City profile · North Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Asheville, NC

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Asheville - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

94,369
Residents
$67,221
Median income
$411,000
Median home
$1,567
Median rent (state)

Asheville - the verdict

Nationally, Asheville sits in the 46th percentile for household income and the 4th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

46th
percentile, household income
78th
percentile, home value
62nd
percentile, median rent
4th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Asheville, NC

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 94,369 residents in Asheville, a small city within North Carolina. Median household income here is $67,221 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 7.3%. Home values in Asheville run a median of $411,000, and the median resident age is 40.7 years. About 52.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 60.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 739 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 73% from five years earlier. Asheville's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 4691.3 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, above the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 57.3°F with 40.6 inches of precipitation per year and 11.5 inches of snowfall.

Living costs in North Carolina run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, North Carolina scores 94.3 (Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,567 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $215 across North Carolina, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Workers in Asheville report an average commute of 14.6 minutes, with 68.4% driving alone and 18.7% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 89.3 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

94,369 residents

Census ACS 2023 - North Carolina

Median Household Income

$67,221 /yr

Poverty 7.3%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.3 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, North Carolina average

How does Asheville compare to other US cities?

Asheville measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 46% higher than other cities
Home value 78% pricier than other cities
Median rent 62% pricier than other cities
Safety 4% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to North Carolina alone, Asheville ranks #169 of 195 North Carolina cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Asheville's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in North Carolina, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

46thIncome percentile
4thSafety percentile

46th percentile nationally for median household income · 4th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Asheville's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Asheville's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 27 Avg. percentile National median
Asheville's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Asheville's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$411,000 22nd percentile more affordable than 22% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). This entry sits in this band. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Asheville $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Asheville, NC Asheville, NC's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Asheville, NC-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Asheville, NC median $67,221/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Asheville, NC's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Asheville, NC. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 52.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 7.3%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 60.4%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
94,369
Median Income
$67,221
Median Home Value
$411,000
Median Age
40.7
Poverty Rate
7.3%
Labor force participation
60.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
52.0%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
4691.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
796.1
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3895.2
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
57.3°F
Annual Precipitation
40.6"
Annual Snowfall
11.5"

Schools

Total Schools
34
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
93,000 residents93,500 residents94,000 residents94,500 residents95,000 residents95,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 94,377 residents 93,523 residents ▼ -0.9%
Asheville's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
739
housing units authorized
Single-Family
279
detached homes
Multifamily
460
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
7.8
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 428
2020 474
2021 549
2022 511
2023 429
2024 739

Permit volume increased 73% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
14.6 minutes
Drive Alone
68.4%
Carpool
5.8%
Public Transit
1.5%
Walk
3.7%
Work from Home
18.7%
Other
1.9%

Based on 47,961 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for North Carolina - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$215
estimated/month

Estimates reflect North Carolina state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a North Carolina state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Asheville sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.3
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,567/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
89.3 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in North Carolina

Greenville
88,540 people
Concord
106,518 people
Gastonia
81,632 people
Jacksonville
73,507 people
High Point
115,263 people
Wilmington
118,578 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Asheville's 94,369 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Palm Coast, FL
94,362 people
Erie, PA
94,156 people
San Marcos, CA
94,078 people
Livonia, MI
94,058 people
Sandy, UT
94,723 people
Plantation, FL
94,002 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Asheville's $67,221 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Mount Eagle, PA
$67,222 median income
Greece, NY
$67,223 median income
Prineville Lake Acres, OR
$67,216 median income
Raytown, MO
$67,227 median income
Creston, IL
$67,212 median income
Columbus, NE
$67,212 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Asheville, NC Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Asheville, NC - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 80.0% 9.7% 6.5% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 7.1% White 80.0% Black or African American 9.7% Asian 1.3% American Indian 0.2% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 2.1% Two or more races 6.5% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Asheville compares to nearby North Carolina cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Asheville (this city) 94,369 $67,221
Greenville 88,540 $50,564
Concord 106,518 $84,752
Gastonia 81,632 $60,554
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NC FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Asheville, NC?

What is the population of Asheville, NC? +

94,369 people live in Asheville, NC according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Asheville, NC? +

Asheville households earn a median of $67,221 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Asheville? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Asheville; the closest available measure is the North Carolina state average, a cost of living index of 94.3 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within North Carolina vary by metro area.

Is Asheville, NC safe? +

Asheville has a total crime rate of 4691.3 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Asheville, NC? +

Homes in Asheville carry a median value of $411,000, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Asheville? +

Asheville has an average annual temperature of 57.3°F, 40.6 inches of precipitation, and 11.5 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.