Chapter ED Intelligence · Chapter Report
The ARC serving Western North Carolina
Southeast and Caribbean Division · North Carolina Region
NC · 16 counties · HQ Asheville, NC · FEMA Region IV
821,230
People
352,741
Households
49.4%
Households below the ALICE survival threshold
16
Counties · 6,754 sq mi
Nearly 49% of households across this chapter live below the ALICE survival threshold — the working families one disaster away from crisis.
In this report · Economic vulnerability · Who lives here · Home fire mission (FLARE) · mission delivery & the bespoke relationship strategy to follow
Sources: American Red Cross geography + 2023 demographics reference table; United Way ALICE + poverty (latest county year).
Geography & Footprint
The chapter's footprint.
16
Counties
6,754
Square miles
821,230
People
North Carolina Region
Southeast and Caribbean Division
| County | People | Sq mi | % of chapter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buncombe | 279,480 | 660 | 34.0% |
| Henderson | 118,689 | 375 | 14.5% |
| Rutherford | 63,760 | 566 | 7.8% |
| Haywood | 62,757 | 555 | 7.6% |
| McDowell | 44,755 | 446 | 5.4% |
| Jackson | 43,263 | 495 | 5.3% |
| Macon | 38,235 | 520 | 4.7% |
| Transylvania | 32,981 | 381 | 4.0% |
| Cherokee | 29,573 | 467 | 3.6% |
| Madison | 21,657 | 452 | 2.6% |
| Polk | 19,180 | 239 | 2.3% |
| Yancey | 18,828 | 313 | 2.3% |
| Mitchell | 14,790 | 222 | 1.8% |
| Swain | 13,995 | 540 | 1.7% |
| Clay | 11,459 | 221 | 1.4% |
| Graham | 7,828 | 302 | 1.0% |
HQ: Asheville, NC · FEMA Region IV. Counties sorted by population.
Who Lives Here
The people of this chapter.
46
Median age
$58,250
Median household income
22.3%
Age 65+
29.6%
Renter households
Age distribution
Race & ethnicity
Hispanic / Latino (any race): 8.0% of residents.
Source: American Red Cross 2023 demographics reference table. Chapter figures aggregate the 16 counties; median age and income are population-weighted.
Economic Vulnerability
Where the need is greatest.
| County | People | Median HH income | ALICE | Poverty | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison | 21,657 | $55,085 | 40.3% | 15.1% | 55.4% |
| Rutherford | 63,760 | $46,252 | 36.5% | 15.6% | 52.1% |
| Buncombe | 279,480 | $66,877 | 39.5% | 12.2% | 51.8% |
| Graham | 7,828 | $45,240 | 38.0% | 13.4% | 51.3% |
| Henderson | 118,689 | $62,005 | 41.7% | 8.7% | 50.4% |
| Clay | 11,459 | $52,826 | 30.5% | 18.6% | 49.1% |
| Macon | 38,235 | $53,374 | 31.8% | 16.2% | 48.0% |
| Jackson | 43,263 | $49,280 | 29.1% | 18.8% | 47.9% |
| Haywood | 62,757 | $54,749 | 34.8% | 12.9% | 47.7% |
| Cherokee | 29,573 | $45,783 | 33.0% | 14.5% | 47.5% |
| Swain | 13,995 | $50,937 | 29.2% | 17.8% | 47.0% |
| McDowell | 44,755 | $52,264 | 30.5% | 14.5% | 45.0% |
| Polk | 19,180 | $60,835 | 30.3% | 14.1% | 44.5% |
| Yancey | 18,828 | $50,389 | 27.7% | 16.8% | 44.5% |
| + 2 more counties — full table in the county appendix | |||||
Combined = households in poverty plus ALICE households (above poverty, below the cost of basics), as a share of all county households. Source: United Way ALICE, latest county year.
Risk & Disaster History
What this chapter is up against.
