Where Are People Moving in Buncombe, NC?
IRS county-to-county migration, 2023 tax year (released about two years after the tax year it covers).
People moving in
6,215
People moving out
5,800
Net migration
+1,226
Buncombe, NC is a net gainer of residents. In the latest IRS data (2023 tax year), 6,215 people moved in and 5,800 moved out, for a net gain of +1,226. Sustained inflows like this are one of the strongest long-run signals of housing demand.
Migration is most useful read alongside the rest of the market. People move for jobs, affordability, climate, and lifestyle, and where they come from and go to says a lot about what a county is competing on. Below are the specific counties driving Buncombe, NC’s flows in each direction.
Top counties people moved to Buncombe, NC from
| Origin county | Returns | People |
|---|---|---|
| Henderson, NCNorth Carolina | 703 | 1,170 |
| Mecklenburg, NCNorth Carolina | 292 | 413 |
| Haywood, NCNorth Carolina | 284 | 441 |
| Wake, NCNorth Carolina | 232 | 335 |
| Madison, NCNorth Carolina | 203 | 356 |
| McDowell, NCNorth Carolina | 146 | 230 |
| Greenville, SCSouth Carolina | 125 | 175 |
| Palm Beach, FLFlorida | 107 | 139 |
| Pinellas, FLFlorida | 104 | 163 |
| Cook, ILIllinois | 101 | 144 |
Top counties people left Buncombe, NC for
| Destination county | Returns | People |
|---|---|---|
| Henderson, NCNorth Carolina | 1,093 | 1,840 |
| Haywood, NCNorth Carolina | 475 | 766 |
| Madison, NCNorth Carolina | 328 | 590 |
| Mecklenburg, NCNorth Carolina | 266 | 370 |
| McDowell, NCNorth Carolina | 218 | 373 |
| Greenville, SCSouth Carolina | 187 | 271 |
| Wake, NCNorth Carolina | 181 | 256 |
| Spartanburg, SCSouth Carolina | 149 | 261 |
| Rutherford, NCNorth Carolina | 111 | 188 |
| Transylvania, NCNorth Carolina | 99 | 166 |
“Returns” counts tax returns (a household proxy) that moved along each flow; “People” counts the individuals on those returns, when reported. IRS aggregate and foreign pseudo-rows are excluded. Informational only, not financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
Are people moving to Buncombe, NC or leaving?
Buncombe, NC had a net gain of +1,226 residents in the latest IRS data (2023 tax year), with 6,215 people moving in and 5,800 moving out. Net migration is inflow minus outflow.
Where are people moving to Buncombe, NC from?
The largest sources of new Buncombe, NC residents are Henderson, NC, Mecklenburg, NC, Haywood, NC. The full top-ten list of origin counties is in the table above.
Where do people leaving Buncombe, NC go?
People leaving Buncombe, NC most often move to Henderson, NC, Haywood, NC, Madison, NC. The full top-ten list of destination counties is in the table above.
What does Buncombe, NC migration mean for housing?
Migration is a leading demand signal. Sustained net inflows tend to support rents and home prices when supply cannot keep up, while net outflows can soften them. Read this alongside Buncombe, NC's price forecast, building permits, and affordability on the full county dashboard before drawing a conclusion.
How current is this Buncombe, NC migration data?
It comes from IRS Statistics of Income county-to-county migration data, which is released about two years after the tax year it covers; the figures above reflect the 2023 tax year. That lag is normal for this dataset, which counts actual tax returns rather than survey estimates.