Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety92#74/924
Economy65#327/925
Housing53#435/925
Health72#264/925
Healthcare52#442/923
Environment97#24/917
Education85#139/925
Infrastructure56#410/925
Community98#15/925
Leisure & amenities93#65/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Brevard, NC micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Hot days · low0 days
99/100North Carolina 32 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Traffic deaths · low7.1 /100k
95/100North Carolina 15.0 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high9.9 /10k
95/100North Carolina 4.9 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Social associations · high16.7 /10k
95/100North Carolina 11.2 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Voter turnout · high76.0%
93/100North Carolina 72.9%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionAggregated from counties
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
93/100North Carolina 6.9 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Suicide rate · high35.8 /100k
2/100North Carolina 14.7 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Home price to income ratio · high5.6×
9/100North Carolina 4.0×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Uninsured residents (under 65) · high16.2%
12/100North Carolina 10.2%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Public transit commuters · low0.1%
12/100North Carolina 0.6%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301High uncertainty
Drought exposure · high82%
13/100North Carolina 79%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Average weekly wage · low$995
21/100North Carolina $1,376United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 82% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+82 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Homicide rateImproving
4.8 /100k (2021) → 0.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Hot daysImproving
0 days (2011-2020) → 0 days (2016-2025)
−100%5 yearsUS 41 days → 42 days
Suicide rateWorsening
18.4 /100k (2021) → 35.8 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
+95%5 yearsUS 14.5 /100k → 14.1 /100k
New business applicationsImproving
7.6 /1k (2020) → 11.8 /1k (2025)
+55%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Mammography screeningImproving
44.0% (2019) → 54.0% (2023)
+10 pts4 yearsUS 43.0% → 46.0%

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, Brevard, NC micropolitan area improved on 12 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 9 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved12

Bachelor's++7.3 points32.6% → 40.0%
Traffic deaths−48%13.6 /100k → 7.1 /100k
Weekly wage+33%$747 → $995
Homicides−100%5.7 /100k → 0.0 /100k
Real income+40%$52,146 → $73,115

Declined5

Suicides+105%17.5 /100k → 35.8 /100k
Price / income+1.2×4.4× → 5.6×
Grocery stores−17%2.1 /10k → 1.8 /10k
Pharmacies−22%1.5 /10k → 1.2 /10k
Gyms−19%1.8 /10k → 1.5 /10k

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Brevard, NC micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	9.0 /10k2020	9.9 /10k2025	+10%	Improved	54%
Average commute time	23.6 min2015-2019	21.9 min2020-2024	−1.7 min	Within the margin of error	94%
Average weekly wage	$7472020	$9952025	+33%	Improved	98%
Bachelor's degree or higher	32.6%2015-2019	40.0%2020-2024	+7.3 points	Improved	99%
Broadband subscriptions	80.8%2015-2019	86.9%2020-2024	+6.1 points	Improved	16%
Child poverty rate	26.3%2015-2019	19.5%2020-2024	−6.8 points	Within the margin of error	88%
Distance to an airport	19 mi2020	19 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Effective property tax rate	0.50%2015-2019	0.46%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	18%
Firearm deaths	16.1 /100k2020	16.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	0%	Little change	49%
Grocery stores	2.1 /10k2020	1.8 /10k2025	−17%	Declined	14%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.8 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	−19%	Declined	19%
High school diploma or higher	89.0%2015-2019	93.9%2020-2024	+4.9 points	Within the margin of error	95%
Home price to income ratio	4.4×2015-2019	5.6×2020-2024	+1.2×	Declined	7%
Homicide rate	5.7 /100k2020	0.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−100%	Improved	95%
Income adjusted for local prices	$52,1462019	$73,1152024	+40%	Improved	90%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4432015-2019	0.4622020-2024	+0.020	Within the margin of error	15%
Median household income	$50,2122015-2019	$66,1842020-2024	+32%	Improved	75%
New business applications	7.6 /1k2020	11.8 /1k2025	+55%	Improved	64%
Pharmacies	1.5 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	−22%	Declined	15%
Poverty rate	14.3%2015-2019	13.2%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Within the margin of error	53%
Property crime rate	993 /100k2020	544 /100k2025	−45%	Improved	76%
Public libraries	0.6 /10k2019	0.6 /10k2024	+0.2%	Little change	65%
Rent as share of income	30.5%2015-2019	29.1%2020-2024	−1.4 points	Within the margin of error	81%
Rent-burdened households	51.1%2015-2019	47.8%2020-2024	−3.4 points	Within the margin of error	82%
Restaurants and bars	12.0 /10k2020	12.3 /10k2025	+2.1%	Little change	54%
Suicide rate	17.5 /100k2020	35.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+105%	Declined	1%
Traffic deaths	13.6 /100k2015-2019	7.1 /100k2020-2024	−48%	Improved	99%
Unemployment rate	6.2%2020	3.7%2025	−2.5 points	Improved	35%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	19.1%2015-2019	16.2%2020-2024	−2.8 points	Within the margin of error	92%
Violent crime rate	142 /100k2020	118 /100k2025	−17%	Improved	50%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Brevard, NC micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Brevard, NC micropolitan area 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, Brevard, NC micropolitan area itself moved +3.6 points in standing on average over the same 29 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

33,691 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

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

Household income

14,584 households (±428)

Brevard, NC micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k18%2,565
$25k–50k21%3,000
$50k–75k17%2,547

Homes

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

Owners and renters

14,584 households (±428)

Brevard, NC micropolitan area
United States share

Own75%10,889
Rent25%3,695

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

13,209 workers (±605)

Brevard, NC micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone74%9,719
Carpool11%1,453
Public transit0.1%†8

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 no occupation wages for Brevard, NC micropolitan area.