$334.8M
Expected annual loss, all hazards
Buncombe
Highest-risk county
55.6%
Avg social vulnerability (SVI)
6
FEMA declarations, 5 yr (top county)
| County | NRI risk | Exp. annual loss | SVI %ile | FEMA 5yr | FEMA all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buncombe | Relatively Moderate | $82.4M | 59.9% | 5 | 21 |
| Henderson | Relatively Moderate | $40.7M | 42.9% | 4 | 18 |
| Haywood | Relatively Low | $31.7M | 36.5% | 5 | 21 |
| Jackson | Relatively Low | $28.7M | 78.6% | 5 | 19 |
| Macon | Relatively Low | $24.4M | 49.1% | 4 | 17 |
| Rutherford | Relatively Low | $24.0M | 80.7% | 4 | 22 |
| Transylvania | Relatively Low | $17.9M | 47.7% | 6 | 18 |
| McDowell | Relatively Low | $16.8M | 75.2% | 4 | 21 |
| Cherokee | Relatively Low | $15.0M | 37.3% | 4 | 16 |
| Swain | Relatively Low | $9.8M | 90.1% | 6 | 17 |
| Madison | Very Low | $9.1M | 35.0% | 5 | 23 |
| Yancey | Very Low | $8.8M | 53.1% | 5 | 23 |
| Polk | Very Low | $8.0M | 35.8% | 5 | 23 |
| Mitchell | Very Low | $6.9M | 56.9% | 5 | 21 |
| + 2 more counties — full table in the county appendix | |||||
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index 2025 (risk rating, expected annual loss), CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022 (social-vulnerability percentile), FEMA disaster declarations — via the Red Cross national county database.
Disaster History
A chapter shaped by disaster.
35
Federal disaster declarations
11
Hurricanes
Hurricane
Most common type
2026
Most recent
By incident type
Most recent declarations
| FY | Disaster | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Severe Winter Storm | Winter Storm |
| 2025 | Sam Davis Road Fire | Fire |
| 2025 | Table Rock Fire | Fire |
| 2025 | Alarka Fire | Fire |
| 2025 | Black Cove Fire Complex | Fire |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm Helene | Tropical Storm |
| 2024 | Hurricane Helene | Tropical Storm |
| 2023 | Hurricane Ian | Hurricane |
| 2021 | Remnants Of Tropical Storm Fred | Hurricane |
| 2020 | Hurricane Isaias | Hurricane |
Source: FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 — county-level, deduplicated to unique disasters.
Home Fire Mission · FLARE 2024
Every home fire is a Red Cross moment.
311
Home fires (2024)
52.7%
Red Cross care rate
95
Fires with no Red Cross notification
3.8
Fires per 10,000 residents
Red Cross cared for 53% of home fires — but 95 (30%) happened with no Red Cross notification: the prevention, smoke-alarm, and response opportunity, county by county.
Source: FLARE Fire Incidents 2024 (American Red Cross, public layer). “With care” = Red Cross provided assistance; “no notification” = the Red Cross was never alerted to the fire.
Home Fire · Respond & Prevent
Red Cross shows up — and prevents.
3,798
Home-fire calls answered (RC response)
3,583
Single-family fire responses
2,444
Free smoke alarms installed
207
Multi-family fire responses
Red Cross answered 3,798 home-fire calls and installed 2,444 free smoke alarms across the chapter — response and prevention, county by county.
Sources: DRO National 800-RedCross Calls by County (RC fire responses); Smoke Alarm Installs FY15–FY24 (American Red Cross).
Blood & BioMed
The blood mission's local footprint.
89,922
Blood units collected (FY22–26)
3,701
Blood drives held
700
Drives in FY2026
16
Counties with drives
Blood drives are active in 16 of the chapter's 16 counties — every county without one is an employer or civic opening: a host site, a sponsored drive, a standing partnership.
Source: BioMed Collections FY22–FY26 (American Red Cross). Drives = collection events; units = products collected.
Red Cross Facilities
The chapter's physical footprint.
3
Red Cross facilities
1
Owned
2
Leased / licensed
1
BioMed sites
By type / function
BioMed facilities
Asheville NC Blood Donation CenterPlatelets & Red Cells
Sources: Red Cross real-estate portfolio (reintel.jbf.com) + BioMed facilities (biomed.jbf.com).
Locations, types and functions only — no cost, square footage, or lease terms are disclosed.
Red Cross Philanthropy · Major Donors
Who gives here.
Major-donor giving across the chapter — three fiscal years. Internal planning data.
$1,579,926
Total giving, 3-year
46
Major donors
$401,771
Current FY · ▼ 47% vs prior FY
$1,324,985
Top: Buncombe
| County | Major donors | Total giving, 3-year |
|---|---|---|
| Buncombe | 28 | $1,324,985 |
| Henderson | 5 | $135,393 |
| Macon | 2 | $32,074 |
| Polk | 3 | $30,600 |
| Transylvania | 3 | $21,500 |
| Yancey | 1 | $13,000 |
| McDowell | 2 | $12,375 |
| Haywood | 2 | $10,000 |
Source: Red Cross major-donor giving by county, three fiscal years.
