Watauga County, North Carolina: Medicare, senior and household data
Watauga County, North Carolina has 9,435 residents age 65 and older, 17.1% of its population (Census ACS 2020-2024). 49.4% of its 10,054 Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicare Advantage (CMS, February 2026). Median household income is $51,693 and 62.1% of homes are owner-occupied. LeadLoom has 13,548 records available here, 609 of them turning 65 this calendar year.
Records available from LeadLoom
Our inventory
| Measure | Value | Rank in North Carolina | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turning 65 in the next 12 months | 609 | #56 of 100 | LeadLoom inventory, live |
| Records available now | 13,548 | #59 of 100 | LeadLoom inventory, live |
| Records with a phone | 11,414 | #42 of 100 | LeadLoom inventory, live |
| Phone coverage | 84.2% | #5 of 100 | LeadLoom inventory, live |
| Email coverage | 0.0% | #95 of 100 | LeadLoom inventory, live |
Medicare market
| Measure | Value | Rank in North Carolina | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicare Advantage share | 49.4% | #81 of 100 | CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, Feb 2026 |
| Medicare beneficiaries | 10,054 | #64 of 100 | CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, Feb 2026 |
| Medicare beneficiaries ages 65-69 | 2,078 | #67 of 100 | CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, Feb 2026 |
| 65+ with Medicare only | 32.6% | #56 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| 65+ with Medicare and Medicaid | 1.8% | #100 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| 65+ with employer coverage and Medicare | 18.0% | #20 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| 65+ still employed | 20.9% | #9 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| 65+ with no coverage | 0.0% | #100 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| 65+ on VA care only | 0.0% | #98 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
Seniors
| Measure | Value | Rank in North Carolina | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residents 65+ | 9,435 | #59 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| Share of residents 65+ | 17.1% | #81 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| Median age | 31.4 | #99 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| 65+ living alone | 25.6% | #80 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| Disability, ages 65-74 | 23.4% | #73 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| Veterans | 4.4% | #99 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
Wealth & retirement
| Measure | Value | Rank in North Carolina | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,693 | #80 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| Median home value | $358,900 | #12 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| Households with retirement income | 23.2% | #85 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| Households with Social Security | 32.1% | #83 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| Homes owned free and clear | 49.3% | #47 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| Average income per tax return | $84,668 | #17 of 100 | IRS Statistics of Income, tax year 2022 |
| Tax returns over $100K | 24.0% | #20 of 100 | IRS Statistics of Income, tax year 2022 |
| Tax returns over $200K | 7.6% | #13 of 100 | IRS Statistics of Income, tax year 2022 |
| Returns with pension or annuity income | 20.8% | #70 of 100 | IRS Statistics of Income, tax year 2022 |
| Returns with IRA distributions | 13.6% | #23 of 100 | IRS Statistics of Income, tax year 2022 |
| Returns with capital gains | 24.9% | #9 of 100 | IRS Statistics of Income, tax year 2022 |
| Returns with taxable Social Security | 20.5% | #29 of 100 | IRS Statistics of Income, tax year 2022 |
| Households with SSI | 2.3% | #100 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| Households on SNAP | 7.5% | #95 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| Below 150% of poverty | 35.4% | #7 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
Housing
| Measure | Value | Rank in North Carolina | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeowner share | 62.1% | #87 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| Single-family detached homes | 63.6% | #78 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| Homes built before 1970 | 20.7% | #69 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 27.9% | #42 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| Heated with utility gas | 5.5% | #59 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| Heated with electricity | 55.1% | #88 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| Heated with fuel oil | 15.1% | #8 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| Heated with propane | 19.0% | #17 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| Returns deducting property tax | 7.5% | #15 of 100 | IRS Statistics of Income, tax year 2022 |
