Census-designated place · North Carolina
Barker Heights, North Carolina
Barker Heights, census-designated place, in Henderson County, North Carolina. Barker Heights had 1,249 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,074 (±464). GEOID 3703640.
Residents, 2020 Census
1,249
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 1,074 ±464
Median household income
$29,277
±$11,640 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$190,300
±$40,124 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
not published
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is Barker Heights and what county is it in?
Barker Heights is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Henderson County, North Carolina. It covers 1.0 square miles of land, 1,271 residents per square mile in 2020.
Barker Heights is in the Asheville, NC metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 3 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Barker Heights, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 1,249 residents in Barker Heights, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 1,074 (±464).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Barker Heights is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Barker Heights | Henderson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,074 ±464 | 118,484 | no clear change |
| Households | 520 ±199 | 51,067 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.07 ±0.39 | 2.29 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 529 ±198 | 58,044 | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Barker Heights?
The median resident of Barker Heights is 47.3 years old. The largest group is Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 43.6%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 32.6%.
| Measure | Barker Heights | Henderson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.3 ±4.4 | 47.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 16.5% ±9.0 pts | 18.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 9.9% ±6.6 pts | 26.5% | – |
| Male | 53.4% ±9.2 pts | 48.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 43.6% ±30.3 pts | 13.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 32.6% ±19.9 pts | 79.5% | −28.9 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 10.6% ±9.4 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±2.2 pts | 1.1% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 12.2% ±11.2 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 36.5% ±24.3 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 44.7% ±30.5 pts | 12.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.9% ±9.0 pts | 8.1% | – |
| With a disability | 17.7% ±11.6 pts | 15.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 40.5% ±19.8 pts | 12.4% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 57.4% ±17.4 pts | 91.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 3.0% ±4.4 pts | 36.5% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 1.7% ±3.4 pts | 13.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.8% ±9.6 pts | 89.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 2.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Barker Heights earn?
Half of Barker Heights's 520 households earn less than $29,277 a year (±$11,640), against $68,187 in Henderson County and $72,388 in North Carolina. 49.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Barker Heights | Henderson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $29,277 ±$11,640 | $68,187 | – |
| Mean household income | $41,543 ±$10,563 | $92,991 | – |
| Per capita income | $19,420 ±$5,659 | $40,567 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 49.7% ±24.5 pts | 11.6% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 63.8% ±36.1 pts | 18.2% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 8.1% ±8.6 pts | 9.2% | – |
| Households with a computer | 98.7% ±2.3 pts | 95.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 82.9% ±14.7 pts | 90.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Barker Heights?
Owners occupy 40.8% of Barker Heights's occupied homes and renters 59.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $190,300 by its owner (±$40,124).
| Measure | Barker Heights | Henderson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $190,300 ±$40,124 | $351,400 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 24.7% ±28.6 pts | 38.1% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $963 ±$379 | $1,608 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 40.8% ±23.2 pts | 75.0% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 59.2% ±23.2 pts | 25.0% | – |
| Housing units | 529 ±198 | 58,044 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±18.1 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 2.8% ±5.9 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 55.8% ±25.9 pts | 69.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 40.8% ±27.6 pts | 15.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±7.7 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±7.7 pts | 11.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 43.3% ±26.3 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.5% ±2.5 pts | 3.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Barker Heights work and get to work?
99.4% of Barker Heights's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 16.1 minutes.
| Measure | Barker Heights | Henderson County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 70.1% ±7.9 pts | 57.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% ±5.4 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 99.4% ±1.1 pts | 76.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 0.0% ±6.4 pts | 11.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±6.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±6.4 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 0.6% ±1.1 pts | 10.4% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 16.1 min ±2.6 | 22.5 min | −5.8 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Barker Heights?
No census tract lies mostly in Barker Heights; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9313Henderson County | 3,859 | $38,385 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Barker Heights) · Census block assignment files
How does Barker Heights compare with other places in North Carolina?
Barker Heights ranks 428th of 434 places in North Carolina with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 424th | 443 |
| Residents per square mile | 114th | 443 |
| Median household income | 428th | 434 |
| Per capita income | 419th | 443 |
| Median home value | 313th | 438 |
| Poverty rate | 3rd | 341 |
| Median age | 96th | 442 |
| Owner-occupied share | 431st | 443 |
| Travel time to work | 422nd | 439 |
Barker Heights's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare Barker Heights with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Barker Heights?
27 of the 56 figures for Barker Heights on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Barker Heights are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.