Census tract · Buncombe County
Census Tract 26.08, Buncombe County, North Carolina
Census Tract 26.08, GEOID 37021002608, in Buncombe County, North Carolina, partly within Asheville. 3,675 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±679); the 2020 Census counted 5,199.
Residents, 2020-2024
3,675
±679 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 5,199
Median household income
$60,985
±$11,354 (90% margin)
Buncombe County: $74,436
Median home value
$324,700
±$65,168 (90% margin)
Buncombe County: $391,800
Median gross rent
$1,380
±$176 (90% margin)
Buncombe County: $1,362
Where is Census Tract 26.08?
Census Tract 26.08 is one of 65 census tracts in Buncombe County, North Carolina. It covers 11.83 square miles of land, 439 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 37021002608, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Asheville | 3% |
9 census tracts border Census Tract 26.08: Tract 13 ($52,305), Tract 14.01 ($55,948), Tract 25.04 ($72,667), Tract 25.05 ($82,250), Tract 25.06, Tract 26.03 ($58,640), Tract 26.06 ($66,641), Tract 26.07 ($95,481) and Tract 26.09 ($87,031). 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 26.08?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 26.08's population at 3,675 (±679) in 1,507 households; the 2020 Census counted 5,199 residents and 2,374 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 26.08 | Buncombe County |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,675 ±679 | 274,360 |
| Households | 1,507 ±240 | 101,855 |
| Average household size | 2.43 ±0.27 | 2.62 |
| Housing units | 1,986 ±299 | 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 26.08?
The median resident of Census Tract 26.08 is 38.9 years old; 16.0% are under 18 and 16.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 84.4%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 7.0%. 10.2% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 26.08 | Buncombe County |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.9 ±6.1 | 42.6 |
| Under 18 years | 16.0% ±4.8 pts | 17.8% |
| 65 years and over | 16.8% ±5.0 pts | 21.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7.0% ±4.5 pts | 8.6% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 84.4% ±7.5 pts | 80.8% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.5% ±2.0 pts | 4.8% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 2.1% ±3.7 pts | 1.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.8% ±4.4 pts | 4.3% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.1% ±1.5 pts | 0.4% |
| Born outside the United States | 10.2% ±5.5 pts | 6.7% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 9.5% ±5.5 pts | 9.4% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 2.6% ±2.4 pts | 6.3% |
| With a disability | 12.3% ±6.5 pts | 14.4% |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.5% ±2.0 pts | 10.9% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.2% ±5.2 pts | 92.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 31.4% ±9.2 pts | 45.9% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 8.5% ±5.0 pts | 19.0% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 93.2% ±4.5 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 26.08 earn?
Half of the 1,507 households in Census Tract 26.08 earn less than $60,985 a year (±$11,354), against $74,436 across Buncombe County: 49th highest of the county's 61 tracts with a reliable estimate. 12.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 26.08 | Buncombe County |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,985 ±$11,354 | $74,436 |
| Mean household income | $76,305 ±$12,670 | $105,560 |
| Per capita income | $33,494 ±$5,854 | $43,371 |
| People below the poverty line | 12.5% ±6.3 pts | 11.8% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 17.2% ±19.0 pts | 14.7% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 14.2% ±6.7 pts | 9.5% |
| Households with a computer | 97.7% ±2.6 pts | 93.4% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 93.5% ±4.5 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 26.08?
Owners occupy 57.3% of Census Tract 26.08's occupied homes and renters 42.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $324,700 by its owner (±$65,168). The median renter pays $1,380 a month including utilities, and 43.2% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 26.08 | Buncombe County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $324,700 ±$65,168 | $391,800 |
| Median gross rent | $1,380 ±$176 | $1,362 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 43.2% ±23.0 pts | 41.8% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,789 ±$543 | $1,785 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 57.3% ±11.2 pts | 66.2% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 42.7% ±11.2 pts | 33.8% |
| Housing units | 1,986 ±299 | 134,483 |
| Single-family detached homes | 42.1% ±9.4 pts | 63.8% |
| Mobile homes | 25.0% ±9.1 pts | 11.9% |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.0% ±2.7 pts | 4.6% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 36.4% ±11.5 pts | 14.5% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±2.1 pts | 10.9% |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.3% ±2.9 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 26.08 get to work?
85.0% of Census Tract 26.08's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 25.1 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 26.08 | Buncombe County |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 66.8% ±8.0 pts | 59.1% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% ±3.6 pts | 4.3% |
| Drove alone to work | 85.0% ±8.6 pts | 70.5% |
| Carpooled | 7.2% ±6.9 pts | 7.6% |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.2 pts | 0.7% |
| Walked | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 1.9% |
| Worked from home | 7.6% ±5.5 pts | 17.6% |
| Mean travel time to work | 25.1 min ±2.6 | 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 26.08 compare with the other tracts in Buncombe County?
Among Buncombe County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 26.08 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Buncombe County |
|---|---|
| Population | 42nd of 65 |
| Residents per square mile | 40th of 65 |
| Median household income | 49th of 61 |
| Per capita income | 51st of 65 |
| Median home value | 47th of 65 |
| Median gross rent | 20th of 60 |
| Poverty rate | 19th of 42 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 52nd of 64 |
| Median age | 51st of 65 |
| Owner-occupied share | 42nd of 65 |
The tracts next to it on Buncombe County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 16.02 | 46th | $64,625±$16,289 · within the margin of this tract |
| 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 |
| Tract 26.03 | 50th | $58,640±$15,575 · within the margin of this tract |
| 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 |
"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 26.08?
3 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 26.08 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