Census-designated place · Watauga County, North Carolina

Foscoe, North Carolina

Foscoe is a census-designated place in Watauga County, North Carolina, part of the Boone, NC metro area. It has 1,226 residents. Foscoe, North Carolina has a quality-of-life score of 82 out of 100 (very high), ranking #2,858 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within North Carolina it ranks #53 of 458 cities and towns. It ranks best on hot days (low), effective property tax rate (low) and restaurants and bars (high). It ranks worst on dental care shortage (high), primary care shortage (high) and home price to income ratio (high).

82Very high

Quality-of-life score: #2,858 of 15,651 cities and towns
North Carolina: #53 of 458 in NC
Population: 1,226 (2020-2024)
Land area: 6 mi²
Density: 211.9 /mi²
FIPS code: 3724380

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 73 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety82#2,773/15,637
Economy21#12,369/15,631
Housing78#3,318/14,977
Health68#5,053/15,609
Healthcare46#8,380/15,650
Environment96#638/15,453
Education87#2,049/15,649
Infrastructure40#9,432/15,650
Community82#2,793/15,651
Leisure & amenities93#1,056/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Foscoe, North Carolina ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Watauga County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Hot days · low0 days
100/100North Carolina 32 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationWatauga County value
Effective property tax rate · low0.31%
97/100North Carolina 0.66%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Restaurants and bars · high16.1 /10k
96/100North Carolina 8.8 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsWatauga County value
Reading scores · high3.40
95/100North Carolina 3.07United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWatauga County value
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100North Carolina 6.9 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataWatauga County value
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high8.4 /10k
93/100North Carolina 4.9 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsWatauga County value

Weaknesses

Dental care shortage · high20.0
1/100North Carolina 11.5United States 5.7Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationWatauga County value
Primary care shortage · high18.0
5/100North Carolina 9.9United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationWatauga County value
Home price to income ratio · high6.6×
10/100North Carolina 4.0×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Mental health care shortage · high18.0
11/100North Carolina 12.3United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationWatauga County value
Median household income · low$49,243
15/100North Carolina $74,055United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Average weekly wage · low$984
15/100North Carolina $1,376United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsWatauga County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
1,579 (2015-2019) → 1,226 (2020-2024)
−22%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
28.4% (2015-2019) → 6.5% (2020-2024)
−22 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
High school diploma or higherWorsening
93.3% (2015-2019) → 84.1% (2020-2024)
−9.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
4.7× (2015-2019) → 6.6× (2020-2024)
+42%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Poverty rateWorsening
15.1% (2015-2019) → 22.3% (2020-2024)
+7.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Child poverty rateWorsening
21.9% (2015-2019) → 28.8% (2020-2024)
+6.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Foscoe, North Carolina improved on 0 of 11 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 11 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 11 measures

Change of every measure of Foscoe, North Carolina between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	25.7 min2015-2019	23.3 min2020-2024	−2.4 min	Within the margin of error	75%
Bachelor's degree or higher	40.1%2015-2019	39.9%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	26%
Broadband subscriptions	83.3%2015-2019	86.2%2020-2024	+2.9 points	Within the margin of error	20%
Effective property tax rate	0.42%2015-2019	0.31%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	38%
High school diploma or higher	93.3%2015-2019	84.1%2020-2024	−9.2 points	Within the margin of error	2%
Home price to income ratio	4.7×2015-2019	6.6×2020-2024	+2.0×	Within the margin of error	4%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4302015-2019	0.4022020-2024	−0.028	Within the margin of error	73%
Median household income	$50,2042015-2019	$49,2432020-2024	−1.9%	Within the margin of error	6%
Poverty rate	15.1%2015-2019	22.3%2020-2024	+7.1 points	Within the margin of error	8%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	24.9%2015-2019	26.4%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Within the margin of error	43%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Foscoe, North Carolina five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Foscoe, North Carolina in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Foscoe, North Carolina itself moved −9.5 points in standing on average over the same 9 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,226 residents (±317)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 70–79 men (−5.1 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,226 residents (±317)

Foscoe, North Carolina
North Carolina share

White89%1,093
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino8.3%†102

Education

954 residents (±235)

