[4] Until the early 20th century, the vast majority of Transylvania County residents subsisted through agriculture, growing staples such as potatoes and cabbage.

[5] Beginning in the early 20th century, with Joseph Silverstein's tannery in what was renamed as Rosman in 1905, a manufacturing economy began to develop in the county.

[5] In the following decades, Brevard College and its namesake town each grew at dramatic rates.

Many of the manufacturing operations went defunct or moved offshore for cheap labor, including Ecusta and DuPont.

Since then, the county has worked to reshape its economy around the growing summer and winter tourism industry in Appalachia.

[8] The headwaters of Lake Toxaway lie south of the Eastern Continental Divide, becoming the Toxaway River, descending rapidly through Gorges State Park and into Lake Jocassee on the county's southern edge.

This area, known as the Cane Brake, is difficult to access from North Carolina due to the steep slope of the trails in Gorges State Park, but can be reached more easily via the Foothills Trail from South Carolina.

It receives over 90 inches (2,300 mm) of rain annually due to orographic lift, making it the state's wettest county.

Transylvania County has a council-manager form of government, with a five-member Board of Commissioners elected at large.

The current members of the Board of Commissioners are Jason Chappell (chairman), Jake Dalton (vice-chairman), Teresa McCall, Larry Chapman, and Emmett Casciato.

Transylvania Regional Hospital (TRH) was formed in 1933 with the mission to serve the community's health care needs.