Macon Quality of LifeThe Quality of Life category will include (but is not limited to) the following areas:
Physicians Per Thousand
Crime Rates
Property Tax Rates
Land Types
Overview
Macon County population increases are largely due to the exceptional quality of life available in the county. Between the years of 1985 and 2005, Macon County experienced a 125% increase in primary care physicians, which now equates to 1.13 physicians per thousand citizens. This is 22.12% higher than the state average of .88 primary care physicians per thousand citizens. Violent crimes per thousand citizens in Macon County is .78 compared to the state average of 4.9, and property crimes in Macon County are 22.31 per thousand citizens compared to the state average of 41.11.
Macon County Quality of Life
Untitled Document
2008 Property Tax Rates per $100 Assessed Valuation
Sources: Log Into North Carolina (LINC), online state data center of North Carolina.
Notes: "All Physicians" excludes federal and resident-in--training physicians.
Forest and Non-Forest Land in Acres (2002) (Thousand Acres)
Land Types
Macon Acres
Macon Percent
NC Acres
NC Percent
Forest Land
259.8
78.61%
18,268.70
58.60%
Non-Forest Land
70.7
21.39%
12,906.20
41.40%
Total Land
330.5
100.00%
31,174.90
100.00%
Notes:"Forest Land" - land at least 16% stocked by forest trees of any size and not developed for non-forest use.
Notes: "Non-forest land" - land that has never been forested and land formerly forested where timber production is precluded by development for other uses.
Forest Land in Acres (2002) (Thousand Acres)
Forest Types
Macon Acres
Macon Percent
NC Acres
NC Percent
Timberland
245.3
94.40%
17,684
96.80%
Woodland
7.3
2.80%
552
3.02%
Reserved
7.3
2.80%
32
0.18%
Total Acres
259.8
100.00%
18,268
100.00%
Notes:"Timberland" - land at least 16% stocked by forest trees of any size or formerly having such tree cover not currently developed for non-forest use and capable of producing 20 cubic feet of industrial wood per acre per year and not withdrawn from timber use by legislative action.
Notes: "Reserved" - forest land sufficiently productive to qualify as timberland but withdrawn from timber utilization through statute or administrative designation..
Timberland by Ownership Type
Owner
Macon Acres
Macon Percent
NC Acres
NC Percent
National Forest
142.7
58.17%
1,105.40
6.25%
Federal Miscellaneous
0
0.00%
585.90
3.31%
State Forest
0
0.00%
468.50
2.65%
County/Municipal
0
0.00%
191.60
1.09%
Forest Industry
0
0.00%
1,498.70
8.47%
Corporate Private
12.40
5.06%
2,291.20
13.52%
Individual Private
90.20
36.77%
11,443.20
64.71%
Sources: Statistics for the Mountains of North Carolina, USDA Forest Service, Southeastern Forest Experimental Station, Resource Bulletin SRS-87.
Macon County population increases are largely due to the exceptional quality of life available in the county. Between the years of 1985 and 2005, Macon County experienced a 125% increase in primary care physicians, which now equates to 1.13 physicians per thousand citizens. This is 22.12% higher than the state average of .88 primary care physicians per thousand citizens. Violent crimes per thousand citizens in Macon County is .78 compared to the state average of 4.9, and property crimes in Macon County are 22.31 per thousand citizens compared to the state average of 41.11. 