Internal / executive-director planning use — not donor-facing.
County Deep Dive
Buncombe County
279,480
People
$66,877
Median HH income
51.8%
Combined ALICE + poverty
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk
People & economy
Median age43.2
ALICE households41,179
Poverty households12,754
Risk & response
Expected annual loss$82.4M
Social vulnerability (SVI)59.9%
FEMA declarations (all time)21
Home fires, CY202476
Fires, no RC notification25
Bridge assistance · DRO 220-25—
Major-donor giving · 3-yr$1,324,985
Buncombe County · sources: Red Cross demographics 2023, United Way ALICE, FEMA NRI & declarations, FLARE CY2024.
County Deep Dive
Henderson County
118,689
People
$62,005
Median HH income
50.4%
Combined ALICE + poverty
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk
People & economy
Median age48.6
ALICE households21,864
Poverty households4,579
Risk & response
Expected annual loss$40.7M
Social vulnerability (SVI)42.9%
FEMA declarations (all time)18
Home fires, CY202438
Fires, no RC notification14
Bridge assistance · DRO 220-25—
Major-donor giving · 3-yr$135,393
Henderson County · sources: Red Cross demographics 2023, United Way ALICE, FEMA NRI & declarations, FLARE CY2024.
County Deep Dive
Rutherford County
63,760
People
$46,252
Median HH income
52.1%
Combined ALICE + poverty
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk
People & economy
Median age45.5
ALICE households9,795
Poverty households4,178
Risk & response
Expected annual loss$24.0M
Social vulnerability (SVI)80.7%
FEMA declarations (all time)22
Home fires, CY202433
Fires, no RC notification4
Bridge assistance · DRO 220-25—
Major-donor giving · 3-yr—
Rutherford County · sources: Red Cross demographics 2023, United Way ALICE, FEMA NRI & declarations, FLARE CY2024.
County Deep Dive
Haywood County
62,757
People
$54,749
Median HH income
47.7%
Combined ALICE + poverty
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk
People & economy
Median age49.1
ALICE households9,319
Poverty households3,457
Risk & response
Expected annual loss$31.7M
Social vulnerability (SVI)36.5%
FEMA declarations (all time)21
Home fires, CY202422
Fires, no RC notification6
Bridge assistance · DRO 220-25—
Major-donor giving · 3-yr$10,000
Haywood County · sources: Red Cross demographics 2023, United Way ALICE, FEMA NRI & declarations, FLARE CY2024.
County Deep Dive
McDowell County
44,755
People
$52,264
Median HH income
45.0%
Combined ALICE + poverty
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk
People & economy
Median age44.5
ALICE households5,625
Poverty households2,682
Risk & response
Expected annual loss$16.8M
Social vulnerability (SVI)75.2%
FEMA declarations (all time)21
Home fires, CY202421
Fires, no RC notification4
Bridge assistance · DRO 220-25—
Major-donor giving · 3-yr$12,375
McDowell County · sources: Red Cross demographics 2023, United Way ALICE, FEMA NRI & declarations, FLARE CY2024.
County Deep Dive
Jackson County
43,263
People
$49,280
Median HH income
47.9%
Combined ALICE + poverty
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk
People & economy
Median age38.8
ALICE households5,287
Poverty households3,406
Risk & response
Expected annual loss$28.7M
Social vulnerability (SVI)78.6%
FEMA declarations (all time)19
Home fires, CY202415
Fires, no RC notification6
Bridge assistance · DRO 220-25—
Major-donor giving · 3-yr—
Jackson County · sources: Red Cross demographics 2023, United Way ALICE, FEMA NRI & declarations, FLARE CY2024.
County Deep Dive
Macon County
38,235
People
$53,374
Median HH income
48.0%
Combined ALICE + poverty
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk
People & economy
Median age51.5
ALICE households5,748
Poverty households2,938
Risk & response
Expected annual loss$24.4M
Social vulnerability (SVI)49.1%
FEMA declarations (all time)17
Home fires, CY202416
Fires, no RC notification4
Bridge assistance · DRO 220-25—
Major-donor giving · 3-yr$32,074
Macon County · sources: Red Cross demographics 2023, United Way ALICE, FEMA NRI & declarations, FLARE CY2024.
