Mars Hill, North Carolina

Geography Mars Hill is located at 35°49'43" North, 82°32'52" West (35.828496, -82.547843)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.0 km² (1.9 mi²). 5.0 km² (1.9 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.

Demographics As of the census of 2000, there are 1,764 people, 541 households, and 312 families residing in the town. The population density is 352.9/km² (911.7/mi²). There are 586 housing units at an average density of 117.2/km² (302.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 91.21% White, 5.95% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.85% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.85% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. 1.36% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 541 households out of which 20.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% are married couples living together, 11.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 42.3% are non-families. 33.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 17.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.10 and the average family size is 2.68.

In the town the population is spread out with 11.7% under the age of 18, 43.1% from 18 to 24, 16.2% from 25 to 44, 15.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 23 years. For every 100 females there are 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 86.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $32,917, and the median income for a family is $45,000. Males have a median income of $29,615 versus $23,625 for females. The per capita income for the town is $13,366. 16.9% of the population and 11.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 21.1% are under the age of 18 and 14.9% are 65 or older.