The Town Files

Brevard, North Carolina

City in Transylvania County · population 7,744 (2020 Census)

Map: where Brevard is in North CarolinaBrevard
Median home
$450,000
Household income
$54,103
Jan low / Jul high
25° / 83°
Snow a year
7 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
2
Median age
50.3

Brevard is a city of 7,744 people in Transylvania County, North Carolina. The median home is worth $450,000, above the typical North Carolina town ($228,900). It ranks better for cycling than 97% of North Carolina towns, hipper than 96% of North Carolina towns, better for young professionals than 95% of North Carolina towns.

Brevard in our rankings:

How Brevard ranks

Percentile among North Carolina towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of North Carolina towns.

Brevard lifestyle rankings vs other North Carolina townsRetirement93rd pctFamilies22nd pctQuiet35th pctWalkability69th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals95th pctVibrancy86th pctHip & trendy96th pctCollege town72nd pctUpscale68th pctVacation homes89th pctSeaside characterbottomCycling97th pctTransit87th pctDriving9th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Brevard is worth $450,000, above the typical North Carolina town ($228,900). Homes cost about 8.3 times the median household income of $54,103, which is more affordable than 1% of North Carolina towns. Median rent is $979 a month. 50.9% of households own their home.

Brevard vs Transylvania County vs typical North Carolina townBrevardTransylvania CountyTypical North Carolina townHome value$450,000$373,600$228,900Household income$54,103$66,184$60,458Monthly rent$979$967$969
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of North Carolina towns with 500+ people.
HousingBrevardTypical North Carolina town
Median home value$450,000$228,900
Median rent$979$969
Median household income$54,103$60,458
Home value ÷ income8.3×3.7×
Homeownership50.9%69.5%
Median year built19741984
Seasonal / vacation homes9.2%—

Who lives in Brevard

PeopleBrevardTypical North Carolina town
Median age50.341.1
Age 65 and over31.5%19.0%
Under 1815.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher43.5%24.5%
Below the poverty line15.1%14.3%
Veterans7.3%—
Born outside the U.S.2.6%—
Work from home13.5%9.8%
Average commute15.5 min24.6 min
Homes with broadband82.9%89.5%

Weather in Brevard

July highs average 82.8°F and January lows 25.2°F. About 75.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 7.1 inches of snow (typical North Carolina town: 2.2 in). Expect about 4 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 110 nights at or below freezing.

Brevard monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing49°25°Jan53°27°Feb60°33°Mar69°41°Apr75°50°May81°58°Jun83°62°Jul82°62°Aug77°55°Sep69°43°Oct59°32°Nov51°28°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue7.01.75.41.45.90.85.85.66.86.37.66.16.25.90.27.13.0
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Brevard station (1.4 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Brevard since 1950, compared with 13 for the typical North Carolina town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on January 10, 1975 about 5.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 20, 1984.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Brevard by decade01950s01960s11970s11980s01990s02000s02010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 32 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on June 24, 1986.

Severe weather in Transylvania County since 1996

Storm events in Transylvania County since 1996 by typeHail75Flood50Drought36High Wind34Ice Storm8Lightning13Heavy Snow36Flash Flood47
NOAA Storm Events Database, Transylvania County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 3 deaths recorded.

Transylvania County has been included in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
January 24, 2026Winter StormEM-3637: Severe Winter Storm
March 27, 2025FireFM-5578: Table Rock Fire
September 28, 2024Tropical StormDR-4827: Tropical Storm Helene
September 26, 2024Tropical StormEM-3617: Hurricane Helene
October 1, 2022HurricaneEM-3586: Hurricane Ian

Jobs and pay in Transylvania County

Transylvania County had 9,754 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $49,543 a year. Unemployment was 3.2% in 2023; in Brevard itself the ACS puts it at 3.6%.

Largest industries in Transylvania CountyRetail1,494 jobs · $35,863Health care & social assistan…1,432 jobs · $54,509Hotels & restaurants1,400 jobs · $29,655Construction776 jobs · $53,137Manufacturing691 jobs · $58,871Education470 jobs · $43,901
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Transylvania County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Transylvania 3.2%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Brevard

6 public schools with 2,799 students, about 13.3 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Brevard High9-1280713.7
Brevard ElementaryPK-553812.5
Brevard Middle6-850112.2
Pisgah Forest ElementaryPK-546612.9
Brevard Academy (charter)K-841716.7
Davidson River School9-127010.0

Towns near Brevard

Brevard questions

Is Brevard, North Carolina a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Brevard scores better for retirees than 93% of North Carolina towns and quieter than 35%. 31.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 50.3).

How much does a house cost in Brevard?

The median owner-occupied home in Brevard is valued at $450,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $54,103, so homes cost about 8.3 times income. Median rent is $979 a month.

What is the weather like in Brevard?

July highs average 82.8°F and January lows 25.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 75.6 inches of precipitation a year and 7.1 inches of snow.

Does Brevard get tornadoes?

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Brevard since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on January 10, 1975. The typical North Carolina town has had 13.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Brevard's Census boundary (GEOID 3707720). Comparisons use the median of North Carolina towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.