County Deep Dive
Transylvania County
32,981
People
$53,928
Median HH income
43.4%
Combined ALICE + poverty
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk
People & economy
Median age53
ALICE households4,080
Poverty households2,255
Risk & response
Expected annual loss$17.9M
Social vulnerability (SVI)47.7%
FEMA declarations (all time)18
Home fires, CY202415
Fires, no RC notification5
Bridge assistance · DRO 220-25—
Major-donor giving · 3-yr$21,500
Transylvania County · sources: Red Cross demographics 2023, United Way ALICE, FEMA NRI & declarations, FLARE CY2024.
County Deep Dive
Cherokee County
29,573
People
$45,783
Median HH income
47.5%
Combined ALICE + poverty
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk
People & economy
Median age52.2
ALICE households4,308
Poverty households1,890
Risk & response
Expected annual loss$15.0M
Social vulnerability (SVI)37.3%
FEMA declarations (all time)16
Home fires, CY202425
Fires, no RC notification1
Bridge assistance · DRO 220-25—
Major-donor giving · 3-yr—
Cherokee County · sources: Red Cross demographics 2023, United Way ALICE, FEMA NRI & declarations, FLARE CY2024.
County Deep Dive
Madison County
21,657
People
$55,085
Median HH income
55.4%
Combined ALICE + poverty
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk
People & economy
Median age46.9
ALICE households3,384
Poverty households1,269
Risk & response
Expected annual loss$9.1M
Social vulnerability (SVI)35.0%
FEMA declarations (all time)23
Home fires, CY20242
Fires, no RC notification0
Bridge assistance · DRO 220-25—
Major-donor giving · 3-yr—
Madison County · sources: Red Cross demographics 2023, United Way ALICE, FEMA NRI & declarations, FLARE CY2024.
County Deep Dive
Polk County
19,180
People
$60,835
Median HH income
44.5%
Combined ALICE + poverty
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk
People & economy
Median age53.7
ALICE households2,647
Poverty households1,234
Risk & response
Expected annual loss$8.0M
Social vulnerability (SVI)35.8%
FEMA declarations (all time)23
Home fires, CY20244
Fires, no RC notification3
Bridge assistance · DRO 220-25—
Major-donor giving · 3-yr$30,600
Polk County · sources: Red Cross demographics 2023, United Way ALICE, FEMA NRI & declarations, FLARE CY2024.
County Deep Dive
Yancey County
18,828
People
$50,389
Median HH income
44.5%
Combined ALICE + poverty
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk
People & economy
Median age48.9
ALICE households2,270
Poverty households1,377
Risk & response
Expected annual loss$8.8M
Social vulnerability (SVI)53.1%
FEMA declarations (all time)23
Home fires, CY20248
Fires, no RC notification3
Bridge assistance · DRO 220-25—
Major-donor giving · 3-yr$13,000
Yancey County · sources: Red Cross demographics 2023, United Way ALICE, FEMA NRI & declarations, FLARE CY2024.
County Deep Dive
Mitchell County
14,790
People
$52,516
Median HH income
44.4%
Combined ALICE + poverty
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk
People & economy
Median age48.7
ALICE households1,776
Poverty households1,071
Risk & response
Expected annual loss$6.9M
Social vulnerability (SVI)56.9%
FEMA declarations (all time)21
Home fires, CY20249
Fires, no RC notification3
Bridge assistance · DRO 220-25—
Major-donor giving · 3-yr—
Mitchell County · sources: Red Cross demographics 2023, United Way ALICE, FEMA NRI & declarations, FLARE CY2024.
County Deep Dive
Swain County
13,995
People
$50,937
Median HH income
47.0%
Combined ALICE + poverty
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk
People & economy
Median age43.6
ALICE households1,702
Poverty households1,041
Risk & response
Expected annual loss$9.8M
Social vulnerability (SVI)90.1%
FEMA declarations (all time)17
Home fires, CY202417
Fires, no RC notification14
Bridge assistance · DRO 220-25—
Major-donor giving · 3-yr—
Swain County · sources: Red Cross demographics 2023, United Way ALICE, FEMA NRI & declarations, FLARE CY2024.
County Deep Dive
Clay County
11,459
People
$52,826
Median HH income
49.1%
Combined ALICE + poverty
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk
People & economy
Median age53.1
ALICE households1,535
Poverty households938
Risk & response
Expected annual loss$5.1M
Social vulnerability (SVI)42.3%
FEMA declarations (all time)13
Home fires, CY20247
Fires, no RC notification3
Bridge assistance · DRO 220-25—
Major-donor giving · 3-yr—
Clay County · sources: Red Cross demographics 2023, United Way ALICE, FEMA NRI & declarations, FLARE CY2024.
