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County · North Carolina
Watauga County
54,997Population
1.7 %Change since 2020
172Net migration
3.5 %Unemployment rate
Facts
- Population
- 54,997 (2024)
- Change since 2020
- 1.7 %
- Net migration
- 172 (2023)
- Unemployment rate
- 3.5 % (2025)
- State
- North Carolina
- Population base, April 2020
- 54,079 (2020)
- Births
- 295 (2023)
- Births per 1,000 residents, 2023
- 5.4
- Deaths
- 435 (2023)
- Deaths per 1,000 residents, 2023
- 7.9
- Natural change, 2023
- -140
- International migration
- 181 (2023)
- Domestic migration
- -9 (2023)
- Net migration per 1,000, 2023
- 3.1
- Postal code
- NC
- FIPS code
- 37189
Sources: US Census Bureau — Population Estimates, Bureau of Labor Statistics — LAUS
Unemployment rate, annual average
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.5 % |
| 2024 | 3.4 % |
| 2023 | 3.4 % |
| 2022 | 3.7 % |
| 2021 | 4.2 % |
| 2020 | 6.8 % |
| 2019 | 3.8 % |
| 2018 | 3.9 % |
| 2017 | 4.4 % |
| 2016 | 4.9 % |
| 2015 | 4.8 % |
| 2014 | 5.0 % |
Population estimates, 2020–2024
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 54,997 |
| 2023 | 55,420 |
| 2022 | 55,404 |
| 2021 | 55,326 |
| 2020 | 54,470 |