Beech Mountain, North Carolina Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 987, Beech Mountain's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Beech Mountain is a small community located in North Carolina, within Watauga County. The total population is 987. It ranks as the 461st most populous out of 772 Census-designated places in North Carolina.

Age Demographics

The median age in Beech Mountain is 61.7 years. This is 58% higher than the state median of 39.1 years. Only 8.6% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children. 13.9% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Beech Mountain is $90,855. This is 26% higher than the state median of $72,388. It is also 13% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 6.4%. This is 51% lower than the state poverty rate of 13.0%. The unemployment rate is 8.3%. This is 76% higher than the state rate of 4.7%. The median home value is $443,500. Housing costs are 54% higher than the state median of $288,900. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.9x. 89.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 34% higher than the state average of 66.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

Beech Mountain has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 93.0% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.3%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (93.0% vs 60.0%). The Black or African American population (0.2%) is well below the state average of 20.0%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.3%) is well below the state average of 11.3%. The Asian population (1.4%) is well below the state average of 3.3%.

Education

53.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Beech Mountain in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 50% higher than the state rate of 35.6%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 97.2%. Notably, 26.6% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Beech Mountain, North Carolina is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against North Carolina state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 772 Census-designated places in North Carolina. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.