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West Jefferson, NC
Full City Profile · North Carolina · Ashe County County
2.6
/5.0
C+
Fair
1,567
Population
729/sq mi density
$54,306
Median Income
$25,260 per capita
$217,900
Home Value
$339,410 Zillow
$517
Median Rent
27.9% income on rent
51°F
Avg Temperature
299 sunny days/yr
153
Violent Crime/100K
5,339 property/100K
C+
Overall
2.6 / 5.0
Fair overall score based on economy, affordability, safety and education
C+
Economy
2.7 / 5.0
$54,306 median income, 9.8% unemployment
A
Affordability
4.4 / 5.0
$217,900 home value, $517/mo rent
F
Safety
1.0 / 5.0
153 violent crimes/100K
C
Education
2.2 / 5.0
15.5% bachelor's degree or higher
Income Overview
Median Household Income
$54,306
28% below
US avg: $75,149
Per Capita Income
$25,260
35% below
US avg: $39,052
Unemployment Rate
9.8%
172% above
US avg: 3.6%
Poverty Rate
8.6%
31% below
US avg: 12.4%
Income Comparison: West Jefferson vs. U.S. Average
Each bar shows West Jefferson’s value as a percentage of the national average (100% line = U.S. avg)
Median Household
US: $75,149
$54,306
72%
Per Capita
US: $39,052
$25,260
65%
IRS Avg AGI
US: $72,000
$63,361
88%
Avg Weekly Wage
US: $1,432
$928
65%
Thin line = U.S. average (100%)
Employment & Commute
Avg Weekly Wage
$928
35% below US avg ($1,432)
Mean Commute Time
18 min
34% below US avg (28 min)
Work From Home
4.0%
74% below US avg (15.2%)
Drive Alone
82.7%
13% above US avg (73.2%)
Public Transit
0.0%
100% below US avg (5.0%)
County GDP
$1,069M
County-level GDP (BEA 2024)
How Residents Get to Work
Drive Alone
82.7%
Public Transit
0%
Work From Home
4%
Other
13.3%
Average commute time
18 minutes
US avg: 28 min
Business Landscape
Total Establishments
772
Restaurants
50
Healthcare
54
Retail
112
Manufacturing
20
Tax & Financial
IRS Avg Adjusted Gross Income
$63,361
12% below US avg ($72,000)
Avg Property Tax
$3,430
2% below US avg ($3,500)
Cost of Living Index
94.3
Below national average (100 = US avg)
Complete Economy Data
Income & Wages
| Median Household Income | $54,306 |
| Per Capita Income | $25,260 |
| IRS Avg Adjusted Gross Income | $63,361 |
| Avg Weekly Wage | $928 |
| County GDP | $1,069M |
Hardship Indicators
| Unemployment Rate | 9.8% |
| Poverty Rate | 8.6% |
| Gini Coefficient | 0.441 |
| Cost of Living Index | 94.3 |
Commute
| Mean Commute | 18 minutes |
| Drive Alone | 82.7% |
| Public Transit | 0.0% |
| Work From Home | 4.0% |
Businesses
| Total Establishments | 772 |
| Restaurants | 50 |
| Healthcare | 54 |
| Retail | 112 |
| Manufacturing | 20 |
Tax
| IRS Avg AGI | $63,361 |
| Avg Property Tax | $3,430 |