Census tract · Buncombe County
Census Tract 3, Buncombe County, North Carolina
Census Tract 3, GEOID 37021000300, in Buncombe County, North Carolina, mostly within Asheville (87% of its census blocks). 3,033 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±471); the 2020 Census counted 2,183.
Residents, 2020-2024
3,033
±471 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 2,183
Median household income
$58,750
±$42,281 (90% margin)
Buncombe County: $74,436
Median home value
$661,700
±$70,598 (90% margin)
Buncombe County: $391,800
Median gross rent
$1,284
±$591 (90% margin)
Buncombe County: $1,362
Where is Census Tract 3?
Census Tract 3 is one of 65 census tracts in Buncombe County, North Carolina. It covers 0.80 square miles of land, 2,742 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 37021000300, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
6 census tracts border Census Tract 3: Tract 2 ($45,893), Tract 4 ($72,723), Tract 6 ($64,458), Tract 14.01 ($55,948), Tract 14.02 ($38,688) and Tract 15 ($72,833). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 3?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 3's population at 3,033 (±471) in 1,014 households; the 2020 Census counted 2,183 residents and 1,078 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 3 | Asheville |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,033 ±471 | 94,535 |
| Households | 1,014 ±172 | 37,394 |
| Average household size | 2.97 ±0.40 | 2.43 |
| Housing units | 1,330 ±162 | 50,034 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 3?
The median resident of Census Tract 3 is 36.4 years old; 13.4% are under 18 and 9.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 77.9%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 13.5%.
| Measure | Tract 3 | Asheville |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.4 ±7.3 | 40.7 |
| Under 18 years | 13.4% ±5.5 pts | 14.8% |
| 65 years and over | 9.8% ±3.2 pts | 20.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.2% ±0.4 pts | 6.6% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 77.9% ±8.9 pts | 79.8% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 13.5% ±8.0 pts | 8.1% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.9% ±1.2 pts | 1.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 0.0% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 0.1% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.8% ±3.9 pts | 3.7% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 3.7% ±5.3 pts | 0.5% |
| Born outside the United States | 1.6% ±1.8 pts | 7.0% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.2% ±0.4 pts | 9.3% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 1.9% ±1.5 pts | 5.6% |
| With a disability | 10.1% ±5.0 pts | 14.6% |
| No health insurance coverage | 16.2% ±8.8 pts | 11.8% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 94.1% ±5.2 pts | 94.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 51.2% ±10.5 pts | 53.4% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 27.2% ±8.6 pts | 22.7% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 83.8% ±8.3 pts | 84.4% |
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 Census Tract 3 earn?
The median household income for Census Tract 3 is published as $58,750 with a margin of ±$42,281, too wide to rely on. 36.2% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 3 | Asheville |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,750 ±$42,281 | $71,102 |
| Mean household income | $113,291 ±$34,252 | $102,459 |
| Per capita income | $40,822 ±$11,984 | $45,430 |
| People below the poverty line | 36.2% ±13.1 pts | 14.3% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 6.7% ±11.0 pts | 16.2% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 13.6% ±7.4 pts | 11.3% |
| Households with a computer | 87.7% ±7.6 pts | 92.8% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 87.2% ±7.7 pts | 90.5% |
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 Census Tract 3?
Owners occupy 49.3% of Census Tract 3's occupied homes and renters 50.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $661,700 by its owner (±$70,598). The median renter pays $1,284 a month including utilities, and 34.6% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 3 | Asheville |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $661,700 ±$70,598 | $440,000 |
| Median gross rent | $1,284 ±$591 | $1,402 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 34.6% ±18.0 pts | 41.9% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,674 ±$334 | $1,886 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 49.3% ±11.5 pts | 51.9% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 50.7% ±11.5 pts | 48.1% |
| Housing units | 1,330 ±162 | 50,034 |
| Single-family detached homes | 59.8% ±10.9 pts | 56.4% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±3.1 pts | 3.8% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±3.1 pts | 4.0% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.1% ±2.7 pts | 13.2% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 49.0% ±10.3 pts | 18.5% |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.6% ±4.4 pts | 7.6% |
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 Census Tract 3 get to work?
64.4% of Census Tract 3's workers drive alone and 19.8% work from home. The average trip to work takes 14.3 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 3 | Asheville |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 46.6% ±13.8 pts | 62.0% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% ±5.9 pts | 5.1% |
| Drove alone to work | 64.4% ±12.0 pts | 66.1% |
| Carpooled | 2.6% ±3.6 pts | 6.9% |
| Public transportation | 3.4% ±5.0 pts | 1.3% |
| Walked | 8.7% ±6.1 pts | 3.4% |
| Worked from home | 19.8% ±7.5 pts | 20.1% |
| Mean travel time to work | 14.3 min ±2.9 | 18.2 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
How does Census Tract 3 compare with the other tracts in Buncombe County?
Among Buncombe County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 3 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Buncombe County | In Asheville |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 47th of 65 | 24th of 31 |
| Residents per square mile | 7th of 65 | 7th of 31 |
| Per capita income | 34th of 65 | 16th of 31 |
| Median home value | 7th of 65 | 5th of 31 |
| Median gross rent | 34th of 60 | 18th of 30 |
| Poverty rate | 2nd of 42 | 2nd of 23 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27th of 64 | 17th of 30 |
| Median age | 59th of 65 | 25th of 31 |
| Owner-occupied share | 55th of 65 | 22nd of 31 |
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 3?
3 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 3 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.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). 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 · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections