The Henderson County Courthouse, pictured in August 2012. Katie Bailey/Carolina Public Press
Inside WNC is a permanent feature from Carolina Public Press that profiles each of the 18 westernmost counties of North Carolina. This is your guide, including direct links, to elected officials, key agencies and departments, plus information on the county’s wages, housing, education and more.
Henderson County, N.C., map courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau, via Wikipedia.
Henderson County
Geography and Population
Henderson County is bordered by Buncombe County to the north, by Rutherford and Polk counties to the east, South Carolina to the south, Transylvania County to the west and Transylvania County to the northwest.
Map courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau
U.S. Census Bureau maps
Land area in square miles, 2010: 373.07
Persons per square mile, 2010: 286.1
Population, 2012 estimate: 108,266
American Indian or Alaska Native, alone (2012): 0.6 percent
Asian, alone (2012): 1.1 percent
Black or African American, alone (2012): 3.2 percent
Hispanic or Latino (2012): 10 percent
White non-Hispanic (2012): 84 percent
Two or more races (2012): 1.6 percent
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
U.S., State and Local Officials, Key Agencies
U.S. elected officials
U.S. Senate
Sen. Richard Burr (R)
Washington address: 217 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3154
Fax: (202) 228-2981
Email contact form
Asheville address: Federal Building, 151 Patton Ave., Suite 204
Asheville, N.C. 28801
Phone: (828) 350-2437
Fax: (828) 350-2439
Information on Burr’s support, sponsored bills, etc. from GovTrack.us
Sen. Kay Hagan (D)
Washington address: 521 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-6342
Fax: (202) 228-2563
Email contact form
Asheville address: 82 Patton Ave., Suite 635
Asheville, N.C. 28801
Phone: (828) 257-6510
Fax: (828) 257-6514
Information on Hagan’s support, sponsored bills, etc. from GovTrack.us
U.S. House: 11th Congressional District
Rep. Mark Meadows (R)
Washington address: 1516 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-6401
Email contact form
Hendersonville address: 200 N. Grove St.
Hendersonville, N.C. 28792
Phone: (828) 693-5660
Information on Meadows’ support, sponsored bills, etc. from GovTrack.us
N.C. elected officials
N.C. Senate District 48
Sen. Tom Apodaca (R)
Address: N.C. Senate
16 W. Jones St., Room 2010
Raleigh, N.C. 27601-2808
Phone: (919) 733-5745
Email: Tom.Apodaca@ncleg.net
N.C. House District 113
Rep. Chris Whitmire (R)
Address: N.C. House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury St., Room 537
Raleigh, N.C. 27603-5925
Phone: (919) 715-4466
Email: Chris.Whitmire@ncleg.net
N.C. House District 117
Rep. Chuck McGrady (R)
Address: N.C. House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury St., Room 419B
Raleigh, N.C. 27603-5925
Phone: (919) 733-5956
Email: Chuck.McGrady@ncleg.net
County Officials and Agencies
Henderson County Commissioners
Chairman: Charlie Messer
Address: 1 Historic Courthouse Square, Suite 1
Hendersonville, N.C. 28792
Phone: (828) 697-4808
Email: cmesser@hendersoncountync.org
County Manager: Steve Wyatt
Address: 1 Historic Courthouse Square, Suite 2
Hendersonville, N.C. 28792
Phone: (828) 697-4809
Email: swyatt@hendersoncountync.org
Sheriff: Charles S. McDonald
Address: Henderson County Sheriff’s Office
100 N. Grove St.
Hendersonville, N.C. 28792
Phone: (828) 697-4596
Email: sheriffmcdonald@hendersoncountync.org
Henderson County Department of Social Services
Director: Liston Smith
Address: 1200 Spartanburg Highway, Suite 300
Hendersonville, N.C. 28792
Phone: (828) 697-5500
Email: smithlb@hendersoncountydss.org
Henderson County Department of Public Health
Health Director: Tom Bridges
Address: 1200 Spartanburg Highway, Suite 100
Hendersonville, N.C. 28792
Phone: (828) 692-4223
Email: tbridges@hendersoncountync.org
Henderson County is a member of the Land-of-Sky Regional Council, which also includes Buncombe, Madison and Transylvania counties.
County Seat
Hendersonville City Hall, pictured in August 2012. Katie Bailey/Carolina Public Press
Hendersonville
Population (2010): 13,137
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
City Government Office Address: 145 Fifth Avenue E., Hendersonville, N.C. 28792-4328
Hendersonville City Council
Mayor: Barbara Volk
Address: 145 Fifth Ave. E.
Hendersonville, N.C. 28792-4328
Phone: (828) 697-3000
Email: bvolk@cityofhendersonville.org
City Manager: John Connet
Address: 145 Fifth Ave. E.
Hendersonville, N.C. 28792-4328
Phone: (828) 697-3000
Email: jconnet@cityofhendersonville.org
Chief of Police: Herbert Blake
Address: Hendersonville Police Department
145 Fifth Ave. E.
Hendersonville, NC 28792-4394
Phone: (828) 697-3031
Email: hblake@cityofhendersonville.org
Law Enforcement Agencies
Henderson County Sheriff’s Office
Address: 100 N. Grove St.
