Get paid to care for family in Watauga County
Most of the 9,870 people in Watauga County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. North Carolina Medicaid can pay you for that work.
Watauga County at a glance
- Aged 65+
- 9,870
- Aged 85+
- 890
- Rank in NC
- 61st
- Median age
- 31.9
18% of residents
when daily help usually starts
of 100 counties, by residents 65+
close to the national average
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Watauga County is a smaller-city county (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 5).
- 50 + DC
- states covered
- 3,144
- counties with local data
- $0
- it is always free to apply
- 2 min
- to see if you qualify
Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Rules from each state's published Medicaid program
Care in Watauga
What being a paid caregiver looks like here
About 9,870 people in Watauga County are 65 or older — 18% of everyone who lives here. That tracks with North Carolina as a whole. Roughly 890 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. There are only so many home-care agencies in a county this size, and the ones that are here do not always cover evenings, weekends, or the far end of the county.
Statewide, 2.0 million people in North Carolina are 65 or older — 18% of the state, across 100 counties.
What North Carolina pays family caregivers
Rates vary — check with the program.
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: North Carolina Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
North Carolina's programs at a glance
- CAP/DA (consumer-directed)
- Coordinated Caregiving
- CAP/C (children)
- Spouse paid?
- Yes
- Parent paid for a child?
- Yes
- Waitlist
- There may be a waitlist — apply early.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full North Carolina guide →
Towns and cities in Watauga County
North Carolina sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Boone and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Watauga County:
- Boone20,080
- Blowing Rock1,239
- Beech Mountain596
- Seven Devils275
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Watauga apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Watauga County start with North Carolina's program:
Contact a CAP/DA (or CAP/C) case management provider in your county to request a referral, and apply for NC Medicaid via ePASS or the local DSS office.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which North Carolina program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Watauga questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Watauga County?
Yes. North Carolina runs real Medicaid programs — like CAP/DA (consumer-directed) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Watauga County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Watauga County?
North Carolina doesn't publish one flat rate. The program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Watauga County apply?
Families in Watauga County start with the state, not the county. Contact a CAP/DA (or CAP/C) case management provider in your county to request a referral, and apply for NC Medicaid via ePASS or the local DSS office.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Watauga County?
Yes — a spouse can be paid here. The fine print for North Carolina: yes — spouse can be hired under CAP/Consumer-Directed, and family members including spouses can be the paid live-in 'supportive worker' under Coordinated Caregiving
How many people in Watauga County might need this?
9,870 residents of Watauga County are 65 or older and about 890 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. North Carolina's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Watauga do you cover?
All of Watauga County — including Boone, Blowing Rock, Beech Mountain and Seven Devils. Eligibility is set by North Carolina, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from North Carolina's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
Guides
For families in Watauga County
Start with the North Carolina caregiver program, then read how the pieces fit together.
Nearby
Counties next to Watauga
The counties Watauga touches, by Census boundaries — a few of those borders run across water. Ones marked with a state abbreviation are across the line, and their rules are their state's, not this one's.
Find out in 2 minutes
Answer 5 easy questions. See your programs and pay before you share any contact info.