Electric companies in Buncombe County, North Carolina
Buncombe County, NC ranks 5 of 100 North Carolina counties for the lowest yearly electricity cost per home ($1,163). Buncombe County in North Carolina has 271,790 residents and 4 utilities listed by EIA, with home prices of 13.94 to 16.60 cents per kWh.
Buncombe County on the map
Buncombe County darker: more storm events
Cost of living with electricity in Buncombe County
Buncombe County, NC: electricity $1,163 a year per home (DOE LEAD), all home energy $1,611, 1.8% of $89,327 income. 102,921 households in Buncombe County, NC spend about $119.7 million a year on electricity and $165.8 million on all home energy. Lower-income homes in Buncombe County, NC ($19,638 a year) spend 6.2% of income, 3.5 times the all-home figure.
Energy burden in Buncombe County, NC
| Buncombe County, NC | Homes | Income | Power | Gas | Other | Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buncombe County, NC, all households | 102,921 | $89,327 | $1,163 | $292 | $156 | 1.8% |
| Buncombe County, NC, lower income | 26,911 | $19,638 | $945 | $137 | $146 | 6.2% |
| Buncombe County, NC, owners | 66,276 | $109,393 | $1,355 | $405 | $205 | 1.8% |
| Buncombe County, NC, renters | 36,645 | $53,037 | $816 | $86 | $69 | 1.8% |
Electric utilities in Buncombe County
| Utility listed for Buncombe County, NC | Type | Home price ¢/kWh | Yearly bill at 1,015 kWh | Share of Buncombe County, NC median income of $70,578 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC in Buncombe County, NC | Investor Owned | 13.94 | $1,698 | 2.41% |
| French Broad Elec Member Corp in Buncombe County, NC | Cooperative | 14.78 | $1,801 | 2.55% |
| Duke Energy Progress in Buncombe County, NC | Investor Owned | 15.54 | $1,894 | 2.68% |
| Haywood Electric Member Corp in Buncombe County, NC | Cooperative | 16.60 | $2,023 | 2.87% |
Prices are statewide utility averages, not a county price.
Facts about Buncombe County
- Residents of Buncombe County, NC, ACS 2023
- 271,7907 of 100 North Carolina counties
- Households in Buncombe County, NC
- 102,6722.65 people each
- Owner-occupied homes in Buncombe County, NC
- 64.4%66,159 owner and 36,513 renter households
- Median household income in Buncombe County, NC
- $70,57821 of 100 North Carolina counties
- Housing units in Buncombe County, NC
- 132,19129,519 vacant or seasonal, 22.3% of the units
- Homes heated by electricity in Buncombe County, NC
- 64.3%66,037 homes, 64 of 100 North Carolina counties
- Utilities listed for Buncombe County, NC
- 44 with a home price: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, French Broad Elec Member Corp, Duke Energy Progress
- Lowest home price in Buncombe County, NC
- 13.94 ¢/kWhDuke Energy Carolinas, LLC, 16.1% below the highest
- Highest home price in Buncombe County, NC
- 16.60 ¢/kWhHaywood Electric Member Corp
- Monthly bill gap in Buncombe County, NC
- $27between the two at 1,015 kWh, $325 a year, 0.46% of the Buncombe County, NC median income
- ZIP areas touching Buncombe County, NC
- 1728701 to 28806
- Outage-linked storm events in Buncombe County, NC
- 76NWS storm events, 2015 to 2025
- Homes built before 1980 in Buncombe County, NC
- 38.1%median year built 1989
- Flood claims in Buncombe County, NC
- 711NFIP 2015 to 2025, $87.1M paid
- Home energy burden in Buncombe County, NC
- 1.8%$1,163 a year on electricity (DOE LEAD)
Housing and heating in Buncombe County
Buncombe County, NC: 50,347 of 132,191 homes were built before 1980 and 42,851 in 2000 or later. Buncombe County, NC has 84,383 detached houses, 21,059 homes in 5+ unit buildings, 16,141 mobile homes, and 36,513 of 102,672 households rent.