Hendersonville, N.C. 28792
Phone: (828) 697-4596
Email: sheriffmcdonald@hendersoncountync.org
Hendersonville Police Department
Address: 145 Fifth Ave. E.
Hendersonville, N.C. 28792-4394
Phone: (828) 697-3025
Email: hblake@cityofhendersonville.org
Voter Information
Henderson County Board of Elections
Director: Beverly W. Cunningham
Address: 75 E. Central St.
Hendersonville, N.C. 28792
Phone: (828) 697-4970
Email: henderson.boe@ncsbe.gov
Chairman: Tom Wilson
Address: 75 E. Central St.
Hendersonville, N.C. 28792
Phone: (828) 697-4970
Email: henderson.boe@ncsbe.gov
Court System
Judicial District 29B
200 N. Grove St., Suite 163
Hendersonville, N.C. 28792
Phone: (828) 694-4100
Email: n/a
Clerk of Superior Court: Kimberly Gasperson-Justice
Phone: (828) 694-4100
Email: n/a
District Attorney Greg Newman
Phone: (828) 694-4200
Email: n/a
Economy and Employment
Unemployment rate, May 2013: 6.4 percent
Unemployment rate, May 2012: 7.1 percent
Source: N.C. Department of Commerce-Labor and Economic Analysis Division
Top three industries, by employment (2011, most current):
Health care and social assistance: 6,329
Manufacturing: 5,709
Retail trade: 4,829
Source: County Business Patterns, U.S. Census Bureau
Largest Employer (Fourth quarter of 2012, most current): Henderson County Board of Public Education
Source: N.C. Department of Commerce
Chamber of Commerce, Tourism, Economic Development
Henderson County Chamber of Commerce
Executive Director: Robert R. Williford
Address: 204 Kanuga Road
Hendersonville, N.C. 28739
Phone: (828) 692-1413
Email: bob@hendersoncountychamber.org
Henderson County Tourism Development Authority
Address: 201 S. Main St.
Hendersonville, N.C. 28792
Phone: (828) 693-9708 or (800) 828-4244
Email: n/a
Wages, Housing and Education
Per capita money income in the past 12 months (2011 dollars), 2007-2011: $27,175
Persons below poverty level 2007-2011: 12.6 percent
Median household income 2007-2011: $ 47,371
Median value of owner-occupied housing units 2007-2011: $190,700
High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25+, 2007-2011: 87.2 percent
Bachelor’s degree or higher, percent of persons age 25+, 2007-2011: 27.5 percent
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Number of homeless (January 2012 point-in-time count): 55
Source: North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness
Education
Henderson County Public Schools
Four-year cohort high school graduation rates, as of September 2012: 84.9 percent
Source: N.C. Department of Public Instruction
Henderson County Board of Public Education
Address: 414 Fourth Ave. W.
Hendersonville, N.C. 28739-4261
Phone: (828) 697-4733
Email: n/a
Board of Public Education Chairman: Ervin Bazzle
Address: Henderson County Public Schools
414 Fourth Ave. W.
Hendersonville, N.C. 28739-4261
Phone: (828) 697-4733
Email: n/a
School Superintendent: David L. Jones
Address: Henderson County Public Schools
414 Fourth Ave. W.
Hendersonville, N.C. 28739-4261
Phone: (828) 697-4733
Email: n/a
Higher Education*
Blue Ridge Community College
Address: 180 W. Campus Dr.
Flat Rock, N.C. 28731
Phone: (828) 694-1700
Email: n/a
Total enrollment: 2,501 (according to National Center for Education Statistics)
Top Healthcare Providers*
Blue Ridge Community Health Services
Address: 2579 Chimney Rock Road
Hendersonville, N.C. 28793
Phone: (828) 692-4289
Email: n/a
Henderson County Department of Public Health
Health Director: Tom Bridges
Address: 1200 Spartanburg Highway, Suite 100
Hendersonville, N.C. 28792
Phone: (828) 692-4223
Email: tbridges@hendersoncountync.org
Pardee Hospital
Address: 800 N. Justice St.
Hendersonville, N.C. 28791
Phone: (866) 790-9355
Email: info@pardeehospital.org
HCAHPS Patient Perceptions Survey 4/2011-3/2012 rankings
Rate 9 or 10 Overall: 69 percent
Always Clean and Quiet: 66.5 percent
Park Ridge Health
Address: 100 Hospital Dr.
Hendersonville, N.C. 28792
Phone: (828) 684-8501
Email: info@parkridgehealth.org
HCAHPS Patient Perceptions Survey 4/2011-3/2012 rankings
Rate 9 or 10 Overall: 78 percent
Always Clean and Quiet: 74 percent
Crime and Law Enforcement
Crime Rate Per 100,000 (2011): 2,331.9
Violent Crime Rate: 138.1
Property Crime Rate: 2,193.8
Number of registered sex offenders: 117
Source: N.C. Department of Justice
*Listings are for entities headquartered in the county and do not include satellites, branches or other service information for others with operations in the county.
Contributing Editor Kathleen O. Davis supplied additional research to this report.
This page will be updated regularly. Contact us with updates or questions.