Montreat, North Carolina Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 630, Montreat'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

Montreat is a small community located in North Carolina, within Buncombe County. The total population is 630. It ranks as the 546th most populous out of 772 Census-designated places in North Carolina.

Age Demographics

The median age in Montreat is 19.9 years. This is 49% lower than the state median of 39.1 years. Only 7.9% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Montreat is $115,568. This is 60% higher than the state median of $72,388. It is also 43% higher than the national median of $80,734. The ACS records no residents below the poverty line in Montreat. In a community this small the estimate rests on very few survey responses, so it should be read as an absence of measurement rather than a measured absence of poverty. The unemployment rate is 9.6%. This is 103% higher than the state rate of 4.7%. The median home value is $606,400. Housing costs are 110% higher than the state median of $288,900. The home-value-to-income ratio is 5.2x. 100.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 50% higher than the state average of 66.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Montreat is White (non-Hispanic), making up 71.3% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 16.2%. The Asian population (0.6%) is well below the state average of 3.3%.

Education

91.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Montreat in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 157% higher than the state rate of 35.6%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. No surveyed resident aged 25 or older reported leaving school before earning a high school diploma, though a rate of exactly 100% reflects the limits of a small sample. Notably, 34.2% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Montreat, 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.