Yancey County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

located in the U.S. state of

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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,470. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Burnsville.

History

The area of Yancey County was inhabited by the

Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...

prior to European settlement, as was much of the southern Appalachian region. Independent and sturdy Scottish, English, and Scotch-Irish and Irish settlers of the Carolina frontier had crossed the

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a Physiographic regions of the United States, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Highlands range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States and extends 550 miles southwest from southern ...

and settled the Toe River Valley by the mid-18th century. In the year 1796, one of the early land speculators, John Gray Blount, paid for of land, a portion of which later became Yancey County. In December 1833, the General Assembly established a new western county, named Yancey, from sections of Burke and Buncombe counties. Yancey County was named in honor of Bartlett Yancey, of Caswell County. As a U.S. congressman (1813–1817) and as Speaker of the N.C. Senate (1817–1827), he was instrumental in many accomplishments that benefited the state, including the creation of an education fund that was the beginning of the N.C. Public School System. He was an advocate of correcting the inequality in representation in the General Assembly by the creation of new western counties; but he died on August 30, 1828, over five years before the General Assembly created a new county named in his honor. In Yancey's boundaries looms Mount Mitchell, the highest peak in the Eastern U.S., at above sea level. On March 6, 1834, "Yellow Jacket" John Bailey conveyed of land for the county seat. John was given the nickname for his famous temper as told in the books ''The Bailey Family of Yancey County, North Carolina'' and ''Heritage of the Tow River Valley'' by Lloyd Richard Bailey Sr. The town was named Burnsville in honor of Captain Otway Burns, who voted for the creation of the new western county when he was serving in the General Assembly. He was also a naval hero in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

. A statue of Captain Burns stands on a 40-ton, Mount Airy granite pedestal in the center of the town's public square, which was given the official name of "Bailey Square" by the Yancey County Board of Commissioners on September 1, 1930. The statue of Captain Burns was given to the county on July 5, 1909, by Walter Francis Burns, a grandson of the naval captain. The inscription reads:

Otway Burns - Born in Onslow County, North Carolina, 1777 - Died at Portsmouth, North Carolina, 1850. Sailor - Soldier - Statesman. North Carolina's Foremost Son in the War of 1812-1815 - For Him, This Town Is Named - He Guarded Well Our Seas, Let Our Mountains Honor Him.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.19%) is water. Mount Mitchell at , within

Mount Mitchell State Park Mount Mitchell State Park is a List of North Carolina state parks, North Carolina state park in Yancey County, North Carolina in the United States. Established in 1915 by the state legislature, it became the first state park of North Carolina. ...

in Yancey County, is the highest point in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

east of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. The Black Mountains, of which Mt. Mitchell is a part, contains five of the 10 highest peaks east of the Mississippi, all over . In descending order of height, they are: Mount Mitchell, Mount Craig, Balsam Cone, Mount Gibbes, and Potato Hill.

National protected areas

Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and National Scenic Byway, All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is the longest linear park in the U.S., runs for through 29 counties in Virginia and ...

(part) * Crabtree Falls (part) *

Pisgah National Forest Pisgah National Forest is a United States National Forest, National Forest in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina. It is administered by the United States Forest Service, part of the United States Department of Agriculture. The P ...

(part)

State and local protected areas/sites

* Bare Dark Sky Observatory * Carolina Hemlocks Recreation Area * John Wesley McElroy House *

* Nu-Wray Inn * Pisgah National Forest Game Land (part) * Ray-Cort Recreation Park

Major water bodies

* Big Crabtree Creek * Big Creek * Bowlens Creek * Cane River * Left Prong South Toe River * Nolichucky River * Right Prong South Toe River * South Toe River * Still Fork Creek

Adjacent counties

* Mitchell County – northeast * McDowell County – southeast * Buncombe County – southwest * Madison County – west * Unicoi County, Tennessee – northwest

Major highways

* * * * * *

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 18,470 people, 7,510 households, and 5,081 families residing in the county.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, there were 17,774 people, 7,472 households, and 5,372 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 9,729 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.99%

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 ...

, 0.57%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.34% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.41% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. 2.69% of the population were

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. There were 7,472 households, out of which 27.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.20% 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, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 25.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.81. In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.20% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 27.10% from 45 to 64, and 18.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 95.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.30 males. The median income for a household in the county was $29,674, and the median income for a family was $35,879. Males had a median income of $26,800 versus $20,885 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 county was $16,335. About 10.90% of families and 15.80% 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 22.10% of those under age 18 and 16.30% of those age 65 or over.

Ancestry

As of 2015, the largest self-reported ancestry groups in Yancey County were:

Government and politics

Yancey County is a member of the High Country Council of Governments.

Law enforcement

The county has two law enforcement agencies. The Burnsville Police Department operates in the town limits, while the Yancey County Sheriff's Office has jurisdiction over the rest of the county, aside from US Forest Service and

State Park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "Federated state, state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on accou ...

land, where law enforcement is provided by those respective agencies. State law enforcement agencies operating in the county, with offices in Burnsville, include the Highway Patrol (Troop G) and the Department of Adult Corrections and Juvenile Justice (Probation Officers and Juvenile Court Counselors). The State Bureau of Investigation assists the other agencies and investigates use of lethal force by law enforcement.

Education

The Yancey County Schools system serves the K-12 public school students of the county. There are five members of the School Board, elected on even years to four year terms. Three seats are elected on presidential/gubernatorial election years, and two on midterm years. In 2017, the NC General Assembly passed a bill, sponsored by Rep. Michele Presnell, to change the YCS board elections from non-partisan to partisan. As of 2023, the partisan makeup of the board is four Republicans and one Democrat. Kathy Amos is the current superintendent. In 2016, the YCS Board voted to consolidate three elementary schools in the west and north of the county (Bald Creek, Bee Log, and Clearmont) into one school, which was named Blue Ridge. At the time of its closure in 2018, Bee Log Elementary School was the smallest public school in the state with enrollment of 42. Bald Creek and Clearmont closed the following year. Yancey County schools currently consists of the following schools:

Elementary Schools (Grades K–5)

* Blue Ridge Elementary School * Burnsville Elementary School * Micaville Elementary School * South Toe Elementary School

Middle Schools (Grades 6–8)

* Cane River Middle School * East Yancey Middle School

High School (Grades 9–12)

* Mountain Heritage High School High school students have the option to enroll in Mayland Early College High School at the main campus of Mayland Community College in Spruce Pine. There are two private schools in the county: Arthur Morgan School in Celo and Yancey County Christian School in Burnsville.

Higher Education

Mayland Community College serves the Toe River Valley counties of Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey. The main campus is in Spruce Pine, on the Avery-Mitchell line, but the Yancey Learning Center, a satellite campus, is just outside of the Burnsville town limits on the west side.

Library

Avery-Mitchell-Yancey Regional Library (AMY) served the county, with the Yancey County Public Library branch located in Burnsville in the Yancey Collegiate Institute Historic District. The AMY system officially began in 1961. As a result of a

Pride Pride is a human Emotion, secondary emotion characterized by a sense of satisfaction with one's Identity (philosophy), identity, performance, or accomplishments. It is often considered the opposite of shame or of humility and, depending on conte ...

display, Yancey County commissioners began the process of taking over the library in June 2023. The library is set to become a county library on July 1, 2025. Some residents are suing. One reason given for opposing the change is the need to recover from Helene.

Communities

Town

* Burnsville (county seat and largest community)

Townships

* Brush Creek * Burnsville * Cane River * Crabtree * Egypt * Green Mountain * Jacks Creek * Pensacola * Price's Creek * Ramseytown * South Toe

Unincorporated communities

* Bald Creek * Bent Creek * Busick * Cane River * Celo * Day Book * Green Mountain * Hamrick * Micaville * Murchison * Newdale * Pensacola * Ramseytown * Sioux *

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

* Windom

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 1833 establishments in North Carolina Populated places established in 1833