Population 957 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Scaly Mountain
Household size in Scaly Mountain
| Period | Scaly Mountain | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.07 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.20 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.20 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.16 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.09 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Scaly Mountain is a place of small households, averaging 2.16 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children.
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 Scaly Mountain
| Period | Scaly Mountain | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 52.6 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 53.7 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 52.3 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 53.8 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.2 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 53.8, Scaly Mountain is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 52.6, 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 Scaly Mountain
| Period | Scaly Mountain | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.5% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.7% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.9% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.6% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +5.2 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 8.6% of households in Scaly 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 Scaly Mountain
Renters in Scaly Mountain
| Period | Scaly Mountain | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.7% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 22.8% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.0% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.2% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +12.5 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a quarter of households in Scaly Mountain rent their homes (27.2%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among owners, 46.4% have paid off their mortgages, 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 Scaly Mountain
| Period | Scaly Mountain | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 55.7% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 52.6% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 59.8% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 44.4% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −11.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 44.4% of the housing in Scaly 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 Scaly Mountain
| Period | Scaly Mountain | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1985 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1987 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1989 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +7 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Scaly Mountain is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1989, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. North Carolina as a whole looks much the same.
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 Scaly Mountain
| Period | Scaly Mountain | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $646 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $841 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $816 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $857 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$212 | +$528 | +$606 |
The median renter in Scaly Mountain pays $857 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 21.3% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Scaly Mountain
Bachelor's degrees in Scaly Mountain
| Period | Scaly Mountain | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.9% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 37.1% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.2% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 39.1% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.2 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
About four in ten adults 25 and older in Scaly Mountain (39.1%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a bit above the national share of 35.6%. North Carolina as a whole looks much the same.
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 Scaly Mountain
| Period | Scaly Mountain | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.1% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.4% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.1% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.7% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.6 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Scaly Mountain is a bit above the national rate: 91.7% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, 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 Scaly Mountain
| Period | Scaly Mountain | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.4% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.5% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.7% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.0% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.4 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
The survey found almost no one in Scaly Mountain out of work and looking, against 5.4% of the labor force nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Scaly 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scaly Mountain | 2.16 | 53.8 | 8.6% | 27.2% | 44.4% | 1989 | $857 | 39.1% | 91.7% | 0.0% |
| Sky Valley | 2.02 | 49.3 | 8.4% | 30.6% | 52.4% | 1989 | $1,215 | 45.9% | 94.9% | 1.9% |
| Dillard | 2.06 | 48.8 | 10.6% | 25.0% | 44.0% | 1983 | $1,020 | 35.6% | 92.4% | 2.8% |
| Highlands | 1.80 | 63.2 | 4.6% | 26.4% | 58.4% | 1986 | $788 | 49.8% | 91.1% | 1.4% |
| Otto | 2.48 | 46.4 | 7.3% | 8.5% | 30.7% | 1988 | $696 | 37.9% | 93.2% | 0.5% |
| Satolah | 2.18 | 31.4 | 4.5% | 32.9% | 51.1% | 1994 | $949 | 6.7% | 80.6% | 0.0% |
| Sugarfork | 1.76 | 57.0 | 4.7% | 19.1% | 51.3% | 1985 | $845 | 38.4% | 94.6% | 2.2% |
| Rabun Gap | 2.20 | 46.3 | 8.6% | 23.2% | 34.8% | 1982 | $1,021 | 33.4% | 89.9% | 2.9% |
| Mountain City | 2.39 | 44.4 | 6.4% | 20.7% | 30.0% | 1981 | $1,046 | 31.9% | 89.9% | 1.0% |
| Ellijay | 1.75 | 48.9 | 4.5% | 20.0% | 47.1% | 1982 | $851 | 30.3% | 98.2% | 3.8% |
| Franklin | 2.09 | 48.2 | 6.5% | 24.0% | 21.1% | 1986 | $827 | 22.4% | 88.9% | 3.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Skipperville, AL · Brookfield, VT · Brookston, MN · Buckholts, TX · Bucklin, KS · Bunker, MO · Burgess, NC · Butterfield, MO · Cagle, TN · Calhoun, MO
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 Scaly 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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