Sugar Mountain with sign, 2009
Sugar Mountain’s story
37 years in pictures
Census counts: 132 in 1990, 371 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 4 maps from 1944 on.
- 1989Sugar Mountain is settled
Sugar MountainNC
A town of 382, settled in 1989.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Sugarmountainresort · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
382
2025 Census estimate · +2.7% since 2020
Typical home
$320K
−1.1% in a year
Household income
$96K
median
Median age
66.8
years
Jobs based here
630
A job hub
Is Sugar Mountain a good place to live?
65% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Sugar Mountain, above both the North Carolina town median (29%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). No town among the 291 in North Carolina we compare has a lower July high than Sugar Mountain. Sugar Mountain has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Sugar Mountain stand out
Where Sugar Mountain beats most towns.
Small town
382 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Grandfather VillageSeven DevilsSugar Mountain
Nearby attractions
All 28 attractions →Blue Ridge Parkway and 15 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Sugar Mountain. Close and well known come first.
3 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
Big draw34 mi MountainMount Mitchell
3 mi MountainGrandfather Mountain12 mi Theme parkTweetsie Railroad4 mi Theme parkLand of Oz
in town 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 Sugar Mountain: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sugar Mountain, and how to reach them.
PowerMountain Electric Coop13.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSugar Mountain UtilityNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offSugar Mountain Collection & Recycling Center, 1 miOpenStreetMap
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 codes28604, 2864628604 99% · 28646 1%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 Sugar Mountain.
Work & commute
With 5.5 jobs for every working resident, Sugar Mountain draws in 626 commuters
Most working residents leave Sugar Mountain for work: only 4% work in town. Sugar Mountain’s average trip to work is 18 minutes. Jobs based in Sugar Mountain grew to 630 in 2023, 64 more than in 2013.
4%work in town
| Sugar Mountain | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6.3% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $96,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.5% | 6.8% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Sugar Mountain4%
Boone10%
Charlotte4%
Banner Elk4%
Asheville4%
28 mi
median commute distance
630
jobs based in Sugar Mountain
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
18.9%conserved
18.9%
conserved · 296 of 1,566 acres
1.9 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. J. Douglass Williams Park | 0.1 mi | 19 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
Sugar Mountain has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Sugar Mountain has chilly, snowy winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. No town among the 291 in North Carolina we compare has a lower January low than Sugar Mountain.
67″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–40°
Spring38–56°
Summer56–72°
Fall41–59°
Oct 13
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Sugar Mountain
4 crimes were reported in Sugar Mountain in 2023: 3 property and 1 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Sugar Mountain is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
1
violent crimes reported in 2023
3
property crimes reported in 2023
FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to police
Health
How healthy Sugar Mountain is
Sugar Mountain beats the North Carolina average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 28% of Sugar Mountain adults feel lonely.
| Sugar Mountain | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 33% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 34% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 17% |
32 measures vs. North Carolina
8 better17 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Sugar Mountain | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8% | 12.2% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.7% | 8.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.6% | 7.9% |
Charles A Cannon Jr Memorial Hospital
3.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Sugar Mountain faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 57% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Sugar Mountain since 2024.
43risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
paid flood claims since 2024
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
A typical Sugar Mountain home is worth about $320K
The typical Sugar Mountain home is worth about $320,000, down 1.1% in a year, close to the North Carolina typical home. 93% of households own their home in Sugar Mountain.
$320KZillow home value
| Sugar Mountain | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 93% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,500 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Sugar Mountain$320K
North Carolina$332K
−1.1%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sugar Mountain
18pages on Sugar 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 Sugar Mountain
Lees-McRae CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Banner Elk2.5 mi$33,250 tuitionJung Tao School of Classical Chinese MedicineUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Sugar Grove10.4 miAppalachian State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Boone12 mi$7,579 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Sugar Mountain residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
A job hub
Every workday, about 626 people come to Sugar Mountain for work
Where Sugar Mountain’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
630jobs based in Sugar Mountain
4%of working residents work in town
28 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Sugar Mountain
Village in North Carolina, United States
Sugar Mountain is a village in Avery County, North Carolina, United States. The village is located on Sugar Mountain's north slope. The population was 371 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1989
- Area
- 2.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 4,432 ft
- Area code
- 828
Questions about Sugar Mountain
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Sugar Mountain, NC a good place to live?
Sugar Mountain has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.