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Workforce report: Alleghany County population ages, manufacturing leads employment and commuting patterns extend beyond county
Summary
The High Country Workforce Development Board provided demographic and employment data for Alleghany County showing an older median age, manufacturing as the largest employment sector, and notable commuting flows to neighboring counties.
Garrison Wagner presented a High Country Workforce Development Board update to the commissioners that summarized county population and labor‑market metrics and commuting patterns.
Wagner said Alleghany County’s population is 11,075 with a civilian labor force of 4,505 and a labor-force participation rate of 47.8%. He reported the county’s median age at 51.4, compared with a North Carolina median age of 39.1 and a U.S. median age of 38.7. Wagner said Alleghany’s unemployment rate was 3.8%, versus 3.4% for North Carolina and 3.9% nationally.
Wagner reviewed industry composition: manufacturing accounted for 18.9% of employment, agriculture/forestry/fishing/hunting 11.8%, and health care and social assistance 10.7%. He said manufacturing also led county GDP at roughly $88,000,000, followed by real estate, rental and leasing at about $50,000,000 and agriculture at about $37,000,000.
Maps in the provided packet showed commuting patterns: many county residents work in neighboring jurisdictions including Grayson County, Galax, Surry County, Ashe County, Forsyth and Mecklenburg, with others commuting to Wake and Guilford counties. Wagner said the worker-in‑county map showed roughly 3,000 workers employed in Alleghany County with a similar pattern of residences clustered in adjacent counties.
Wagner closed by noting that NAPCO and Parkdale Mills have resumed participation on the workforce board and that the board is now more fully represented.
