Watauga County Demographics

A map of Watauga County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	48,766	44,986	88.5%	83.2%
Hispanic	3,410	3,521	6.2%	6.5%
Multiracial	1,474	2,009	2.7%	3.7%
Black	873	2,101	1.6%	3.9%
Asian	487	938	0.9%	1.7%
Native American/Other	113	531	0.2%	1.0%

Watauga County, North Carolina has an estimated population of 55,123, a slight increase from the 54,086 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 88.5% White, 6.2% Hispanic, 2.7% Multiracial, 1.6% Black, 0.9% Asian, and 0.2% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Watauga County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Watauga has become considerably 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 Watauga County, that probability was 30.1% in 2020 and 21.3% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Watauga County is ranked the 48th most populous county in North Carolina, out of 100 counties. Watauga County was ranked the 49th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Watauga County's White Population

48,766 residents of Watauga County, or 88.5% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Watauga County is significantly higher than in North Carolina overall, where 60% of the population is White. Watauga County ranks 22nd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Watauga County's White population has grown by an estimated 8.4%. White residents' share of Watauga County's population has increased from 83.2% to 88.5%.

Watauga County is more White than neighboring Johnson County (87.3% White), Avery County (85.7% White), and Caldwell County (85.3% White). Watauga County is less White than neighboring Ashe County (90.8% White), and Carter County (92.8% White).

Watauga County's Black Population

873 residents of Watauga County, or 1.6% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Watauga County is significantly lower than in North Carolina overall, where 20% of the population is Black. Watauga County ranks 79th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Watauga County's Black population has declined by an estimated 58.4%. Black residents' share of Watauga County's population has decreased from 3.9% to 1.6%.

Watauga County is more Black than neighboring Ashe County (0.9% Black). Watauga County is less Black than neighboring Johnson County (4.7% Black), Avery County (3.8% Black), Caldwell County (4.1% Black), and Carter County (1.9% Black).

Watauga County's Asian Population

487 residents of Watauga County, or 0.9% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Watauga County is slightly lower than in North Carolina overall, where 3.3% of the population is Asian. Watauga County ranks 18th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Watauga County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 48.1%. Asian residents' share of Watauga County's population has decreased from 1.7% to 0.9%.

Watauga County is more Asian than neighboring Johnson County (0.3% Asian), Avery County (0.4% Asian), Ashe County (0.4% Asian), Caldwell County (0.5% Asian), and Carter County (0.1% Asian).

Watauga County's Hispanic Population

3,410 residents of Watauga County, or 6.2% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Watauga County is lower than in North Carolina overall, where 11.3% of the population is Hispanic. Watauga County ranks 60th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Watauga County's Hispanic population has declined by an estimated 3.2%. Hispanic residents' share of Watauga County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 6.2%.

Watauga County is more Hispanic than neighboring Johnson County (3.2% Hispanic), Avery County (6.1% Hispanic), Ashe County (6% Hispanic), and Carter County (2.5% Hispanic). Watauga County is less Hispanic than neighboring Caldwell County (6.7% Hispanic).

Watauga County's Native American/Other Population

113 residents of Watauga County, or 0.2% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Watauga County is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 1.4% of the population is Native American/Other. Watauga County ranks 21st statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Watauga County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 78.7%. Native American/Other residents' share of Watauga County's population has decreased from 1.0% to 0.2%.

Watauga County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Johnson County (1% Native American/Other), Avery County (0.7% Native American/Other), and Ashe County (0.4% Native American/Other).

Watauga County's Multiracial Population

1,474 residents of Watauga County, or 2.7% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Watauga County is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 4.1% of the population is Multiracial. Watauga County ranks 47th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Watauga County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 26.6%. Multiracial residents' share of Watauga County's population has decreased from 3.7% to 2.7%.

Watauga County is more Multiracial than neighboring Ashe County (1.4% Multiracial), and Carter County (2.5% Multiracial). Watauga County is less Multiracial than neighboring Johnson County (3.5% Multiracial), Avery County (3.3% Multiracial), and Caldwell County (3.2% 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.