Town · North Carolina
Hayesville, North Carolina
Hayesville, town, in Clay County, North Carolina. Hayesville had 470 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 7.8% from the Bureau's April 2020 estimates base of 436; the 2020 Census counted 461 on the place as it was defined then and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,208 (±497). GEOID 3730280.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
470
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 461 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,208 ±497
Median household income
$55,625
±$17,088 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $72,388
Median home value
$254,700
±$44,200 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $288,900
Median gross rent
$499
±$281 (90% margin)
North Carolina: $1,228
Where is Hayesville and what county is it in?
Hayesville is a town in Clay County, North Carolina. It covers 0.6 square miles of land, 725 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Hayesville, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 470 people lived in Hayesville on July 1, 2025, up 7.8% since 2020, faster than North Carolina (+7.2%). The Census Bureau's yearly estimates start from its own April 2020 base for Hayesville, 436, which differs from the 2020 Census count of 461: the estimates follow the place as the estimates program defines it today (its present boundaries, and for a consolidated city-county the area the program assigns it), so the change since 2020 is measured from that base. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,208 (±497). The survey estimate is more than double the 2020 count: in a place this small the survey reaches a few dozen households, and a few of them can move the estimate a long way.
| Measure | Hayesville | Clay County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,208 ±497 | 11,610 | +821 |
| Households | 320 ±113 | 5,081 | +159 |
| Average household size | 3.46 ±0.87 | 2.26 | +1.26 |
| Housing units | 409 ±139 | 7,497 | +195 |
Hayesville's population since 2000
From 297 in 2000 to 470 in 2025: up 58.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Hayesville as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
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 Hayesville?
The median resident of Hayesville is 35.8 years old; 35.4% are under 18 and 22.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 92.3%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 4.8%.
| Measure | Hayesville | Clay County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.8 ±5.9 | 55.0 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 35.4% ±7.6 pts | 16.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 22.3% ±7.6 pts | 32.8% | – |
| Male | 46.6% ±5.7 pts | 49.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.1% ±1.2 pts | 4.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 92.3% ±5.9 pts | 90.2% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.8% ±2.1 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 0.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.8% ±5.0 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.9% ±1.1 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.4% ±1.3 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.1% ±4.5 pts | 6.6% | – |
| With a disability | 17.5% ±6.9 pts | 17.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 14.1% ±9.0 pts | 15.9% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 83.8% ±5.9 pts | 92.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 19.3% ±9.8 pts | 31.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.1% ±6.2 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 93.5% ±5.2 pts | 89.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.5% ±0.7 pts | 4.7% | – |
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 Hayesville earn?
Half of Hayesville's 320 households earn less than $55,625 a year (±$17,088), against $56,971 in Clay County and $72,388 in North Carolina. In 2015-2019 it was $37,638 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 24.2% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Hayesville | Clay County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,625 ±$17,088 | $56,971 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $66,970 ±$14,302 | $84,069 | – |
| Per capita income | $18,553 ±$3,965 | $40,205 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 24.2% ±9.4 pts | 12.9% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 12.7% ±13.5 pts | 9.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 38.4% ±16.5 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Households with a computer | 91.9% ±5.8 pts | 88.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 91.9% ±6.0 pts | 83.3% | – |
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 Hayesville?
Owners occupy 59.1% of Hayesville's occupied homes and renters 40.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $254,700 by its owner (±$44,200). The median renter pays $499 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Hayesville | Clay County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $254,700 ±$44,200 | $278,400 | +$98,894 |
| Median gross rent | $499 ±$281 | $804 | −$350 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 28.3% ±20.6 pts | 32.3% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,289 ±$360 | $1,476 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 59.1% ±13.7 pts | 81.2% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 40.9% ±13.7 pts | 18.8% | – |
| Housing units | 409 ±139 | 7,497 | +195 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±19.9 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±20.8 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 77.0% ±10.7 pts | 77.2% | – |
| Mobile homes | 3.7% ±3.8 pts | 15.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.7% ±1.3 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.5% ±2.0 pts | 6.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 15.4% ±9.4 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 6.3% ±5.2 pts | 6.4% | – |
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 Hayesville work and get to work?
86.9% of Hayesville's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 22.3 minutes.
| Measure | Hayesville | Clay County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 47.1% ±13.0 pts | 45.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.0% ±10.3 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 86.9% ±11.7 pts | 79.1% | – |
| Carpooled | 6.7% ±9.4 pts | 11.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.8% ±1.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±10.3 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 5.7% ±7.0 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 22.3 min ±8.9 | 23.2 min | no clear change |
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 Hayesville?
No census tract lies mostly in Hayesville; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9502.02Clay County | 2,847 | $50,938 |
| Tract 9502.01Clay County | 2,967 | $85,000 |
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 Hayesville) · Census block assignment files
How does Hayesville compare with other places in North Carolina?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Hayesville is the 13,456th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 424th-most populous of 549 in North Carolina.
Hayesville is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 424th | 549 |
Hayesville's figures with every place in North Carolina (CSV)
Every place in North Carolina, sortable · Compare Hayesville 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 Hayesville?
24 of the 57 figures for Hayesville 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 Hayesville 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' public schools in Hayesville.