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Asheville

#4 in Best Places to Live in Asheville Area
  • A
    Overall Grade
  • Town in North Carolina
  • 283 reviews
    A
    Overall Niche Grade
    How are grades calculated?
    1. Public Schools
      B+
    2. Crime & Safety
      C
    3. Housing
      C+
    4. Nightlife
      A
    5. Good for Families
      A-
    6. Diversity
      A-
    7. Jobs
      B+
    8. Weather
      B+
    9. Cost of Living
      C+
    10. Health & Fitness
      A
    11. Outdoor Activities
      A
    12. Commute
      A
    View Full Report Card
    Asheville is a town in North Carolina with a population of 89,318. Asheville is in Buncombe County and is one of the best places to live in North Carolina. Living in Asheville offers residents a dense suburban feel and most residents rent their homes. In Asheville there are a lot of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many young professionals live in Asheville and residents tend to have moderate political views. The public schools in Asheville are above average.
    Population
    89,318

    Real Estate

    Median Home Value
    $227,500
    National
    $184,700
    Median Rent
    $954
    National
    $949
    Area Feel
    Dense Suburban
    Rent vs. Own
    • Rent
      51%
    • Own
      49%
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    Asheville Rankings

    Niche ranks thousands of places to live based on key statistics from the U.S. Census and and expert insights.

    Crime & Safety

    Crime & Safety
    C
    Based on violent and property crime rates.
    Violent Crimes
    • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
    National
    • Assault
      420.7
      282.7
    • Murder
      12.9
      6.1
    • Rape
      39.3
      40.7
    • Robbery
      158.8
      135.5
    Property Crimes
    • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
    National
    • Burglary
      741.5
      500.1
    • Theft
      3,978.1
      2,042.8
    • Motor Vehicle Theft
      429.2
      284

    Residents

    Diversity
    A-
    Based on ethnic and economic diversity.
    Age
    • <10 years
      10%
    • 10-17 years
      8%
    • 18-24 years
      10%
    • 25-34 years
      17%
    • 35-44 years
      14%
    • 45-54 years
      12%
    • 55-64 years
      12%
    • 65+ years
      17%
    Education Levels
    National
    • Master's degree or higher
      19%
      12%
    • Bachelor's degree
      30%
      19%
    • Some college or associate's degree
      27%
      29%
    • High school diploma or equivalent
      18%
      28%
    • Less than high school diploma
      7%
      13%

    Working in Asheville

    Jobs
    B+
    Based on employment rates, job and business growth, and cost of living.
    Median Household Income
    $46,464
    National
    $55,322
    Search for Jobs in Asheville
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    Asheville Reviews

    283 reviews
    All Categories
    Asheville is a haven for hipsters and snobs alike, and everyone in-between. Travel back in time and experience what it feels like to be echelon at the Biltmore Estate, explore their botanical gardens, ride a horse through the farmlands, and of course peruse the mansion. For the more modern explorers, check out Pack Square Park on a Friday night at the drum circle. Where locals like to display their artistic abilities of instruments and dance, join in! Or you could venture to the Blue Ridge Parkway, with hiking, running and biking trails, you will never run out of outdoor activities to do, fun for the whole family.
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    A once great place, over-touted by the Tourist Development Authority. Lots of crime. Rapid development everywhere - lots of downtown condos and hotels. TDA and city created a tax penalty on home vacation rentals. This is to try to keep working residents from Air BnB'ing their homes, in competition with the fresh-looking-but-shoddy-built hotels. Old infrastructure. Limited, low-paying jobs. Skewed leadership. Including Buncombe county tax office who, over the phone, admitted that they are very aggressive about tax collections. Great people. Good schools. Some great art galleries and museums. Some tasty restaurants. The fancy ones are mostly not worth the price. The affordable dining is a better value. Wealthy home buyers considering moving here should not count on workers fluid with luxury service industry to be here. They're in the big cities where they can actually make money. Asheville is too small for them.
    I've lived in Asheville since the later half of 2015, and I gotta say, it's probably once of my favorite places! There are amazing restaurants everywhere, beautiful views, great people, and it's only a short drive from many dazzling natural attractions! The only reason it's not rated 5 stars, however, is because of there being a large amount of drug usage in certain areas.