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.

Brevard, NC has 1,011 employer establishments, 298 for every 10,000 residents (1.20× the US rate of 248), with 8,603 paid employees at an average annual pay of $43,503. The Census Bureau also counts 3,515 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,011; 3,515 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 298; US 248
Paid employees: 8,603
Average annual pay: $43,503; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	91	26.8	1.73×More than typical	479	$49,956	327
Restaurants and other eating places	79	23.3	1.27×More than typical	1,041	$24,974	10
Ambulatory health care services	73	21.5	1.03×About typical	437	$70,764	200
Construction of buildings	70	20.6	2.73×More than typical	191	$48,539	223
Lessors of real estate	65	19.2	1.56×More than typical	88	$56,682	387
Building equipment contractors	44	13	2.15×More than typical	280	$50,171	40
Religious organizations	44	13	2.34×More than typical	316	$23,782	—
Full-service restaurants	42	12.4	1.61×More than typical	506	$28,968	4
Services to buildings and dwellings	42	12.4	1.84×More than typical	210	$41,767	353
Real estate agents and brokers	34	10	2.06×More than typical	42	$79,762	132
Offices of physicians	32	9.4	1.46×More than typical	182	$84,209	28
Landscaping services	29	8.5	2.44×More than typical	117	$43,470	163

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 33,930 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $26.9M on contracts performed in Brevard, NC micropolitan area: $786 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $26.9M; −81% vs FY2025
Per resident: $786; US $1,994
Sole-source: 1.8%; US 30%
Single offer: 50%; 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

Top recipients

TRANSYLVANIA VOCATIONAL SERVICES, INC$12.8M48%
WRIGHT BROS LLC$6.6M24%
MCCALLS GRADING & CONSTRUCTION INC$2.1M8.0%
TERAFLEX GROUP LLC$1.9M7.2%
TAG CONTRACTING, INC.$665.1K2.5%

Spending by fiscal year

13.8MFY2017
22.1MFY2018
43MFY2019
59.7MFY2020
63.7MFY2021
86.8MFY2022
34.2MFY2023
54.8M

Top industries (NAICS)

Dairy product manufacturing · 3115$12.4M46%
Utility system construction · 2371$6.9M26%
Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$2.8M10%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$2.3M8.6%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$554.2K2.1%
Grocery and related product merchant wholesalers · 4244$425.6K

Largest awards

GAOA DAVIDSON RIVER CAMPGROUND RECONSTRUCTION$18.1M
WRIGHT BROS LLC· Transylvania County, NC· Construction & real property· Jul 16, 2025 – Aug 25, 2026· 12445225C0015
COMMODITIES FOR USG FOOD DONATIONS: 2000011050/4100033424/MILK INSTANT NDM PKG-24/12.8 OZ,BAKERY FLOUR MIX LOWFAT PKG-20/20 OZ$6.3M
TRANSYLVANIA VOCATIONAL SERVICES, INC· Transylvania County, NC· Other equipment & supplies· Dec 11, 2025 – Aug 18, 2026· 123J1426C0348
COMMODITIES FOR USG FOOD DONATIONS: 2000011266/4100034161/MILK INSTANT NDM PKG-24/12.8 OZ,BAKERY FLOUR MIX LOWFAT PKG-20/20 OZ$6.1M
TRANSYLVANIA VOCATIONAL SERVICES, INC· Transylvania County, NC· Other equipment & supplies· Jul 2, 2026 – Sep 4, 2026· 123J1426C1093

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.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $286.2M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Brevard, NC micropolitan area: $8,367 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $286.2M; −5.7% vs FY2025
Per resident: $8,367; US $12,955
Loan face value: $9.5M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$216M75%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$16.4M5.7%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$15.9M5.6%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$13M4.5%
20.265 · Carbon Reduction Program$4.2M1.5%
20.271 · Emergency Relief (ER) Program$4.2M1.5%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$3.5M1.2%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$3M1.1%

Top recipients (organizations)

TRANSPORTATION NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT$11.5M4.0%
RALEIGH, NC
BREVARD COLLEGE CORPORATION$2.6M0.9%
BREVARD, NC
THE WORKING LANDS TRUST INC$901K0.3%
GOLD HILL, NC
BREVARD HOUSING AUTHORITY$863.8K0.3%
BREVARD, NC
MOUNTAIN GLEN LTD. PARTNERSHIP$250.3K

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$248.8M87%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$19.1M6.7%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$11.5M4.0%
Department of Transportation
Department of Education$2.6M0.9%
Natural Resources Conservation Service$1.1M

Assistance by fiscal year

248.8MFY2021
258.5MFY2022
276.4MFY2023
283.9MFY2024
303.5MFY2025
286.2MFY2026

County aggregates

94%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Brevard, NC

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Transylvania CountyCentral county8634,211

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

BrevardPrincipal city7,897

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in North Carolina

Areas based in North Carolina, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M14820

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved12

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Brevard, NC micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Brevard, NC

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in North Carolina

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved12

Declined5

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought