2026 Q1 Economic Indicators
The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce has released its first Economic Indicators of 2026. This quarterly report examines five key statistics within the Watauga County & High Country Economy:
- Residential Home Sales
- Sales Tax
- Occupancy Tax
- Unemployment Rates
- New Single-Family Homes
This report also features a summary of local economic impacts by Dr. Harry Davis, Appalachian State and North Carolina Bankers Association Professor and long-standing regional economist. It includes quick statistics and commentary on local commercial real estate activity provided by James Milner, CCIM, of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate, as well as a summary of the residential real estate market supplied by Stacie Pineda of the Stacie Pineda Real Estate Group. In addition, David Jackson provides highlights from Placer AI data, offering insight into visitor patterns and activity during key periods across the region.
"The winter economy in the High Country has long been influenced by its unpredictability. If and when snow falls is the difference between a good season and a great season, and this quarter showed us just how much timing of winter weather matters."
- David Jackson, Boone Area Chamber of Commerce President/CEO
The 2026 Q1 Economic Indicators report was developed and data compiled with the assistance of the Watauga County Economic Development Commission, Watauga County Tourism Development Authority, High Country Association of Realtors, Placer AI, and the Chamber’s Business Development Committee.
A review of data for previous reports can be found here.
To contact Dr. Harry Davis for follow-up comments, please contact the Walker College of Business at Appalachian State University at 828-262-4030.
For James Milner, email james@appalachiancre.com.
To reach Stacie Pineda, email stacie@staciepineda.com.