Is Mills River, NC growing?

Name: Growth in Mills River, NC, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Mills River, NC had an estimated 7,281 (±22) residents in 2020–2024, against 7,251 in 2015–2019.

That is a change of +0.4%, not a measurable change.

Its housing went from 3,224 to 3,172 homes (−1.6%), not a measurable change.

2.9% of today’s homes were built in 2020 or later.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Residents now: 7,281 (±22)
Amount of change: +0.4%
Homes change: −1.6%
Built 2020 or later: 2.9%

Residents and homes in Mills River, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Residents	7,251 (±31)	7,281 (±22)	+0.4%	Not a measurable change
Housing units	3,224 (±170)	3,172 (±239)	−1.6%	Not a measurable change
Households that rent	19.4% (±4.9 points)	14.4% (±4.9 points)	−5.0 percentage points	Not a measurable change
Median gross rent	$956 (±$239)	$1,551 (±$437)	+62.2%	No measurable change after inflation
Median home value	$257,800 (±$20,655)	$436,100 (±$46,517)	+69.2%	Up after inflation

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Growth in Mills River against Henderson County, its state and the nation

Change between 2015–2019 and 2020–2024
	Residents	Verdict	Housing units
Mills River	+0.4%	Not a measurable change	−1.6%
Henderson County	+3.1%	Measurable increase	+0.9%
North Carolina	+4.5%	Measurable increase	+5.8%
United States	+3.1%	Measurable increase	+4.6%

A change in a place’s boundaries between the two periods (an annexation, say) changes its counts as well; the Census Bureau’s figures are for the place as it was drawn in each period.

New homes in Mills River

Housing units by year built, 2020–2024
Year built	Mills River	Henderson County	North Carolina	United States
2020 or later	2.9% (±1.7 points)	2.3%	3.0%	2.0%
2010 to 2019	17.2% (±4.8 points)	11.0%	13.5%	9.4%
2000 to 2009	23.7% (±4.9 points)	18.4%	18.6%	13.6%

20.1% of the homes in Mills River were built in 2010 or later.

The median age of residents is 46.4 years.

Growth in places near Mills River

Change in residents between 2015–2019 and 2020–2024
Place	Distance	Residents now	Amount of change	Verdict
Mills River	—	7,281	+0.4%	Not a measurable change
Horse Shoe	3.7 mi	1,490	−37.1%	Measurable decrease
Mountain Home	5.0 mi	3,437	−17.6%	Not a measurable change
Etowah	5.3 mi	7,968	+4.1%	Not a measurable change
Fletcher	5.8 mi	8,098	−0.2%	Not a measurable change
Avery Creek	5.9 mi	2,887	+7.9%	Not a measurable change
Balfour	6.0 mi	1,134	−6.7%	Not a measurable change
Laurel Park	6.8 mi	2,408	−10.1%	Not a measurable change
Valley Hill	8.1 mi	2,675	+38.8%	Not a measurable change

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

What you can do on Seayora in Mills River

One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.

Own or manage a rental?

List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Mills River beside you.

Create a landlord account · See what landlords get

Looking for a place to rent?

Browse homes for rent near Mills River, save the ones you like and apply online.

Browse rentals · Create a renter account

Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?

Get found by owners and renters near Mills River, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.

Join as a pro · Find a pro

Questions about Mills River

Is Mills River growing?

Mills River, NC had an estimated 7,281 residents in 2020–2024 and 7,251 in 2015–2019, a change of +0.4%: not a measurable change by the Census Bureau’s test.

How many homes have been added in Mills River?

The estimated number of housing units went from 3,224 in 2015–2019 to 3,172 in 2020–2024 (−1.6%), not a measurable change.

How much new construction is there in Mills River?

2.9% of homes in Mills River were built in 2020 or later and 17.2% between 2010 and 2019.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Mills River town, North Carolina (place:43260, in state:37).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25001_001E, B25001_001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, B25064_001E, B25064_001M, B25077_001E, B25077_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0017PE, DP04_0017PM, DP04_0018PE, DP04_0018PM, DP05_0018E, DP05_0018M

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.