| Returns claiming an energy credit | 1.5% | #57 of 100 | IRS Statistics of Income, tax year 2022 |
Health
| Measure | Value | Rank in North Carolina | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.0% | #98 of 100 | CDC PLACES (model-based estimates) |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.7% | #93 of 100 | CDC PLACES (model-based estimates) |
| COPD | 6.7% | #91 of 100 | CDC PLACES (model-based estimates) |
| Stroke | 2.9% | #97 of 100 | CDC PLACES (model-based estimates) |
| Cancer | 7.2% | #91 of 100 | CDC PLACES (model-based estimates) |
| Arthritis | 22.9% | #95 of 100 | CDC PLACES (model-based estimates) |
| High blood pressure | 30.4% | #98 of 100 | CDC PLACES (model-based estimates) |
| High cholesterol | 31.2% | #99 of 100 | CDC PLACES (model-based estimates) |
| Obesity | 33.4% | #87 of 100 | CDC PLACES (model-based estimates) |
| Depression | 29.0% | #1 of 100 | CDC PLACES (model-based estimates) |
| Cognitive disability | 18.5% | #8 of 100 | CDC PLACES (model-based estimates) |
| Mobility disability | 11.8% | #95 of 100 | CDC PLACES (model-based estimates) |
| Hearing disability | 7.1% | #85 of 100 | CDC PLACES (model-based estimates) |
| Vision disability | 5.4% | #75 of 100 | CDC PLACES (model-based estimates) |
| Fair or poor health | 18.2% | #82 of 100 | CDC PLACES (model-based estimates) |
| 65+ with all teeth lost | 16.5% | #56 of 100 | CDC PLACES (model-based estimates) |
| Dental visit in the past year | 62.1% | #38 of 100 | CDC PLACES (model-based estimates) |
Hazards
| Measure | Value | Rank in North Carolina | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural hazard risk | 71.9 | #51 of 100 | FEMA National Risk Index, Dec 2025 |
| Expected annual hazard loss | $25,974,370 | #46 of 100 | FEMA National Risk Index, Dec 2025 |
| Hurricane risk | 61.9 | #87 of 100 | FEMA National Risk Index, Dec 2025 |
| Coastal flooding risk | Not applicable | FEMA National Risk Index, Dec 2025 | |
| Inland flooding risk | 80.3 | #31 of 100 | FEMA National Risk Index, Dec 2025 |
| Wildfire risk | 40.9 | #63 of 100 | FEMA National Risk Index, Dec 2025 |
| Tornado risk | 60.1 | #62 of 100 | FEMA National Risk Index, Dec 2025 |
| Hail risk | 36.7 | #73 of 100 | FEMA National Risk Index, Dec 2025 |
| Strong wind risk | 45.5 | #69 of 100 | FEMA National Risk Index, Dec 2025 |
| Winter weather risk | 55.8 | #65 of 100 | FEMA National Risk Index, Dec 2025 |
| Heat wave risk | 0.0 | #99 of 100 | FEMA National Risk Index, Dec 2025 |
| Earthquake risk | 68.9 | #45 of 100 | FEMA National Risk Index, Dec 2025 |
| Drought risk | 76.2 | #16 of 100 | FEMA National Risk Index, Dec 2025 |
| Lightning risk | 63.3 | #59 of 100 | FEMA National Risk Index, Dec 2025 |
Community
| Measure | Value | Rank in North Carolina | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 48.1% | #6 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| Foreign-born residents | 3.5% | #64 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| Hispanic or Latino residents | 6.2% | #63 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| Black residents | 1.6% | #92 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| Asian residents | 0.9% | #48 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| White residents | 88.5% | #9 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
| Diversity index | 21.2 | #92 of 100 | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year |
Other counties in North Carolina
AlamanceAlexanderAlleghanyAnsonAsheAveryBeaufortBertieBladenBrunswickBuncombeBurkeCabarrusCaldwellCamdenCarteretCaswellCatawbaChathamCherokeeChowanClayClevelandColumbusCravenCumberlandCurrituckDareDavidsonDavieDuplinDurhamEdgecombeForsythFranklinGastonGatesGrahamGranvilleGreeneGuilfordHalifaxHarnettHaywoodHendersonHertfordHokeHydeIredellJacksonJohnstonJonesLeeLenoirLincolnMaconMadisonMartinMcdowellMecklenburgMitchellMontgomeryMooreNashNew HanoverNorthamptonOnslowOrangePamlicoPasquotankPenderPerquimansPersonPittPolkRandolphRichmondRobesonRockinghamRowanRutherfordSampsonScotlandStanlyStokesSurrySwainTransylvaniaTyrrellUnionVanceWakeWarrenWashingtonWayneWilkesWilsonYadkinYancey
About this data
Inventory figures count the LeadLoom records that can be bought right now, after sold, reserved and opted-out records are removed; they refresh within a minute of any sale. Every other figure is a published statistic about the area, never a fact about a person: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment (February 2026), CDC PLACES model-based estimates, the FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025) and IRS Statistics of Income (tax year 2022).
Cite as: TheWoob Explorer, "Watauga County, North Carolina", https://explorer.thewoob.com/explorer/NC/Watauga, retrieved 2026-10-19. Compiled data licensed CC BY 4.0; government source data is public domain.
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