Buncombe County is a county in North Carolina, United States, home to the city of Asheville in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It had a population of 269,452 at the 2020 census and covers 660 square miles (1,709 km2) centred near 35°37′N 82°32′W.
Asheville is the county seat and its postal code is 28801. The county has 1 city, 5 towns and 7 census-designated places, plus dozens of unincorporated communities and Asheville neighborhoods. Buncombe County is in the Eastern time zone and its FIPS code is 37021.
Towns & Villages in Buncombe County
Buncombe County’s namesake city, Asheville, anchors the county; five incorporated towns and seven census-designated places (CDPs) surround it, along with a long list of unincorporated communities and Asheville neighborhoods carried over from historic Census place names. “Unincorp.” below covers both.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville | City · seat | 94,589 | 28801 |
| Black Mountain | Town | 8,463 | 28711 |
| Woodfin | Town | 6,880 | — |
| Weaverville | Town | 4,169 | 28787 |
| Biltmore Forest | Town | 1,436 | — |
| Montreat | Town | 809 | 28757 |
| Swannanoa | CDP | 5,032 | 28778 |
| Fairview | CDP | 3,405 | 28730 |
| Avery Creek | CDP | — | — |
| Barnardsville | CDP | — | 28709 |
| Bent Creek | CDP | — | — |
| Emma | CDP | — | — |
| Royal Pines | CDP | — | — |
| Candler | Unincorp. | — | 28715 |
| Leicester | Unincorp. | — | 28748 |
| Oteen | Unincorp. | — | 28805 |
| Skyland | Unincorp. | — | 28776 |
| Arden | Unincorp. | — | 28704 |
| Acton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Albemarle | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Alexander | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Azalea | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beaverdam | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beech | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beverly Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Biltmore | Unincorp. | — | 28803 |
| Bingham Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blackberry Inn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blue Ridge Forest | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Boswell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Broadview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brooklawn Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Buena Vista | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Busbee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Camelot | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Candler Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Canto | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Coburn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Craggy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Deaver View | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Democrat | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dillingham | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dogwood Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dula Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| East Biltmore | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Echo Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elk Mountain | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Enka | Unincorp. | — | 28728 |
| Enka Village | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Flat Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Flat Top | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Forks of Ivy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gashes Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Georgetown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Glady | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Grace | Unincorp. | — | 28804 |
| Grovemont | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Grovestone | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Happy Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Haw Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hawthorne | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hazel Green | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Highland Gate | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hillcrest Apts | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hominy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jugtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Juno | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jupiter | Unincorp. | — | 28786 |
| Kenilworth | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Knollwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lee Walker Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Linwood Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Luther | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Malvern Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Montford Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mountain View | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mountainbrook | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Murphy Junction | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Candler | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Newfound | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oak Forest | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oak Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oakley | Unincorp. | — | 28803 |
| Owltown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Paint Fork | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Parkway Forest | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pisgah View | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pole Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rattlesnake Lodge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Redwood Village | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Riceville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ridgecrest | Unincorp. | — | 28770 |
| Rockview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rolling Green | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rosebank Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sand Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sandymush | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sayles Village | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sherwood Forest | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shiloh | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shumont | Unincorp. | — | — |
| South Hominy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Spring Time | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stocksville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stockwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stoney Knob | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stony Fork | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sulphur Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Summerhaven | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Swannanoa Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Turnpike | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Valley Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Venable | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Venable Community | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Walkertown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| West Asheville | Unincorp. | — | 28806 |
| West Haven | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wilshire Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wilson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Woodside Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Woolsey | Unincorp. | — | — |
Several names on this list, including West Asheville, Kenilworth, Malvern Hills, Montford Hills and Biltmore, are historic neighborhoods that were annexed into the city of Asheville and are no longer separately governed; they remain in wide local use as place names and on postal and real-estate records, so this table keeps them. Biltmore and East Biltmore are separate from the town of Biltmore Forest, which sits just south of the city.
