Elk Park School · National Register of Historic Places
Elk Park’s story
144 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1938.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1882Elk Park is settled
Elk ParkNC
A town of 552, settled in 1882.
Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 3.0
Population
552
2025 Census estimate · +3.2% since 2020
Typical home
$311K
−0.4% in a year
Household income
$42K
median
Median age
44.9
years
Jobs based here
33
A commuter town
Is Elk Park a good place to live?
33% of residents live below the poverty line in Elk Park, against 13% in North Carolina’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Of the 291 North Carolina towns we compare, none has a lower July high than Elk Park. Elk Park School is on the National Register of Historic Places. Elk Park has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
552 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Nearby attractions
All 28 attractions →Blue Ridge Parkway and 14 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Elk Park. Close and well known come first.
10 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
Big draw32 mi MountainMount Mitchell
10 mi MountainGrandfather Mountain6 mi Theme parkLand of Oz19 mi Theme parkTweetsie Railroad
7 mi Ski areaSugar Mountain Resort26 runs · 1,171 ft verticalSources: 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 · Sugar Mountain Resort: Mark Clifton, CC BY-SA 2.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Elk Park: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Elk Park, and how to reach them.
PowerMountain Electric Coop13.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTown of Elk ParkNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Elk Park’s trash rules yet
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 hereAvery County Board of ElectionsAvery County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2026
ZIP code2862228622 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 Elk Park.
Work & commute
Elk Park has 0.2 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Elk Park for work: only 0% work in town. At $42,000, Elk Park’s median household income is where North Carolina’s towns sit at $69,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000. The top destinations are Banner Elk (4%), Sugar Mountain (4%) and Boone (4%).
0%work in town
| Elk Park | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $42,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Elk Park0%
Banner Elk4%
Sugar Mountain4%
Boone4%
Newland3%
16 mi
median commute distance
33
jobs based in Elk Park
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Elk Park
Elk Park 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
Natural hazards
Elk Park faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 2004, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Elk Park.
63risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
4
paid flood claims since 2004
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
How healthy Elk Park is
Elk Park beats the North Carolina average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 16% of adults report frequent physical distress in Elk Park.
| Elk Park | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 19% | 19% |
32 measures vs. North Carolina
0 better21 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Elk Park | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 11% | 7.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.6% | 6.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19% | 13.9% |
Charles A Cannon Jr Memorial Hospital
9.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
Elk Park’s typical home value is about $311K
The typical Elk Park home is worth about $311,000, about the same as a year ago, 6% below the North Carolina typical home. 53% of Elk Park households own their home.
$311KZillow home value
Typical home value
Elk Park$311K
North Carolina$332K
−0.4%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Elk Park
17pages on Elk Park
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Elk Park
Lees-McRae CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Banner Elk6 mi$33,250 tuitionJung Tao School of Classical Chinese MedicineUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Sugar Grove13.1 mi
About 1 of every 100 Elk Park residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Elk Park for work
Where Elk Park’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
33jobs based in Elk Park
0%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Elk Park
Town in North Carolina, United States
Elk Park is a town in Avery County, North Carolina, United States. The town was so named because of the number of elk killed there. The population was 542 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1882
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3,166 ft
- ZIP code
- 28622
- Area code
- 828
Questions about Elk Park
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Elk Park, NC a good place to live?
Elk Park has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.