Mills River is a somewhat small town located in the state of North Carolina. With a population of 7,337 people and three associated neighborhoods, Mills River is the 127th largest community in North Carolina. Mills River has seen a significant amount of newer housing growth in recent years. Quite often, new home construction is the result of new residents moving in who are middle class or wealthier, attracted by jobs, a healthy local economy, or other amenities as they leave nearby or far away areas for greener pastures. This seems to be the case in Mills River, where the median household income is $88,359.00.

Mills River real estate is some of the most expensive in North Carolina, although Mills River house values don't compare to the most expensive real estate in the U.S.

Of important note, Mills River is also a town of artists. Mills River has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Mills River’s character.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 9.88% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Because of many things, Mills River is a great place for families with children to consider. First of all, many other families with children live here, making Mills River a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families, as well as find family-oriented services and community. The town’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic values. With regard to real estate, Mills River has a high rate of owner-occupied single family homes, which tends to reflect stability in the local community. Finally, Mills River’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country.

Being a small town, Mills River does not have a public transit system used by locals to get to and from work.

The citizens of Mills River are among the most well-educated in the nation: 41.33% of adults in Mills River have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree, whereas the average US city has 21.84% holding at least a bachelor's degree.

The per capita income in Mills River in 2022 was $43,154, which is wealthy relative to North Carolina, and upper middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $172,616 for a family of four. However, Mills River contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Mills River is a somewhat ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Mills River home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Mills River residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Mills River include German, English, Irish, Italian, and Scottish.

The most common language spoken in Mills River is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Native American languages.