Boone is a small town with a large college student population. Because of this, there is a real youthful, hip vibe to the place, and much of the life in the town is centered on the college. This has helped Boone to buck the trend of other small towns that have suffered declining populations over the past 20 to 30 years. Spending by students, and faculty and staff jobs, are a big part of the local economy.
Boone, while not large, also appears to be attractive to some younger, educated professionals, who help shape the character of the town.
Residents of the town have the good fortune of having one of the shortest daily commutes compared to the rest of the country. On average, they spend only 16.38 minutes getting to work every day.
Do you have a 4-year college degree or graduate degree? If so, you may feel right at home in Boone. 53.06% of adults here have a 4-year degree or graduate degree, whereas the national average for all cities and towns is just 21.84%.
The per capita income in Boone in 2022 was $18,600, which is low income relative to North Carolina and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $74,400 for a family of four. However, Boone contains both very wealthy and poor people as well. Boone also has one of the higher rates of people living in poverty in the nation, with 52.07% of its population below the federal poverty line.
Boone is a somewhat ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Boone home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Boone residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Boone include English, Irish, German, European, and Italian.
The most common language spoken in Boone is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Korean.
