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West Canton

North CarolinaCDP

Photograph of West Canton
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West Canton

Total population

1,412

Median home value

$197,000

15.4%

Bachelor's+

Median income

$34,464

West Canton$34k
National$74k
Elevation837 m
Land area3.55 km²
Weather83°F · Sunny
Coordinates35.54°, -82.87°

Demographic figures from US Census Bureau · ACS 5-year estimates. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.

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City facts

Elevation
837 m
Area
3.55 km²

Facts from Wikidata (CC0).

Overview

West Canton is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Haywood County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, West Canton had a population of 1,265. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Read more on Wikipedia

History & geography

History

Prior to European colonization, the area that is now West Canton was inhabited by the Cherokee people and other Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. The Cherokee in Western North Carolina are known as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, a federally recognized tribe.

Geography

West Canton is located in east-central Haywood County. It is bordered to the east by the town of Canton. U.S. Routes 19 and 23 form the southern boundary of the CDP. The combined highway leads west to Lake Junaluska and east through Canton to Asheville. Waynesville, the Haywood county seat, is to the southwest via US-23. According to the United States Census Bureau, the West Canton CDP has a total area of , all land. The Pigeon River, a west-flowing stream that is part of the Tennessee River basin, forms the northern edge of the CDP.

Read full article on Wikipedia

Excerpted from the corresponding Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA).

Demographics & economy

Median age
42.9
Median home value
$197,000
Housing units
658
Poverty rate
7.9%
Unemployment
6.1%

Race & ethnicity

White
91.5%
Black
4.8%
Asian
0%
Hispanic
3.8%

Source: US Census Bureau — American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

Geography

Latitude
35.5384
Longitude
-82.8671
Water area
—
View on OpenStreetMap

Coordinates & boundaries from the US Census TIGER/Line shapefiles.

Climate

Current forecast

This Afternoon
83°F
Sunny
Tonight
56°F
Mostly Clear
Thursday
85°F
Patchy Fog then Mostly Sunny
Thursday Night
55°F
Mostly Clear
Friday
79°F
Sunny
Friday Night
39°F
Chance Rain Showers

Forecast for West Canton, NC from NOAA NWS API.

Air quality

Industrial & pollution facilities

Natural hazard risk

Health (adults)

High blood pressure
32.4%
Diabetes
9.2%
Adult obesity
33.7%
Binge drinking
17.9%
Adult smoking
15.4%
No leisure activity
22.4%

Age-adjusted prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES (latest release).

Walkability

Amenities nearby

Wildlife & biodiversity

Schools

Total
16
Elementary
8
Middle
3
High
4
Other
1

Largest nearby schools

  • Pisgah High
    High · Canton · 927 students · 16.3:1 ratio
  • Tuscola High
    High · Waynesville · 917 students · 15.8:1 ratio
  • Waynesville Middle
    Middle · Waynesville · 720 students · 15:1 ratio
  • Shining Rock Classical Academy
    Other · Waynesville · 604 students · 12.9:1 ratio
  • Bethel Elementary
    Elementary · Canton · 526 students · 14.6:1 ratio
  • Clyde Elementary
    Elementary · Clyde · 526 students · 12.8:1 ratio
  • Hazelwood Elementary
    Elementary · Waynesville · 492 students · 14.1:1 ratio
  • Canton Middle
    Middle · Canton · 449 students · 13.6:1 ratio

Public K–12 schools within ~10 mi from Urban Institute Education Data Portal (NCES Common Core of Data, 2022).

Earthquake history

Photos

Sights & places nearby

Notable people from here

David B. Sentelle
David B. Sentelle
United States District Judge
Ed Young
Ed Young
American pastor, founding senior pastor of Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas (born 1961)
Fred Chappell
Fred Chappell
American poet, novelist (1936–2024)
W
W. K. McNeil
American folklorist
William D. Halyburton Jr.
William D. Halyburton Jr.
U.S. Navy Medal of Honor recipient (1924–1945)
Charles F. Price
Charles F. Price
non-fiction writer
F
Frank Leatherwood
American football player
Thomas A. Furness III
Thomas A. Furness III
American electrical engineer
G
Gay Wilson Allen
American literary scholar (1903-1995)
Marcia Herndon
Marcia Herndon
American ethnomusicologist and anthropologist
R
R. Eugene Goodson
American businessman and educator
B
Bill Best
professor at Berea College

People born within ~10 km, from Wikidata (CC0). Click any name for their Wikipedia article.

Nearby places in North Carolina

Browse all places in North Carolina →

Geography & sun

Avg solar (kWh/m²/day)
4.39
Annual solar (kWh/m²)
1,601

Elevation, sunrise/sunset and daylight from Open-Meteo. Solar climatology from NASA POWER.

Nearby airports

Public attention

Wikipedia views (last 30 days)
59
Avg daily Wikipedia views
2
Attention level
Obscure

Pageview totals from the Wikimedia Pageviews API.

Books about West Canton

Literary Trails of the North Carolina Mountains
Literary Trails of the North Carolina Mountains
Georgann Eubanks · 2007
Aircraft accident report
Aircraft accident report
United States. National Transportation Safety Board. · 1975
1990 census of population and housing
United States. Bureau of the Census · 1992
Monthly performance report
United States. Dept. of Energy. · 1978
Sixteenth census of the United States: 1940
United States. Bureau of the Census · 1940

Search results from Open Library.

Recent natural events nearby

Wildfires, storms and other events from NASA EONET (last 12 months, within 250 mi).

Ground air-quality sensors

Recently spotted species

Central Ratsnake
Central Ratsnake
Pantherophis alleghaniensis
Seen 2026-09-15
Tuckasegee Darter
Tuckasegee Darter
Etheostoma gutselli
Seen 2026-09-14
Viceroy
Viceroy
Limenitis archippus
Seen 2026-09-14
Locust Borer
Locust Borer
Megacyllene robiniae
Seen 2026-09-14
Cloudless Sulphur
Cloudless Sulphur
Phoebis sennae
Seen 2026-09-13
Little Yellow
Little Yellow
Eurema lisa
Seen 2026-09-13
Double-crested Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Nannopterum auritum
Seen 2026-09-13
Marbled Orbweaver
Marbled Orbweaver
Araneus marmoreus
Seen 2026-09-12
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Phoebe
Sayornis phoebe
Seen 2026-09-11

Research-grade observations from iNaturalist (within ~15 mi).

Nearest stream gauge

Events

Gallery

Sources

  • • Wikipedia
  • • US Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates)
  • • NOAA National Weather Service
  • • Wikidata
  • • NCES via Urban Institute Education Data Portal
  • • iNaturalist
  • • CDC PLACES
  • • Open-Meteo / sunrise-sunset.org
  • • Wikipedia Pageviews API
  • • Open Library
  • • NASA EONET