Scene at the Land of Oz, an unusual theme park at Beech Mountain, North Carolina, 2017
Beech Mountain’s story
45 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2017.
- 1981Beech Mountain is settled
Population
659
2025 Census estimate · −0.9% since 2020
Typical home
$451K
+0.5% in a year
Household income
$91K
median
Median age
61.7
years
Jobs based here
169
A commuter town
Is Beech Mountain a good place to live?
Beech Mountain’s July high is 77°F, below both the North Carolina town median (89°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F). Of the 291 North Carolina towns we compare, none has a lower January low than Beech Mountain. Beech Mountain’s trail density is 2.9 miles per square mile, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 0.2 and U.S. towns at 0.4. The biggest park or preserve is Buckeye Creek Recreation Area, at 53 acres. Beech Mountain has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
659 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Nearby attractions
All 27 attractions →Blue Ridge Parkway and 16 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Beech Mountain. Close and well known come first.
8 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
Big draw37 mi MountainMount Mitchell
8 mi MountainGrandfather Mountainin town Theme parkLand of Oz14 mi Theme parkTweetsie Railroad
36 mi MountainMount RogersSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Blue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Mount Mitchell: Unknown, Public domain · Grandfather Mountain: Original uploader was KyleAndMelissa22 at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Mount Rogers: USDA-FS, Public domain
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Beech Mountain: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Beech Mountain, and how to reach them.
PowerMountain Electric Coop13.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTown of Beech Mountain water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTown of Beech Mountain Convenience Center (Recycling Center)Drop-offTown site
SchoolsWatauga County SchoolsAvery County Schools2 districts serve Beech Mountain; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn North Carolina you can register online until 25 days before Election Day, in person with same-day registration during the early voting period, or by mail (postmarked 25 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereWatauga County Board of ElectionsWatauga County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2019
ZIP code2860428604 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Beech Mountain.
Housing
Beech Mountain’s typical home value is about $451K
The typical Beech Mountain home is worth about $451,000, about the same as a year ago, 36% above the North Carolina typical home. 89% of Beech Mountain households own their home.
$451KZillow home value
| Beech Mountain | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 89% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,137 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Beech Mountain$451K
North Carolina$332K
Market temperature
120
days on market
95.8%
sale-to-list price
+0.5%
value change, 1 year
15
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
Most of Beech Mountain’s workers commute out: the town has 0.7 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Beech Mountain for work: only 7% work in town. 30% of workers work from home in Beech Mountain. Since 2013, Beech Mountain has added 67 jobs, to 169 in 2023.
7%work in town
| Beech Mountain | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 30% | 12% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.4% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $91,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Beech Mountain7%
Banner Elk11%
Boone9%
Sugar Mountain4%
Seven Devils4%
14 mi
median commute distance
169
jobs based in Beech Mountain
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Low risk in Beech Mountain, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities.
22risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Beech Mountain, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Beech Mountain has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 77°, January nights drop to 23° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
31″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–43°
Spring39–60°
Summer57–76°
Fall42–62°
Oct 14
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Beech Mountain
11 crimes were reported in Beech Mountain in 2025: 7 property and 4 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Beech Mountain is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
4
violent crimes reported in 2025
7
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Health
How healthy Beech Mountain is
Beech Mountain beats the North Carolina average on 18 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. Among 290 North Carolina towns, just 10 have a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Beech Mountain.
| Beech Mountain | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 17% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 33% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 34% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 85% | 80% | 79% |
32 measures vs. North Carolina
18 better10 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Beech Mountain | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.3% | 15.2% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6% | 13.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.5% | 7.9% |
Charles A Cannon Jr Memorial Hospital
9.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Beech Mountain has set aside 7% of its land for conservation
19 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
7%conserved
7%
conserved · 288 of 4,138 acres
19 mi
of trails · 2.9 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Buckeye Creek Recreation Area | 0.6 mi | 53 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Beech Mountain
18pages on Beech Mountain
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Beech Mountain
Lees-McRae CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Banner Elk3.4 mi$33,250 tuitionJung Tao School of Classical Chinese MedicineUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Sugar Grove6.7 miAppalachian State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Boone11.5 mi$7,579 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Beech Mountain residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
A commuter town
93% of working residents leave Beech Mountain for work
Where Beech Mountain’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
169jobs based in Beech Mountain
7%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Beech Mountain
Town in North Carolina, United States
Beech Mountain is a town in both Avery and Watauga counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. At the 2020 census, the town population was 675. The town is located atop Beech Mountain and is the highest town east of the Rocky Mountains at 5,506 ft (1,678 m) in elevation. The nearest municipality at a higher elevation is Des Moines, New Mexico, some 1,220 miles (1,960 kilometers) away. The town relies heavily on tourism, with the population swelling as high as 5,000 in the summer, and to 10,000 during the peak of ski season. The abundance of outdoor activities, mild summer temperatures (compared to the rest of the southeast), and ski resort make it a popular location for people in the Caro…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1981
- Area
- 6.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 5,505 ft
- Area code
- 828
Questions about Beech Mountain
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Beech Mountain, NC a good place to live?
Beech Mountain has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.