Age of homes in Buncombe County, NC
% of homes by decade built, Buncombe County, NC
- 11pre-40
- 440s
- 650s
- 760s
- 1070s
- 1380s
- 1790s
- 1600s
- 1310s
- 320+
Heating fuel in Buncombe County, NC
| Buncombe County, NC | Value | State median | Gap | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buncombe County, NC, median year built | 1989 | 1985 | +4 years | 28 of 100 |
| Buncombe County, NC, built before 1980 | 38.1% | 42.0% | -3.9 points | 60 of 100 |
| Buncombe County, NC, built 2000 or later | 32.4% | 24.6% | +7.8 points | 26 of 100 |
| Buncombe County, NC, detached houses | 63.8% | 69.0% | -5.2 points | 75 of 100 |
| Buncombe County, NC, apartments in 5+ unit buildings | 15.9% | 4.2% | +11.8 points | 11 of 100 |
| Buncombe County, NC, mobile homes | 12.2% | 17.7% | -5.5 points | 78 of 100 |
| Buncombe County, NC, renter households | 35.6% | 27.2% | +8.3 points | 21 of 100 |
| Buncombe County, NC, median home value | $360,000 | $205,300 | +$154,700 | 7 of 100 |
| Buncombe County, NC, median gross rent a month | $1,281 | $860 | +$422 | 9 of 100 |
| Buncombe County, NC, people per household | 2.58 | 2.41 | +0.17 | 13 of 100 |
Outage risk in Buncombe County
Buncombe County, NC, NWS storm events 2015 to 2025: 76 in all, 28.0 per 100,000 residents of 271,790, rank 58 of 100 North Carolina counties. Property damage in Buncombe County, NC: $35.3M, with 2 direct injuries or deaths.
Events by year in Buncombe County, NC
events a year, Buncombe County, NC
- 7'15
- 8'16
- 9'17
- 7'18
- 6'19
- 3'20
- 1'21
- 8'22
- 8'23
- 9'24
- 10'25
Events by type
| Buncombe County, NC | FEMA | Score | Rank | Events | Peak | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buncombe County, NC, thunderstorm and high wind | Relatively High | 92.6 | 8 of 100 | 65 | 2025 (10) | $242K |
| Buncombe County, NC, tornado | Relatively Moderate | 81.3 | 32 of 100 | 1 | 2024 (1) | $100K |
| Buncombe County, NC, hurricane and tropical storm | Relatively Low | 68.6 | 77 of 100 | 2 | 2020 (1) | $35.0M |
| Buncombe County, NC, ice storm | Relatively High | 94.2 | 11 of 100 | 1 | 2019 (1) | $0 |
| Buncombe County, NC, winter storm and heavy snow | Relatively Moderate | 77.1 | 42 of 100 | 7 | 2015 (2) | $0 |
| Buncombe County, NC, heat wave | Very Low | 2.2 | 88 of 100 | 0 | none | $0 |
Flood claims and flood insurance in Buncombe County
Buncombe County, NC: 711 NFIP flood claims in 2015 to 2025, $87.1M paid, median paid claim $70,890.
1,026 of 107,107 residential structures in Buncombe County, NC carry an NFIP contract. 1,228 NFIP policies of any type were in force in Buncombe County, NC on 8 Sep 2026. Buncombe County, NC lists 84 repetitive-loss properties, 13 of them severe repetitive loss.
Buncombe County, NC: claims history, not an outage count.
