Biltmore Forest is a town in Buncombe County,

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, United States. The population was 1,409 as of

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

. It is part of the

Asheville Asheville ( ) is a city in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the county seat of Buncombe County. It is the most populous city in Western North Carolina a ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area. Biltmore Forest is the second-wealthiest town in North Carolina by per capita income at $85,044.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,409 people, 605 households, and 485 families residing in the town.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 1,409 people, 588 households, and 456 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 653 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 99.24%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.35% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.07% from other races, and 0.21% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.14% of the population. There were 588 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 3.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.4% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.83. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 3.1% from 18 to 24, 16.5% from 25 to 44, 36.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males. The median income for a household in the town was $119,526, and the median income for a family was $152,654. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $38,750 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $85,044. About 0.4% of families and 0.8% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 0.6% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over. Biltmore Forest has the highest per capita income of any city or town with over 1,000 inhabitants in North Carolina.

History

In 1916, a substantial flood in

Asheville, North Carolina Asheville ( ) is a city in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. Located at the confluence of the French Broad River, French Broad and Swannanoa River, Swannanoa rivers, it is the county seat of Buncombe County. It is the most populou ...

, damaged the

Biltmore Estate Biltmore Estate is a historic house museum and tourist attraction in Asheville, North Carolina, United States. The main residence, Biltmore House (or Biltmore Mansion), is a Châteauesque-style mansion built for George Washington Vanderbilt II ...

The Biltmore Company The Biltmore Company is an American firm that owns and operates Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. The company is owned by the family of William Amherst Vanderbilt Cecil, the younger grandson of George Washington Vanderbilt II. In 19 ...

sold the affected land to lessen the upkeep and tax burden. The town of Biltmore Forest was chartered in 1923 and was developed on this land. The first houses were built on White Oak Road. In 1929, Asheville annexed a portion of Biltmore Forest, but that action was reversed in 1935 by an act of the

legislature. The

Judge Junius G. Adams House Judge Junius G. Adams House is a historic home located at 11 Stuyvesant Road, Biltmore Forest, Buncombe County, North Carolina. It was built in 1921, and is a two-story, rectangular plan, Tudor Revival-style dwelling. It has rough-faced stone ...

, Raoulwood (

Thomas Wadley Raoul House Thomas Wadley Raoul House, also known as Raoulwood, is a historic home located at Asheville, Buncombe County, North Carolina. It was built in 1923, and is a two-story, hollow tile and wood frame dwelling in the Tudor Revival style. It is clad i ...

) and

Gunston Hall Gunston Hall is an 18th-century Georgian architecture, Georgian Plantation house in the Southern United States, mansion near the Potomac River in Mason Neck, Virginia, Mason Neck, Virginia, United States. Built between 1755 and 1759 by George ...

are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

References

External links

Official Biltmore Forest, NC website

History of Biltmore Forest

{{authority control Towns in North Carolina Towns in Buncombe County, North Carolina Populated places established in 1923 Asheville metropolitan area Vanderbilt family Upper class culture in North Carolina