Davidson River in the Pisgah National Forest in Transylvania County is a tourist destination. Kathleen O. Davis/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.
Transylvania County, N.C., map courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau, via Wikipedia
Transylvania County
Geography and Population
Transylvania County is bordered by Haywood County to the northwest, Buncombe County to the northeast, Henderson County to the east, South Carolina to the south and Jackson County to the west.
Map courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau
Land area in square miles: 378.53
Persons per square mile: 87.4
Population, 2011 estimate: 32,820
American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.4 percent
Asian: 0.5 percent
Black: 4.2 percent
Hispanic or Latino origin: 2.9 percent
White non-Hispanic: 90.6 percent
People reporting two or more races: 1.6 percent
U.S., State and Local Government
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) 733-5875 and (828) 696-0574
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 and (828) 862-4273
Email: Chris.Whitmire@ncleg.net
County Officials and Agencies
Transylvania County Board of Commissioners
Chairman: Mike Hawkins
Address: Transylvania County Government
21 E. Main St.
Brevard, N.C. 28712
Phone: (828) 884-3271
Email: mihawkins@citcom.net
County Manager: Arthur C. “Artie” Wilson Jr.
Address: Transylvania County Government
21 E. Main St.
Brevard, N.C. 28712
Phone: (828) 884-3100
Email: artie.wilson@transylvaniacounty.org
Sheriff: David Mahoney
Address: Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office
153 Public Safety Way
Brevard, N.C. 28712
Phone: (828) 884-3169
Email: SheriffMahoney@tcsonc.org
Transylvania County Department of Social Services
Director: Stoney Blevins
Address: 106 E. Morgan St.
Brevard, N.C. 28712
Phone: (828) 884-3174, Ext. 301
Email: stoney.blevins@transylvaniacounty.org
Transylvania County Department of Public Health
Health Director: Steven E. Smith
Address: Community Services Building
98 E. Morgan St.
Brevard, N.C. 28712
Phone: (828) 884-3135
Email: steve.smith@transylvaniacounty.org
Member of the Land-of-Sky Regional Council, which covers Buncombe, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania counties.
County Seat
Brevard
Population (2010): 7,609
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
City Government Office Address: Brevard City Hall, 95 W. Main St., Brevard, N.C., 28712
Brevard City Council
Mayor: Jimmy Harris
Address: Harris Hardware
123 W. Main St.
Brevard, NC 28712
Phone: (828) 883-2103
Email: c13172@citcom.net
Chief of Police: John Phillip Harris Jr.
Address: Brevard Police Department
114 W. Jordan St.
Brevard, N.C. 28712
Phone: (828) 883-2212
Email: phil.harris@cityofbrevard.com
Law Enforcement Agencies
Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office
153 Public Safety Way
Brevard, N.C. 28712
Phone: (828) 884-3169
Email: SheriffMahoney@tcsonc.org
Brevard Police Department
114 W. Jordan St.
Brevard, N.C. 28712
Phone: (828) 883-2212
Email: phil.harris@cityofbrevard.com
Voter Information
Transylvania County Board of Elections
Director: Karen L. Brinson
Address: 221 S. Gaston St.
Brevard, N.C. 28712
Phone: (828) 884-3114
Email: Director@TransylvaniaElections.org
Chairman: John R. Hudson Jr.
Address: 221 S. Gaston St.
Brevard, N.C. 28712
Phone: (828) 884-3114
Email: Chairman@TransylvaniaElections.org
Court System
Judicial District 29B
Transylvania County Courthouse
Address: 7 E. Main St
Brevard, NC 28712
Phone: (828) 885-3000
Email: n/a
Clerk of Superior Court: Rita A. Ashe
Phone: (828) 885-3000
District Attorney Jeffrey Hunt
Phone (Transylvania County office): (828) 885-3010
Email: n/a
Economy and Employment
Unemployment rate, January 2013: 11.5 percent
Unemployment rate, January 2012: 11 percent
Source: N.C. Department of Commerce-Labor and Economic Analysis Division
Top three industries, by employment (2010, most current):
Health care and social assistance: 1,707
Retail trade: 1,425
Accommodation and food services: 1,095
Source: County Business Patterns, U.S. Census Bureau
Largest Employer (Second quarter of 2012, most current): Transylvania County Schools
Source: N.C. Department of Commerce
Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Development Authority and Economic Development
Brevard/Transylvania Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Development Authority
Executive Director: Libby Freeman
Address: 175 E. Main St.