County Deep Dive
Graham County
7,828
People
$45,240
Median HH income
51.3%
Combined ALICE + poverty
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk
People & economy
Median age47
ALICE households1,257
Poverty households443
Risk & response
Expected annual loss$5.5M
Social vulnerability (SVI)69.3%
FEMA declarations (all time)17
Home fires, CY20243
Fires, no RC notification0
Bridge assistance · DRO 220-25—
Major-donor giving · 3-yr—
Graham County · sources: Red Cross demographics 2023, United Way ALICE, FEMA NRI & declarations, FLARE CY2024.
Your Live Tools
The chapter's Experience Builder apps & federal tools.
Red Cross Intelligence Briefing
Chapter risk, hardship, hazards & county drilldowns
experience.arcgis.com
Disaster Response Intelligence
Spatial disaster-response intelligence
Experience Builder app
Red Cross Real Estate
Facilities & market intelligence
experience.arcgis.com
Service Area Planning
Service-area geography & planning
Experience Builder app
Community Mobilization V
Local resource & mobilization map
experience.arcgis.com
Biomed
Blood & BioMed footprint
experience.arcgis.com
FEMA RAPT
Resilience analysis & planning
www.fema.gov
Census Community Resilience
People & resilience context
www.census.gov
Red Cross Experience Builder apps give the live, drill-down companion to this report; federal tools add official context.
Sources & Methodology
Every number, traceable.
Tools produce facts; humans own decisions. Each figure in this report traces to a named source and vintage.
| Metric | Source | Vintage |
|---|---|---|
| geography + 2023 demographics | ALICE master / Red Cross reference table | 2023 |
| ALICE + poverty households | MASTER counties ALICE+demographics | 2023 |
| flare | flare_fire_incidents (public AGOL, CY24) | CY2024 |
| smoke_alarms | GIS_MAP_FY15_to_FY24 (AGOL item b09f21d9…) | FY15–24 |
| lives_saved | Lives_Saved_Map_30_Apr_2026 (AGOL item ff313330…) | 2026 |
| blood | Biomed Collections 22-26 by chapter/county | FY22–26 |
| risk + disaster history | FEMA NRI 2025 · CDC SVI 2022 · FEMA declarations (red-cross-data county master) | FEMA NRI 2025 · SVI 2022 |
| fema disaster history | FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 | 2026 |
| facilities / real estate (no costs) | Red Cross facilities portfolio — reintel.jbf.com (locations, types & ownership only; no cost/lease terms) | FY25 |
| home-fire RC responses (SFF/MFF) | DRO National 800-RedCross Calls by County (org AGOL) | FY24–26 |
Geography: American Red Cross chapter↔county reference. The full machine-readable source ledger ships with the data bundle.
Appendix · County Data
Full county table.
| County | Pop | Households | Hardship | NRI risk | Exp. annual loss | Fires '24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buncombe | 279,480 | 121,371 | 51.8% | Relatively Moderate | $82.4M | 76 |
| Henderson | 118,689 | 50,593 | 50.4% | Relatively Moderate | $40.7M | 38 |
| Rutherford | 63,760 | 26,597 | 52.1% | Relatively Low | $24.0M | 33 |
| Haywood | 62,757 | 27,634 | 47.7% | Relatively Low | $31.7M | 22 |
| McDowell | 44,755 | 18,291 | 45.0% | Relatively Low | $16.8M | 21 |
| Jackson | 43,263 | 16,987 | 47.9% | Relatively Low | $28.7M | 15 |
| Macon | 38,235 | 16,970 | 48.0% | Relatively Low | $24.4M | 16 |
| Transylvania | 32,981 | 14,498 | 43.4% | Relatively Low | $17.9M | 15 |
| Cherokee | 29,573 | 13,138 | 47.5% | Relatively Low | $15.0M | 25 |
| Madison | 21,657 | 9,172 | 55.4% | Very Low | $9.1M | 2 |
| Polk | 19,180 | 8,546 | 44.5% | Very Low | $8.0M | 4 |
| Yancey | 18,828 | 8,302 | 44.5% | Very Low | $8.8M | 8 |
| Mitchell | 14,790 | 6,617 | 44.4% | Very Low | $6.9M | 9 |
| Swain | 13,995 | 5,707 | 47.0% | Relatively Low | $9.8M | 17 |
| Clay | 11,459 | 5,064 | 49.1% | Very Low | $5.1M | 7 |
| Graham | 7,828 | 3,254 | 51.3% | Very Low | $5.5M | 3 |
One row per county. Combined hardship = poverty + ALICE households. Fires = FLARE CY2024.