Flood claims by year in Buncombe County, NC
flood claims a year, Buncombe County, NC
- 32'15
- 7'16
- 5'17
- 38'18
- 25'19
- 12'20
- 85'21
- 0'22
- <5'23
- 506'24
- 0'25
| Buncombe County, NC | Value | Median county | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buncombe County, NC, claims 2015-2025 | 711 | — | 12 of 90 |
| Buncombe County, NC, paid 2015-2025 | $87.1M | — | 2 of 90 |
| Buncombe County, NC, median paid claim | $70,890 | — | — |
| Buncombe County, NC, claims per 1,000 homes | 6.6 | 3.3 | 29 of 90 |
| Buncombe County, NC, homes with flood insurance | 1.0% | 0.8% | 43 of 100 |
| Buncombe County, NC, policies in force | 1,228 | — | — |
| Buncombe County, NC, repetitive-loss properties | 84 | — | — |
Buncombe County, NC: OpenFEMA NFIP, claims as of 8 Sep 2026, insured share as of 3 Aug 2026; counts under 5 are hidden.
Buncombe County: flood claims by state, flood hub.
Analyst note on Buncombe County
Buncombe County, NC counts 271,790 residents in 102,672 households. Buncombe County, NC touches 17 ZIP areas, 28701 to 28806, about 15,988 residents each. Household income in Buncombe County, NC is $70,578; 66,159 of its 102,672 households own.
66,037 of the 102,672 homes in Buncombe County, NC heat with electricity. Buncombe County, NC has 132,191 housing units, 29,519 (22.3%) vacant or seasonal, and 36,513 rented homes. Buncombe County, NC logged 76 storm events for its 271,790 residents.
The median home in Buncombe County, NC dates from 1989. Homes in Buncombe County, NC pay $1,163 a year for electricity. Buncombe County, NC home prices run Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC to Haywood Electric Member Corp, $27 a month apart at 1,015 kWh.
Bill and heat pump calculator, Buncombe County
Compare Buncombe County with its neighbours
- Henderson County sits 24 miles south of Buncombe County, NC with 117,387 residents, 64 storm events, median home built 1989, energy burden 2.0%, income $67,623.
- Madison County sits 25 miles northwest of Buncombe County, NC with 21,640 residents, 47 storm events, median home built 1986, energy burden 2.8%, income $58,628.
- Yancey County sits 25 miles northeast of Buncombe County, NC with 18,676 residents, 34 storm events, median home built 1987, energy burden 3.4%, income $54,961.
- Polk County sits 31 miles southeast of Buncombe County, NC with 19,689 residents, 61 storm events, median home built 1982, energy burden 2.4%, income $61,005.
- Transylvania County sits 34 miles south of Buncombe County, NC with 33,243 residents, 40 storm events, median home built 1983, energy burden 2.5%, income $64,523.
Cities in Buncombe County
- Asheville electricity rates94,369 residents
ZIP codes in Buncombe County
- 28701
- 28704
- 28709
- 28711
- 28715
- 28730
- 28732
- 28748
- 28757
- 28770
- 28778
- 28787
- 28801
- 28803
- 28804
- 28805
- 28806
North Carolina: home prices since 2001, planned plants.
Questions on Buncombe County
Buncombe County, NC: what do homes pay for electricity?
Buncombe County, NC homes paid 13.94 to 16.60 cents per kWh in 2024 across 4 listed utilities: $142 to $169 a month at 1,015 kWh, 2.41% to 2.87% of Buncombe County, NC income.
Buncombe County, NC: how many homes heat with electricity?
Buncombe County, NC: 66,037 of 102,672 occupied homes, 64.3%, rank 64 of 100.
Buncombe County, NC: median household income?
$70,578 in Buncombe County, NC, rank 21 of 100; 271,790 residents, 102,672 households.
Buncombe County, NC: outage-linked storms since 2015?
Buncombe County, NC: 76 NWS events, peak year 2025.
Buncombe County, NC: flood insurance claims since 2015?
Buncombe County, NC: 711 NFIP flood claims, $87.1M paid, 6.6 per 1,000 homes, 1.0% of homes insured.
How old are the homes in Buncombe County, NC?
Buncombe County, NC: median home built 1989; 38.1% predate 1980, 63.8% detached, 15.9% in 5+ unit buildings.
Buncombe County, NC: share of income for energy?
Buncombe County, NC homes spend $1,163 a year on electricity, $1,611 on all energy: 1.8% of $89,327; 6.2% for lower incomes.