Brevard, N.C. 28712
Phone: (828) 883-3700
Email: Libby@brevardncchamber.org
Heart of Brevard
Executive Director: Michael Trufant
Address: 175 E. Main St., Suite 200
Brevard, N.C. 28712
Phone: (828) 884-3278
Email: lynne@brevardnc.org
Transylvania County Planning and Economic Development
Economic Development Director: Mark Burrows
Address: 98 E. Morgan St.
Brevard, N.C. 28712
Phone: (828) 884-3205
Email: mark.burrows@transylvaniacounty.org
Email contact form
Wages, Housing and Education
Per capita money income in past 12 months (2010 dollars) 2006-2010: $23,939
Persons living below poverty level 2006-2010: 14 percent
Median household income 2006-2010: $39,408
Median owner-occupied housing value: $169,600
High school graduates, age 25+ (2006-2010): 86.1 percent
Bachelor’s degree or higher, age 25+ (2006-2010): 27 percent
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Number of homeless (January 2012 point-in-time count, most current): 4
Source: North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness
Four-year cohort high school graduation rates, as of September 2012: 82.2 percent
Source: N.C. Department of Public Instruction
Transylvania County Schools Board of Education
Address: 225 Rosenwald Lane
Brevard, N.C. 28712
Phone: (828) 884-6173
Email: n/a
Board of Education Chairman: Chris Whitmire
Address: 136 Whitmire Farms Dr.
Brevard, N.C. 28712
Phone: (828) 862-4273
Email: cwhitmire@tcsnc.org
School Superintendent: Jeff McDaris
Address: 225 Rosenwald Lane
Brevard, N.C. 28712
Phone: (828) 884-6173
Email: jmcdaris@tscnc.org
Higher education*
Blue Ridge Community College Transylvania County Campus
Address: 45 Oak Park Dr.
Brevard, N.C. 28712
Phone: (828) 883-2520
Email: n/a
Enrollment: n/a
Brevard College
Address: 1 Brevard College Dr.
Brevard, N.C. 28712
Phone: (828) 883-8292 or (800) 527-9090
Email: admissions@brevard.edu
Enrollment: 627, according to U.S. News & World Report
Top Healthcare Providers*
The Brevard Health Center
Address: 89 Hospital Dr.
Brevard, N.C. 28712
Phone: (828) 883-5550
Email: n/a
The Free Clinic of Transylvania County
Address: 89C Hospital Dr.
Brevard, N.C. 28712
Phone: (828) 883-4454
Email contact form
Transylvania County Department of Public Health
Health Director: Steven E. Smith
Address: Community Services Building
98 E. Morgan St.
Brevard, N.C. 28712
Phone: (828) 884-3135
Email: steve.smith@transylvaniacounty.org
Transylvania Regional Hospital
Address: 260 Hospital Dr.
Brevard, N.C. 28712
Phone: (828) 884-9111
Email contact form
HCAHPS Patient Perceptions Survey 10/2010-9/2011 rankings:
Rate 9 or 10 Overall: 77 percent
Always Clean and Quiet: 73 percent
Crime and Law Enforcement
Crime Rate Per 100,000 (2011): 1,922.3
Violent Crime Rate: 171.7
Property Crime Rate: 1,750.6
Number of registered sex offenders: 34
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.
Contributors Katie Bailey and Clay Hurand supplied additional research to this report.
This page will be regularly updated. Contact us with updates or questions.
