County Dossier

Watauga County

North Carolina | County

Population

55,123

Land Area

312.4 sq mi

Context

Nonmetro

Geography

County silhouette

Land Area
312.4 sq mi
Water Area
0.9 sq mi
Water Share
0.3%

Terrain Layer

Open the county terrain view inside the atlas flow.

Terra Firma

Population & Housing

Population

55,123

Density
176.4 / sq mi
Households
21,198
Housing Units
33,355
Median Age
31.4 years

Income & Economy

Median Household Income

$51,693

GDP

$3.19B

Real GDP Change+1.1%
Per Capita Income
$34,167
Personal Income
$3.10B
Personal Income Per Capita
$56,442

Classification

RUCC 5
Nonmetro

Urban population of 20,000 or more, not adjacent to a metro area

Relief

Min

1,347 ft

Mean

3,317 ft

Max

5,900 ft

Provenance

GEOID 37189 ANSI 01008594
Latitude 36.23537 Longitude -81.70989
Canonical 2025 Gazetteer ACS ACS 2020-2024 5-year BEA BEA county 2024 release (2026-02-05) BLS BLS LAUS 2024 annual average USDA USDA RUCC 2023 USGS USGS 3DEP published as of 2026-03-23