Swannanoa is a census-designated place (CDP) in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. The population 5,021 at the 2020 census up from 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
Swannanoa is located several miles west of Black Mountain just prior to Oteen and eastern Asheville. The area hosts the former Beacon Blanket Mill. Alexander Inn was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Swannanoa also homes the Asheville Junction, a tunnel made with the forced labor of around three-thousand African American prisoners, which inspired the folk song "Swannanoa Tunnel."
In 2024, the town was severely damaged by Hurricane Helene. In January 2025, president-elect Donald Trump visited the town to survey the damage and meet survivors.
Geography
Swannanoa is located in eastern Buncombe County between Asheville and Black Mountain. Interstate 40 passes through the main commercial area of Swannanoa.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.53%, is water.
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2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Swannanoa had a population of 5,021. The median age was 40.8 years. 20.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 87.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 84.2 males age 18 and over.
89.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 10.3% lived in rural areas.
There were 1,894 households in Swannanoa, of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 43.5% were married-couple households, 19.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| White (non-Hispanic)
| 3,810
| 75.88%
|-
!scope="row"| Black or African American (non-Hispanic)
| 232
| 4.62%
|-
!scope="row"| Native American
| 40
| 0.8%
|-
!scope="row"| Asian
| 28
| 0.56%
|-
!scope="row"| Pacific Islander
| 7
| 0.14%
|-
!scope="row"| Other/Mixed
| 267
| 5.32%
|-
!scope="row"| Hispanic or Latino
| 637
| 12.69%
|}
2000 census
At the 2000 census,
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.
Education
Childhood education
Charles D. Owen High School provides high school education for grades 9-12 for the Swannanoa and Black Mountain Communities as well as parts of Riceville.
Community High School along with ArtSpace Charter School are also located in Swannanoa.
Higher education
Warren Wilson College is located west of the Swannanoa CDP.
Notable people
- 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.