ZIP Codes
- 28801 — Asheville (downtown; the city carries several additional 288xx ZIPs including 28803, 28804, 28805 and 28806)
- 28711 — Black Mountain
- 28787 — Weaverville
- 28757 — Montreat
- 28778 — Swannanoa
- 28730 — Fairview
- 28709 — Barnardsville
- 28715 — Candler
- 28748 — Leicester
- 28704 — Arden
- 28728 — Enka (Candler)
- 28786 — Alexander/Jupiter (along the French Broad River)
- 28770 — Ridgecrest
Woodfin and Biltmore Forest have no dedicated ZIP code and use adjoining Asheville codes; most of the small unincorporated communities in the table above share a ZIP with their nearest post office town rather than carrying one of their own.
Geography
Buncombe County sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, where the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers meet at Asheville. The Blue Ridge Parkway crosses the eastern side of the county, and the Great Craggy Mountains and the Black Mountains — home to Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi — rise along its northeastern edge. Elevations range from around 1,950 feet along the river valleys to over 6,000 feet in the mountains.
Buncombe County borders Madison County to the north, Yancey County to the northeast, McDowell County to the east, Rutherford County to the southeast, Henderson County to the south, Transylvania County to the southwest and Haywood County to the west.
Demographics
Buncombe County had 269,452 residents at the 2020 census, the largest population of any county in western North Carolina. Asheville is by far its largest community, followed by Black Mountain. Buncombe County’s median household income runs above the North Carolina median of $70,804, reflecting Asheville’s tourism, healthcare and service-sector economy. Population density is roughly 410 people per square mile, concentrated in and around Asheville, with the outlying townships far more sparsely settled.
Economy & Local Life
Tourism, healthcare and craft manufacturing anchor the county’s economy. Mission Hospital, one of the region’s largest employers, and UNC Asheville and A-B Tech (Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College) are major institutions. The Biltmore Estate, the largest privately owned house in the United States, draws over a million visitors a year and supports a broad hospitality and events sector. Buncombe County is also known nationally for its craft brewery cluster, with dozens of breweries operating around Asheville, and for the Southern Highland Craft Guild’s twice-yearly Craft Fair.
History
Buncombe County was formed in 1791 from Burke and Rutherford counties and organized in January 1792, named for Colonel Edward Buncombe, a North Carolina officer killed at the 1777 Battle of Germantown during the American Revolutionary War. Asheville was established as the county seat soon after and grew through the 19th century as a mountain health resort, reached by rail in 1880. George Vanderbilt began building the Biltmore Estate just outside Asheville in 1889, and the county’s tourism identity has built on that legacy ever since.
Getting There
Interstates 26 and 40 cross at Asheville, and US Route 19/23 and US Route 25 also run through the county.
- Charlotte — 115 miles east
- Knoxville, Tennessee — 115 miles west
- Greenville, South Carolina — 60 miles south
- Boone — 65 miles northeast
Asheville Regional Airport (AVL), just south of the city in adjoining Henderson County, is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Buncombe County, North Carolina?
It is in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, centred on the city of Asheville.
What is the population of Buncombe County?
269,452 at the 2020 census, the largest of any county in western North Carolina.
How big is Buncombe County?
660 square miles (1,709 km2), of which about 657 square miles is land.
What is the Buncombe County seat?
Asheville is the county seat.
How many towns are in Buncombe County?
One city (Asheville) and five incorporated towns — Black Mountain, Woodfin, Weaverville, Biltmore Forest and Montreat — plus seven census-designated places and many unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Buncombe County?
Asheville uses several 288xx codes starting with 28801; outlying towns include 28711 (Black Mountain), 28787 (Weaverville) and 28757 (Montreat).
What is Buncombe County known for?
The Biltmore Estate, the Blue Ridge Parkway and Asheville’s craft-beer and arts scene.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in North Carolina.