Population 61 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Ela: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Ela
Household size in Ela
| Period | Ela | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.44 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.69 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.27 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.48 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.04 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Ela run small, averaging 2.48 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. That is in line with the rest of North Carolina.
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 Ela
| Period | Ela | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.1 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.8 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 54.0 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.3 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.2 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Ela skews older: half of its residents are older than 44.3, 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 40.1 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Ela
| Period | Ela | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.7% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.6% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.7% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.1% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Ela than nationally: 9.1%, against 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 Ela
Renters in Ela
| Period | Ela | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.9% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.2% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 15.8% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.6 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 15.8% of households in Ela rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 56.1% have no mortgage at all, well 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 Ela
| Period | Ela | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.9% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 30.5% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 35.0% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 46.6% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +11.7 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Ela: 46.6% of homes are empty, 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 Ela
| Period | Ela | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1984 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1991 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1991 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +13 | +7 | +6 |
Ela has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1991, versus 1980 nationally. That is in line with the rest of North Carolina.
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 Ela
| Period | Ela | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $616 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $859 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $729 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $795 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$179 | +$528 | +$606 |
The median renter in Ela pays $795 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 25.9% 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 Ela
Bachelor's degrees in Ela
| Period | Ela | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.9% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.6% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.6% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.4% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +12.5 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Ela than nationally: 28.4% 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 Ela
| Period | Ela | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.9% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 82.0% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 76.6% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.7% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | −4.2 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Ela never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
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 Ela
| Period | Ela | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.5% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.6% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.4% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in Ela: 6.4% 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).
Ela 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ela | 2.48 | 44.3 | 9.1% | 15.8% | 46.6% | 1991 | $795 | 28.4% | 85.7% | 6.4% |
| Whittier | 2.34 | 46.9 | 11.3% | 27.0% | 25.6% | 1992 | $930 | 23.6% | 86.9% | 4.7% |
| Bryson City | 2.20 | 43.8 | 11.9% | 28.6% | 31.7% | 1988 | $718 | 22.8% | 85.4% | 7.0% |
| Cherokee | 2.37 | 39.2 | 21.5% | 27.0% | 19.0% | 1991 | $880 | 22.4% | 89.0% | 9.1% |
| Barkers Creek | 2.23 | 51.8 | 12.0% | 5.6% | 40.3% | 1993 | $810 | 25.3% | 95.6% | 0.0% |
| Airport | 2.62 | 35.4 | 23.8% | 24.8% | 11.3% | 1986 | $753 | 19.1% | 82.8% | 15.1% |
| Leatherman | 1.99 | 52.9 | 5.0% | 6.8% | 45.3% | 1986 | $648 | 26.3% | 94.3% | 2.1% |
| Dillsboro | 2.16 | 48.7 | 9.7% | 40.2% | 34.5% | 1988 | $869 | 28.0% | 92.7% | 3.8% |
| Gay | 1.85 | 47.9 | 13.0% | 1.8% | 25.8% | 1981 | $810 | 20.1% | 98.8% | 0.0% |
| Needmore | 2.18 | 50.0 | 8.4% | 33.2% | 41.9% | 1987 | $452 | 18.4% | 83.3% | 2.0% |
| Sylva | 2.19 | 43.1 | 13.1% | 34.9% | 15.1% | 1985 | $888 | 28.5% | 90.4% | 3.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Goffs, WV · Unity, SC · Guthrie, ND · Upper Dilia, NM · Urbana, ND · Utting, AZ · Greenwich, UT · Greens Corner, ME · Grassy Creek, KY · Vermilionville, IL
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 Ela. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.