Avery County, North Carolina
County seat: Newland · Population 18,110 (2025) · 247 sq mi
Avery County is the 84th most populous of North Carolina's 100 counties, with 18,110 people (2025 estimate). Its county seat is Newland. It is part of the Northwest Region region, one of the 8 Prosperity Zones of North Carolina. The map shows its 8 cities and towns and the 7 neighboring counties.
Avery County facts
- County seat
- Newland
- Population (2025 estimate)
- 18,110 +1.7% since 2020
- Land area
- 247 sq mi 91st largest of 100
- Water area
- 0 sq mi
- Population density
- 73 per sq mi
- Established
- 1911
- Named after
- Waightstill Avery American politician (1741-1821)
- Largest city
- Banner Elk 1,242
- Median household income
- $61,428
- Cities and towns
- 8 plus 1 CDPs
- ZIP codes
- 13
- Time zone
- Eastern
- FIPS code
- 37011
Cities and towns in Avery County
Avery County has 8 incorporated cities, towns and villages. Populations count the people living inside Avery County; cities that cross a county line also list the other counties.
| Name | Type | Population 2025 | Also in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banner Elk | Town | 1,242 | |
| Newland (county seat) | Town | 728 | |
| Elk Park | Town | 552 | |
| Sugar Mountain | Village | 382 | |
| Crossnore | Town | 238 | |
| Grandfather Village | Village | 97 | |
| Beech Mountain | Town | 61 | Watauga County |
| Seven Devils | Town | 41 | Watauga County |
Unincorporated communities (CDPs)
Census-designated places are communities without their own city government; the county provides their services.
| Community | Population | Also in |
|---|---|---|
| Linville | 291 |
ZIP codes in Avery County
13 ZIP codes reach into Avery County. ZIP codes ignore county lines, so some also cover a neighboring county.
- 28604 also Watauga County
- 28605 also Watauga and Caldwell counties
- 28611 also Caldwell County
- 28616
- 28622 also Watauga County
- 28646
- 28652
- 28653
- 28657 also Burke and McDowell counties
- 28662
- 28664
- 28679 also Watauga County
- 28777 also Mitchell, McDowell and Yancey counties
Population of Avery County, 2020–2025
Avery County grew by 301 people (+1.7%) between April 2020 and July 2025: 493 more deaths than births and a net gain of 800 people from migration.
| Year (July 1) | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 17,918 |
| 2021 | 17,603 |
| 2022 | 17,636 |
| 2023 | 17,765 |
| 2024 | 18,103 |
| 2025 | 18,110 |
Neighboring counties
- Watauga County northeast · 54,786 people
- Mitchell County west · 15,062 people
- Carter County, Tennessee northwest · 57,361 people
- Caldwell County east · 81,105 people
- Burke County southeast · 88,655 people
- McDowell County south · 45,198 people
- Johnson County, Tennessee north · 18,718 people
Printable Avery County map
The PDF is a vector file with real text: it prints sharp on Letter paper and you can search it for a town. The PNG is 2400 pixels wide for slides and documents. Both are free to use with a credit to WhichCounty.
- PDF (Letter) (116 KB)
- PNG (2400 px) (108 KB)
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Sources
- Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files (1:500,000).
- Population: Census Bureau county and city estimates, Vintage 2025. CDP populations: American Community Survey 2020–2024.
- Places and ZIP codes: Census Bureau 2026 Gazetteer and 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Area relationship files.
- County seat, founding year and name origin: Wikidata (CC0), checked against state sources.
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