Population 1,682 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Beech Mountain
Household size in Beech Mountain
| Period | Beech Mountain | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.07 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.02 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.07 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.07 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.00 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Beech Mountain are small: just 2.07 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Beech Mountain
| Period | Beech Mountain | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.4 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 48.8 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.9 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 51.0 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.6 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Beech Mountain skews older: half of its residents are older than 51.0, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 45.4 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Beech Mountain
| Period | Beech Mountain | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.5% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.2% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.2% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.2 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 4.2% of households in Beech Mountain, well below the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Beech Mountain
Renters in Beech Mountain
| Period | Beech Mountain | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.3% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.1% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.9% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 12.3% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −10.0 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 12.3% of households in Beech Mountain rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 43.7% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Beech Mountain
| Period | Beech Mountain | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 58.0% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 65.3% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 65.1% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 58.8% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 58.8% of the housing in Beech Mountain, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Beech Mountain
| Period | Beech Mountain | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1983 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Beech Mountain are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1983, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in North Carolina overall, where the median home dates to 1990.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Beech Mountain
| Period | Beech Mountain | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $830 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $740 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,102 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,016 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$186 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Beech Mountain runs $1,016 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 24.6% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Beech Mountain
Bachelor's degrees in Beech Mountain
| Period | Beech Mountain | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.0% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 37.6% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.0% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 42.2% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are more common in Beech Mountain than nationally: 42.2% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Beech Mountain
| Period | Beech Mountain | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.6% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.1% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.7% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.6% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Beech Mountain have finished high school as nationally: 90.6%, against 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Beech Mountain
| Period | Beech Mountain | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.6% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 15.8% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.5% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.0% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Beech Mountain: 7.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Beech Mountain compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beech Mountain | 2.07 | 51.0 | 4.2% | 12.3% | 58.8% | 1983 | $1,016 | 42.2% | 90.6% | 7.0% |
| Banner Elk | 2.33 | 41.3 | 9.7% | 19.5% | 58.0% | 1988 | $916 | 40.0% | 89.0% | 5.6% |
| Sugar Grove | 2.25 | 47.8 | 5.6% | 16.8% | 26.2% | 1983 | $1,145 | 36.5% | 91.2% | 2.8% |
| Heaton | 2.94 | 35.2 | 3.4% | 22.2% | 19.0% | 1973 | $944 | 14.4% | 75.1% | 7.4% |
| Elk Park | 2.68 | 40.9 | 6.1% | 21.1% | 23.3% | 1977 | $1,003 | 16.1% | 78.1% | 5.4% |
| Norwood Hollow | 2.28 | 40.3 | 8.8% | 23.8% | 65.4% | 1988 | $836 | 42.5% | 90.6% | 1.2% |
| Poga | 1.96 | 57.0 | 3.1% | 13.7% | 32.7% | 1982 | $713 | 16.0% | 73.6% | 6.1% |
| Grassy Creek | 2.24 | 48.9 | 8.1% | 25.9% | 32.4% | 1985 | $722 | 20.7% | 92.0% | 5.8% |
| Sugar Mountain | 2.16 | 56.0 | 4.3% | 14.6% | 77.1% | 1985 | $1,121 | 57.2% | 97.0% | 3.1% |
| Seven Devils | 2.72 | 33.8 | 15.1% | 21.5% | 68.3% | 2000 | $951 | 44.9% | 94.1% | 4.4% |
| Valle Crucis | 2.11 | 47.2 | 6.4% | 27.0% | 60.9% | 1986 | $1,052 | 48.9% | 95.6% | 5.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Milesburg, PA · Canal Point, FL · Cascade, MD · Stone Creek, OH · South Scappoose, OR · Otwell, IN · Odebolt, IA · New Park, PA · Flintstone, MD · Nageezi, NM
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Beech Mountain. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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