Banner Elk is a very small town located in the state of North Carolina. With a population of 1,088 people and two associated neighborhoods, Banner Elk is the 398th largest community in North Carolina. Banner Elk has seen a significant amount of newer housing growth in recent years. Quite often, new home construction is the result of new residents moving in who are middle class or wealthier, attracted by jobs, a healthy local economy, or other amenities as they leave nearby or far away areas for greener pastures. This seems to be the case in Banner Elk, where the median household income is $66,607.00.

Also of interest is that Banner Elk has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

Of important note, Banner Elk is also a town of artists. Banner Elk has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Banner Elk’s character.

A relatively large number of people in Banner Elk telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 16.41% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Banner Elk is a place where college students are a big part of the character and culture of the town. Small towns have often struggled with declining populations over the past few decades, but the presence of such a large college student population has helped Banner Elk to fight this trend. Not only does the college population add spending and jobs to local economy, but it also contributes a very tangible, youthful energy to the town.

Another notable thing is that Banner Elk is an extremely popular vacation destination. A significant portion of the population is seasonal. During the vacation season, the town experiences a large influx of people who take up residence in second homes they own in the area. As the vacation season ends, the population drops again, leaving behind a substantially quieter and smaller town.

Compared to the rest of the country, citizens of Banner Elk spend much less time in their cars: on average, their commute to work is only 13.39 minutes. This also means that noise and pollution levels in the town are less than they would otherwise be.

As is often the case in a small town, Banner Elk doesn't have a public transportation system that people use for their commute.

Do you have a 4-year college degree or graduate degree? If so, you may feel right at home in Banner Elk. 51.57% of adults here have a 4-year degree or graduate degree, whereas the national average for all cities and towns is just 21.84%.

The per capita income in Banner Elk in 2022 was $40,738, which is wealthy relative to North Carolina, and upper middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $162,952 for a family of four. However, Banner Elk contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Banner Elk is a very ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Banner Elk home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Banner Elk residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Banner Elk include English, German, Irish, Scottish, and Italian.

The most common language spoken in Banner Elk is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Hungarian.