Esmeralda Inn, 1892
Chimney Rock Village’s story
Chimney Rock Village in pictures
Census counts: 175 in 2000, 140 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1892 and 2 maps from 1907 on.
Explore the history →Population
126
2025 Census estimate · −9.4% since 2020
Median home value
$477K
Census ACS
Household income
$64K
median
Median age
61.8
years
Land area
3 sq mi
Is Chimney Rock Village a good place to live?
Chimney Rock Village’s mean commuting time is 12 minutes, below both North Carolina’s towns (24 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Among 291 North Carolina towns, just 8 have a higher midpoint age than Chimney Rock Village. 39% of the land in Chimney Rock Village is conserved, above both North Carolina’s towns (3.4%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest park or preserve is Chimney Rock State Park, at 760 acres. Chimney Rock Village has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
126 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Lake LureChimney Rock Village
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Chimney Rock Village: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Chimney Rock Village, and how to reach them.
PowerBroad River Electric Coop16.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTown of Lake Lure water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers85% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpWednesdayTrash dayTown site
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 hereRutherford County Board of ElectionsRutherford County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2019
ZIP codes28720, 28746, 2871128720 77% · 28746 20% · 28711 3%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 Chimney Rock Village.
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than North Carolina overall
126 people lived in Chimney Rock Village by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate, 9.4% fewer than in 2020. Four-year graduates: 31% of adults 25 and older here, 36% across North Carolina.
61.8median age · NC 39.1
Chimney Rock VillageNorth CarolinaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
33%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school31%
Some college34%
Associate’s1%
Bachelor’s18%
Graduate13%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 27% and 100% women
The Census survey reached too few of Chimney Rock Village’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±37.2 points. Across North Carolina, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Chimney Rock Village | NC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 0% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 0% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5.7% | 13.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 19.7% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.8% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 32.8% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 21.3% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.7% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.5% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31.1% | 24.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 34.4% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 0.8% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.1% | 13.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 100, single groups can be off by several points
39%conserved
39%
conserved · 834 of 2,140 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chimney Rock State Park | — | 760 |
| 2. The Gathering Place | — | 1 |
| 3. Chimney Rock Village River Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
High risk in Chimney Rock Village, with inland flooding at the top
Compared with 78% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Chimney Rock Village is higher. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 79% come from inland flooding and 6% from strong winds.
78risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingStrong wind
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
The climate in Chimney Rock Village brings mild winters and pleasant summers
The July high in Chimney Rock Village is 83°F.
3″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter30–49°
Spring46–67°
Summer63–82°
Fall48–67°
Oct 30
typical first frost
Apr 5
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Chimney Rock Village is
For adults in Chimney Rock Village, the share who feel lonely is 27%. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Chimney Rock Village is ahead of North Carolina on 15 and behind on 7.
| Chimney Rock Village | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 34% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 33% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 38% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
32 measures vs. North Carolina
15 better10 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Chimney Rock Village | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.2% | 12.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9% | 15.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.8% | 7.9% |
Adventhealth Hendersonville
13.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 46 attractions →Mount Mitchell and 20 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Chimney Rock Village. Close and well known come first.
Big draw22 mi MountainMount Mitchell
15 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
in town State parkChimney Rock State Park
31 mi National forestPisgah National Forest
16 mi National Historic SiteCarl Sandburg Home National Historic Site95K visitors a year
26 mi Park & preserveDuPont State ForestSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mount Mitchell: Unknown, Public domain · Blue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Chimney Rock State Park: Jmturner, Public domain · Pisgah National Forest: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site: Victoria Stauffenberg, Public domain · DuPont State Forest: Ccalvin, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Chimney Rock Village
17pages on Chimney Rock Village
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Chimney Rock Village
Blue Ridge Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Flat Rock13.7 mi$2,660 in-state tuitionMontreat CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Montreat13.8 mi$36,450 tuition
About 3 of every 100 Chimney Rock Village residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
About Chimney Rock Village
Town in North Carolina, United States
Chimney Rock is a village in Rutherford County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 140 at the 2020 census. The village took its name from a large gneiss outcrop located on a summit above the village itself in Chimney Rock State Park.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,096 ft
- ZIP code
- 28720
Questions about Chimney Rock Village
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Chimney Rock Village, NC a good place to live?
Chimney Rock Village has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.