Buncombe County, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Buncombe County
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Buncombe County Courthouse in Asheville
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Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
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North Carolina's location within the U.S. |
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Country | United States | |
State | North Carolina | |
Founded | 1791 | |
Named for | Edward Buncombe | |
Seat | Asheville | |
Largest city | Asheville | |
Area | ||
• Total | 660 sq mi (1,700 km2) | |
• Land | 657 sq mi (1,700 km2) | |
• Water | 3.5 sq mi (9 km2) 0.5%% | |
Population | ||
• Estimate
(2019)
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261,191 | |
• Density | 363/sq mi (140/km2) | |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
Congressional district | 11th |
Buncombe County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is classified within Western North Carolina. The 2020 census reported the population was 269,452. Its county seat is Asheville. Buncombe County is part of the Asheville, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
History
The county was formed in 1791 from parts of Burke County and Rutherford County. It was named for Edward Buncombe, a colonel in the American Revolutionary War, who was captured at the Battle of Germantown. The large county originally extended to the Tennessee line. Many of the settlers were Baptists, and in 1807 the pastors of six churches including the revivalist Sion Blythe formed the French Broad Association of Baptist churches in the area.
In 1808 the western part of Buncombe County became Haywood County. In 1833 parts of Burke County and Buncombe County were combined to form Yancey County, and in 1838 the southern part of what was left of Buncombe County became Henderson County. In 1851 parts of Buncombe County and Yancey County were combined to form Madison County. Finally, in 1925 the Broad River township of McDowell County was transferred to Buncombe County.
In 1820, a U.S. Congressman, whose district included Buncombe County, unintentionally contributed a word to the English language. In the Sixteenth Congress, after lengthy debate on the Missouri Compromise, members of the House called for an immediate vote on that important question. Instead, Felix Walker rose to address his colleagues, insisting that his constituents expected him to make a speech "for Buncombe." It was later remarked that Walker's untimely and irrelevant oration was not just for Buncombe—it "was Buncombe." Thus, buncombe, afterwards spelled bunkum and then shortened to bunk, became a term for empty, nonsensical talk. This, in turn, is the etymology of the verb debunk.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 660 square miles (1,700 km2), of which 657 square miles (1,700 km2) is land and 3.5 square miles (9.1 km2) (0.5%) is water.
The French Broad River enters the county at its border with Henderson County to the south and flows north into Madison County. The source of the Swannanoa River, which joins the French Broad River in Asheville, is in northeast Buncombe County near Mount Mitchell. A milestone was achieved in 2003 when Interstate 26 was extended from Mars Hill (north of Asheville) to Johnson City, Tennessee, completing a 20-year, half-billion dollar construction project through the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Major highways
National protected areas
- Blue Ridge Parkway (part)
- Pisgah National Forest (part)
Adjacent counties
- Madison County - north
- Yancey County - northeast
- McDowell County - east
- Rutherford County - southeast
- Henderson County - south
- Haywood County - west
- Transylvania County - southwest
Demographics
Historical population | |||
---|---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± | |
1800 | 5,812 | — | |
1810 | 9,277 | 59.6% | |
1820 | 10,542 | 13.6% | |
1830 | 16,281 | 54.4% | |
1840 | 10,084 | −38.1% | |
1850 | 13,425 | 33.1% | |
1860 | 12,654 | −5.7% | |
1870 | 15,412 | 21.8% | |
1880 | 21,909 | 42.2% | |
1890 | 35,266 | 61.0% | |
1900 | 44,288 | 25.6% | |
1910 | 49,798 | 12.4% | |
1920 | 64,148 | 28.8% | |
1930 | 97,937 | 52.7% | |
1940 | 108,755 | 11.0% | |
1950 | 124,403 | 14.4% | |
1960 | 130,074 | 4.6% | |
1970 | 145,056 | 11.5% | |
1980 | 160,934 | 10.9% | |
1990 | 174,821 | 8.6% | |
2000 | 206,330 | 18.0% | |
2010 | 238,318 | 15.5% | |
2020 | 269,452 | 13.1% | |
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2013 |
Since 1970, the county has had a steady rise in population, attracting retirees, second-home buyers and others from outside the region.
2020 census
Race | Number | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White (non-Hispanic) | 214,862 | 79.74% |
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 15,017 | 5.57% |
Native American | 727 | 0.27% |
Asian | 3,274 | 1.22% |
Pacific Islander | 467 | 0.17% |
Other/Mixed | 13,183 | 4.89% |
Hispanic or Latino | 21,922 | 8.14% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 269,452 people, 106,741 households, and 63,675 families residing in the county.
Communities
City
- Asheville (county seat)
Towns
Townships
- Asheville
- Avery Creek
- Black Mountain
- Broad River
- Fairview
- Flat Creek
- French Broad
- Hazel
- Ivy
- Leicester
- Limestone
- Lower Hominy
- Reems Creek
- Sandy Mush
- Swannanoa
- Woodfin
- Upper Hominy
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Buncombe para niños