How many people live in Ashe County, NC?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 27,300 people living in Ashe County, NC. That makes Ashe County the 73rd-most populous county in North Carolina. It is home to 0.24% of people living in the state.
27.3K
population of Ashe County, NC (2024)
0.24%
County share of the North Carolina population (2024)
About 27,300 people lived in Ashe County, NC in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Ashe County, NC’s age demographics?
About 7,700 Ashe County, NC residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 28.3% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18% of North Carolina’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 4,400 Ashe County residents, or 16.1% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 21.6% of North Carolina’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A higher share of Ashe County, NC's population is aged 65 or older than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Ashe County, NC’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 90.6% of the Ashe County, NC population, higher than the national share of 57.5%.
In contrast, Ashe County’s Hispanic population accounts for 6.4%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 0.88% of the county, compared with 12.6% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Ashe County, NC has a higher share of a non-Hispanic white population than North Carolina as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Ashe County, NC is Jefferson with about 1,600 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Ashe County, NC ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jefferson | 1,648 |
| 2. | West Jefferson | 1,341 |
| 3. | Lansing | 129 |
| 4. | Balance of Ashe County | 24,148 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