Foscoe, North Carolina
North Carolina share

No high school diploma16%†152
High school or GED12%†113
Some college21%

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

545 households (±126)

Foscoe, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $25k22%†121
$25k–50k30%†163
$50k–75k25%†137
$75k–100k12%†68
$100k–150k5.0%†27
$150k–200k2.9%†16
$200k or more2.4%†13

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

545 households (±126)

Foscoe, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Own73%400
Rent27%†145

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+17.5 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

119 households (±81)

Foscoe, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $75023%†27
$750–1,00055%†65
$1,000–1,50022%†

Home values

400 homes (±116)

Foscoe, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $150k19%†75
$150k–250k14%†57
$250k–400k47%†

Age of homes

1,539 homes (±302)

Foscoe, North Carolina
North Carolina share

2010 or later5.3%†82
2000–200953%†822
1980–199918%†284

Size of homes

1,539 homes (±302)

Foscoe, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Studio1.0%†15
1 bedroom5.3%†82
2 bedrooms31%†476

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

539 workers (±215)

Foscoe, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Drive alone88%†474
Carpool0.0%0
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.0%0
Bike0.0%0
Work from home12%†65
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Carpool (−5.0 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

474 workers (±205)

Foscoe, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under 15 min14%†68
15–29 min50%†237
30–44 min32%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Boone, NC

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Watauga County, the county holding most of Foscoe's residents.

Watauga County has 1,740 employer establishments, 314 for every 10,000 residents (1.27× the US rate of 248; 1.32× North Carolina's), with 20,781 paid employees at an average annual pay of $43,244. The Census Bureau also counts 5,277 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,740; 5,277 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 314; US 248 · North Carolina 237
Paid employees: 20,781
Average annual pay: $43,244; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Watauga County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Lessors of real estate	147	26.6	2.16×More than typical	576	$44,844	836
Restaurants and other eating places	141	25.5	1.39×More than typical	3,325	$19,672	17
Ambulatory health care services	118	21.3	1.02×About typical	1,375	$66,446	246
Construction of buildings	114	20.6	2.72×More than typical	481	$48,491	275
Specialty trade contractors	112	20.2	1.31×More than typical	579	$50,826	408
Full-service restaurants	85	15.4	2.00×More than typical	2,188	$21,007	10
Real estate agents and brokers	77	13.9	2.86×More than typical	192	$59,172	190
Religious organizations	60	10.8	1.95×More than typical	482	$20,766	—
Services to buildings and dwellings	59	10.7	1.58×More than typical	215	$37,214	447
Clothing and accessories stores	52	9.4	2.59×More than typical	499	$18,898	29
Landscaping services	43	7.8	2.22×More than typical	142	$38,577	162
Management, scientific and technical consulting	43	7.8	1.16×About typical	95	$58,821	211

Rank places for an industry Open Watauga County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 55,362 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $27K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Foscoe, North Carolina: $22.06 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $27K; −100% vs FY2025
Per resident: $22.06; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.9%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Federal Highway Administration$78.3K100%

Top recipients

YORKSHIRE INDUSTRIES LLC$53.4K100%
ATKINSREALIS USA INC$24.9K92%
SUPERIOR CRANES, INC.$2400.9%
GREENLIFETECH CORP$00.0%
COTTON COMMERCIAL USA, INC.-$6,3860.0%
BERING STRAITS GLOBAL INNOVATIONS, LLC-$45.1K0.0%

Spending by fiscal year

256.1FY2017
165.2KFY2018
-6.2KFY2019
1.4KFY2020
80KFY2021
82.3KFY2022
17.7KFY2023
7.5KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$53.4K100%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$24.9K92%
Other specialty trade contractors · 2389$2400.9%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Foscoe, North Carolina, so they do not add up across cities.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Foscoe is mostly in Watauga County.

See federal money in Watauga County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Foscoe, North Carolina is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Virginia FoxxR-NC-5 · 100% of residentsWith party 100%Missed 0.4%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Watauga County80100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Boone, NC88

Other cities and towns in Watauga County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/3724380

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends