Swannanoa, North Carolina


Swannanoa is a census-designated place in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,576 at the 2010 census. The community is named for the Swannanoa River, which flows through the settlement. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

Geography

Swannanoa is located in eastern Buncombe County at , between Asheville and Black Mountain. Interstate 40 passes through the main commercial area of Swannanoa, which is focused around the Ingles supermarket and gas station. The old commercial area sits beside an empty lot where the old Beacon Manufacturing Co. plant once sat. The Beacon Plant was the center of the Swannanoa community, built by the late Charles D. Owen, Sr. It was closed in 2002, and burned almost completely to the ground on September 3, 2003. The local high school is Charles D. Owen High School. Brad Johnson was a graduate of Charles D. Owen High School. He went on to play in the National Football League for the Super Bowl XXXVII Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of, of which is land and, or 0.53%, is water.

Demographics

At the 2000 census, there were 4,132 people, 1,652 households and 1,113 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 649.5 per square mile. There were 1,774 housing units at an average density of 278.9 per square mile. The racial makeup was 91.53% White, 5.06% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.21% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.52% of the population.
There were 1,652 households of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.86.
27.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.
The median household income was $31,218 and the median family income was $39,980. Males had a median income of $27,561 and females $22,939. The per capita income was $16,804. About 8.5% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.2% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

The North Carolina Department of Public Safety operates the Swannanoa Correctional Center for Women in Swannanoa. It opened on July 7, 2008, taking women previously at the Black Mountain Correctional Center for Women.
The North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention formerly operated the Swannanoa Valley Youth Development Center in Swannanoa for delinquent boys, including those without sufficient English fluency. It opened in 1961.

Higher education

is located west of the Swannanoa CDP.