# Watauga County

## Summary

- **37.7%** share of renter households  
- **47.0%** share of low-income households  
- **56.7%** share of rent-burdened households

## Renter population data

### Renters vs homeowners

| Households              | % share  |
|-------------------------|----------|
| Renter households       | 7,835    |
| Homeowner households    | 12,970   |
| Total households        | 20,805   |

### Low-income renter households

| Households              | % share   |
|-------------------------|-----------|
| Extremely low-income    | ≤30% AMI  |
| Very low-income         | 31-50% AMI|
| Low-income              | 51-80% AMI|
| All low-income households| <80% AMI   |

|                            | Households | % share |
|----------------------------|------------|---------|
| Extremely low-income       | 1,740      | 22.2%   |
| Very low-income            | 848        | 10.8%   |
| Low-income                 | 1,093      | 14.0%   |
| All low-income households   | 3,681      | 47.0%   |

### Rent-burdened households

| Share of income spent on rent | Households | % share |
|------------------------------|------------|---------|
| Moderately rent-burdened     | 1,334      | 17.0%   |
| 30.0–34.9%                  | 448        | 5.7%    |
| 35.0–39.9%                  | 346        | 4.4%    |
| 40.0-49.9%                  | 540        | 6.9%    |
| Severely rent-burdened      | 3,110      | 39.7%   |
| All rent-burdened households | 4,444      | 56.7%   |

## Affordable housing shortage

### Rent vs median household income

| Year | Median household income ($)  |
|------|------------------------------|
| 2010 | 18,113                       |
| 2021 | 26,313                       |
| Increase (2010–2021) | 45.3%         |

### Median rent

| Year | Median rent ($)  |
|------|------------------|
| 2010 | 431              |
| 2021 | 815              |
| Increase (2010–2021) | 89.1%  |

### Affordable housing stock

| Units                             | Supply (current stock) | Demand (total units needed) | Shortage | Supply/demand ratio |
|----------------------------------|------------------------|---------------------------|----------|---------------------|
|                                  | 2,196                  | 2,407                     | 1,140    | 91.2%               |

## HUD National Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Database

### List of properties

| Name                                | Type               | Year | Number of units | Income ceiling | LIHTC allocation      |
|-------------------------------------|--------------------|------|------------------|----------------|----------------------|
| HIGHBRIDGE OVERLOOK                 | New construction    | 2014 | 154              | 60% AMI       | $1,804,887           |
| IRVINGTON FAMILY APTS              | New construction    | 2007 | 99               | 60% AMI       | $1,378,252           |
| HILLTOP VILLAGE                    | New construction - Acquisition and Rehab | 2012 | 200              | 60% AMI       | $504,385             |
| HUNTINGTON RESERVE                  | NA                  | 2006 | 168              | 60% AMI       | $424,046             |
| HOLT + HAMILTON FAMILY APARTMENTS  | New construction    | 2016 | 61               | 60% AMI       | $1,557,010           |
| INTERVALE GARDENS LLC              | New construction    | 2008 | 65               | 60% AMI       | $659,087             |
| HOMES OF RENAISSANCE PRESERVE II   | New construction    | 2012 | 88               | 60% AMI       | $1,510,000           |
| ...                                 | ...                | ...  | ...              | ...            | ...                  |

HousingCount

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