Buncombe County Demographics

A map of Buncombe County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	221,607	214,862	80.8%	79.7%
Hispanic	23,475	21,922	8.6%	8.1%
Black	13,207	15,017	4.8%	5.6%
Multiracial	11,717	11,801	4.3%	4.4%
Asian	3,085	3,274	1.1%	1.2%
Native American/Other	1,269	2,576	0.5%	1.0%

Buncombe County, North Carolina has an estimated population of 274,360, a slight increase from the 269,452 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 80.8% White, 8.6% Hispanic, 4.8% Black, 4.3% Multiracial, 1.1% Asian, and 0.5% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Buncombe County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Buncombe has become less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than North Carolina overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Buncombe County, that probability was 35.2% in 2020 and 33.6% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Buncombe County is ranked the 7th most populous county in North Carolina, out of 100 counties. Buncombe County was ranked the 7th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Buncombe County's White Population

221,607 residents of Buncombe County, or 80.8% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Buncombe County is significantly higher than in North Carolina overall, where 60% of the population is White. Buncombe County ranks 29th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Buncombe County's White population has grown by an estimated 3.1%. White residents' share of Buncombe County's population has increased from 79.7% to 80.8%.

Buncombe County is more White than neighboring Henderson County (79.5% White). Buncombe County is less White than neighboring Madison County (91.2% White), Yancey County (90.8% White), Haywood County (90.4% White), and McDowell County (85.6% White).

Buncombe County's Black Population

13,207 residents of Buncombe County, or 4.8% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Buncombe County is significantly lower than in North Carolina overall, where 20% of the population is Black. Buncombe County ranks 71st statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Buncombe County's Black population has declined by an estimated 12.1%. Black residents' share of Buncombe County's population has decreased from 5.6% to 4.8%.

Buncombe County is more Black than neighboring Henderson County (2.6% Black), Madison County (1.1% Black), Yancey County (0.8% Black), Haywood County (0.9% Black), and McDowell County (3.8% Black).

Buncombe County's Asian Population

3,085 residents of Buncombe County, or 1.1% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Buncombe County is slightly lower than in North Carolina overall, where 3.3% of the population is Asian. Buncombe County ranks 29th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Buncombe County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 5.8%. Asian residents' share of Buncombe County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.1%.

Buncombe County is more Asian than neighboring Madison County (0.5% Asian), Yancey County (0.5% Asian), and Haywood County (0.4% Asian).

Buncombe County's Hispanic Population

23,475 residents of Buncombe County, or 8.6% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Buncombe County is slightly lower than in North Carolina overall, where 11.3% of the population is Hispanic. Buncombe County ranks 42nd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Buncombe County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 7.1%. Hispanic residents' share of Buncombe County's population has increased from 8.1% to 8.6%.

Buncombe County is more Hispanic than neighboring Madison County (3.6% Hispanic), Yancey County (5.8% Hispanic), Haywood County (5% Hispanic), and McDowell County (7.1% Hispanic). Buncombe County is less Hispanic than neighboring Henderson County (13.1% Hispanic).

Buncombe County's Native American/Other Population

1,269 residents of Buncombe County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Buncombe County is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 1.4% of the population is Native American/Other. Buncombe County ranks 22nd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Buncombe County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 50.7%. Native American/Other residents' share of Buncombe County's population has decreased from 1.0% to 0.5%.

Buncombe County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Yancey County (0.1% Native American/Other), and McDowell County (0.3% Native American/Other). Buncombe County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Henderson County (0.9% Native American/Other), Madison County (0.8% Native American/Other), and Haywood County (0.7% Native American/Other).

Buncombe County's Multiracial Population

11,717 residents of Buncombe County, or 4.3% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Buncombe County is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 4.1% of the population is Multiracial. Buncombe County ranks 13th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Buncombe County's Multiracial population has remained roughly the same. Multiracial residents' share of Buncombe County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.3%.

Buncombe County is more Multiracial than neighboring Henderson County (2.7% Multiracial), Madison County (2.7% Multiracial), Yancey County (2% Multiracial), Haywood County (2.7% Multiracial), and McDowell County (2% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.