Census tract · Buncombe County
Census Tract 26.03, Buncombe County, North Carolina
Census Tract 26.03, GEOID 37021002603, in Buncombe County, North Carolina, outside any city, town or census-designated place. 3,391 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±712); the 2020 Census counted 3,784.
Residents, 2020-2024
3,391
±712 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 3,784
Median household income
$58,640
±$15,575 (90% margin)
Buncombe County: $74,436
Median home value
$260,100
±$36,399 (90% margin)
Buncombe County: $391,800
Median gross rent
$1,875
±$1,528 (90% margin)
Buncombe County: $1,362
Where is Census Tract 26.03?
Census Tract 26.03 is one of 65 census tracts in Buncombe County, North Carolina. It covers 53.15 square miles of land, 71 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 37021002603, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
8 census tracts border Census Tract 26.03: Tract 25.04 ($72,667), Tract 26.04 ($73,338), Tract 26.08 ($60,985), Tract 26.09 ($87,031), Tract 9201.02 in Haywood County ($74,034), Tract 9202.02 in Haywood County ($76,013), Tract 102 in Madison County ($55,000) and Tract 105 in Madison County ($59,677). 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 26.03?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 26.03's population at 3,391 (±712) in 1,219 households; the 2020 Census counted 3,784 residents and 1,717 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 26.03 | Buncombe County |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,391 ±712 | 274,360 |
| Households | 1,219 ±232 | 101,855 |
| Average household size | 2.77 ±0.41 | 2.62 |
| Housing units | 1,416 ±207 | 134,483 |
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 26.03?
The median resident of Census Tract 26.03 is 50.7 years old; 16.8% are under 18 and 24.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 90.7%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 6.7%.
| Measure | Tract 26.03 | Buncombe County |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 50.7 ±5.0 | 42.6 |
| Under 18 years | 16.8% ±5.9 pts | 17.8% |
| 65 years and over | 24.2% ±7.0 pts | 21.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.1% ±3.0 pts | 8.6% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 90.7% ±7.4 pts | 80.8% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 4.8% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 1.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.2 pts | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.2 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.7% ±6.9 pts | 4.3% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.2 pts | 0.4% |
| Born outside the United States | 1.9% ±2.0 pts | 6.7% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.7% ±1.6 pts | 9.4% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.7% ±4.0 pts | 6.3% |
| With a disability | 20.3% ±5.4 pts | 14.4% |
| No health insurance coverage | 8.9% ±3.7 pts | 10.9% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.0% ±3.5 pts | 92.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 20.9% ±6.7 pts | 45.9% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 8.3% ±3.4 pts | 19.0% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 96.7% ±2.1 pts | 88.7% |
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 Census Tract 26.03 earn?
Half of the 1,219 households in Census Tract 26.03 earn less than $58,640 a year (±$15,575), against $74,436 across Buncombe County: 50th highest of the county's 61 tracts with a reliable estimate. 7.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 26.03 | Buncombe County |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,640 ±$15,575 | $74,436 |
| Mean household income | $76,278 ±$15,943 | $105,560 |
| Per capita income | $32,966 ±$6,047 | $43,371 |
| People below the poverty line | 7.6% ±4.8 pts | 11.8% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 1.9% ±3.8 pts | 14.7% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 18.8% ±9.6 pts | 9.5% |
| Households with a computer | 95.8% ±3.9 pts | 93.4% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 94.4% ±4.6 pts | 90.3% |
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 Census Tract 26.03?
Owners occupy 83.8% of Census Tract 26.03's occupied homes and renters 16.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $260,100 by its owner (±$36,399).
| Measure | Tract 26.03 | Buncombe County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $260,100 ±$36,399 | $391,800 |
| Median gross rent | $1,875 ±$1,528 | $1,362 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 62.9% ±31.4 pts | 41.8% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,441 ±$110 | $1,785 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 83.8% ±8.2 pts | 66.2% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 16.2% ±8.2 pts | 33.8% |
| Housing units | 1,416 ±207 | 134,483 |
| Single-family detached homes | 74.8% ±7.8 pts | 63.8% |
| Mobile homes | 22.8% ±7.3 pts | 11.9% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.9% ±1.5 pts | 4.6% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.5% ±4.7 pts | 14.5% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 11.7% ±7.2 pts | 10.9% |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.7% ±1.6 pts | 4.7% |
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 26.03 get to work?
76.7% of Census Tract 26.03's workers drive alone and 16.5% work from home. The average trip to work takes 28.4 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 26.03 | Buncombe County |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 58.2% ±7.6 pts | 59.1% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% ±4.4 pts | 4.3% |
| Drove alone to work | 76.7% ±10.4 pts | 70.5% |
| Carpooled | 4.8% ±4.6 pts | 7.6% |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.7% |
| Walked | 0.2% ±0.4 pts | 1.9% |
| Worked from home | 16.5% ±9.0 pts | 17.6% |
| Mean travel time to work | 28.4 min ±3.2 | 21.1 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 26.03 compare with the other tracts in Buncombe County?
Among Buncombe County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 26.03 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Buncombe County |
|---|---|
| Population | 45th of 65 |
| Residents per square mile | 63rd of 65 |
| Median household income | 50th of 61 |
| Per capita income | 53rd of 65 |
| Median home value | 61st of 65 |
| Poverty rate | 34th of 42 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 61st of 64 |
| Median age | 18th of 65 |
| Owner-occupied share | 14th of 65 |
The tracts next to it on Buncombe County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 6 | 47th | $64,458±$13,277 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 31.06 | 48th | $62,857±$14,421 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 26.08 | 49th | $60,985±$11,354 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 26.03 | 50th | $58,640±$15,575 |
| Tract 19 | 51st | $57,875±$17,715 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 24.01 | 52nd | $57,500±$21,542 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 21.02 | 53rd | $56,144±$9,512 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
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 26.03?
4 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 26.03 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