | 42.84% | 70,625 | 55.31% | 2,370 | 1.86% |
| 2016 | 55,716 | 40.10% | 75,452 | 54.30% | 7,779 | 5.60% |
| 2020 | 62,412 | 38.63% | 96,515 | 59.74% | 2,642 | 1.64% |
| 2024 | 59,016 | 36.77% | 98,662 | 61.47% | 2,832 | 1.76% |
The North Carolina Department of Commerce reported that in September 2024 Buncombe County had the lowest unemployment rate of all of North Carolina's counties at a rate of 2.5 percent. In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene's impacts on the region, in October the department reported that Buncombe had the highest rate of unemployment in the state at 8.8 percent.[45]
Many of the early settlers wereBaptists. In 1807 the pastors of six churches, including the revivalistSion Blythe, formed the French Broad Association of Baptist churches in the area.[47]
Geographic data related toBuncombe County, North Carolina atOpenStreetMapPlaces adjacent to Buncombe County, North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||
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