Black Mountain, North Carolina Demographics & Population 2026

Population Overview

Black Mountain is a small city located in North Carolina, within Buncombe County. The total population is 8,513. It ranks as the 113th most populous out of 772 Census-designated places in North Carolina.

Age Demographics

The median age in Black Mountain is 58.4 years. This is 49% higher than the state median of 39.1 years. Only 11.9% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children. 19.7% 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 Black Mountain is $77,042. This is 6% higher than the state median of $72,388. It is also 5% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 5.9%. This is 54% lower than the state poverty rate of 13.0%. The unemployment rate is 3.9%. This is 17% lower than the state rate of 4.7%. The median home value is $358,900. Housing costs are 24% higher than the state median of $288,900. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.7x. 66.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied.

Race & Ethnicity

Black Mountain has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 89.2% of all residents. Black or African American residents account for 4.2%. The Black or African American population (4.2%) is well below the state average of 20.0%. The Hispanic or Latino population (1.5%) is well below the state average of 11.3%. The Asian population (0.4%) is well below the state average of 3.3%.

Education

56.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Black Mountain in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 58% 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 93.3%. Notably, 21.8% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Black 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.