Buncombe County · Asheville · population 94,992
Where Asheville stands
Home values down 5.2% in the last year.
Home value trajectory · last 10 years
Zillow ZHVI · monthlyLifestyle scores
Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.
Rent trajectory · last 5 years
Zillow ZORI · monthlyHome value vs rent · indexed to 100
Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)Rent vs buy
At a 22.3 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Asheville. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.
How the momentum score breaks down
methodology →Asheville has held up across the cycle: home values at $461,425 with +4.3% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.
Asheville is down 5.2% over the last 12 months and the trend isn't flattening. Falling knife rule applies: you don't catch one with your hands, you wait for it to hit the floor and stop moving.
About Asheville
Asheville is a city in Buncombe County, North Carolina, with an estimated population of 94,992. The median home value in Asheville is $461,425 as of 2026-04, down 5.2% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.3% annual growth (-6.0% from the 5-year peak). Rents in Asheville average $1,724 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+0.7%). The composite momentum score is 49 of 100 (Stable). Conditions are neither hot nor cold, so the local fit matters more than market timing.
▲ Bull case
▼ Bear case
About Asheville (Wikipedia)
Asheville is a city in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the county seat of Buncombe County. It is the most populous city in Western North Carolina and the state's 11th-most populous city with a population of 94,589 at the 2020 census. The four-county Asheville metropolitan area has an estimated 422,000 residents.
Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.
City facts
Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.
Playbook
Lifestyle fit matters more than market timing in a Stable market. Take your time on the home and neighborhood; the macro trend isn't urgent. Negotiate normally.
Price competitively from day one or risk a 60+ day listing. Staging, photography, and presentation matter more in Stable markets than in Hot ones.
Stable cap rates, no big appreciation story to lean on. Underwrite this as a pure cash-flow play — the math has to work on rent alone.
Local safety & alerts
No active National Weather Service alerts for Buncombe County right now.
Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Buncombe County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.
Neighborhoods of Asheville
1 tracked · ranked by median home valueCities like Asheville
Run the numbers for Asheville
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.
Climate & natural-disaster risk
State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.
Current weather
Find rentals & listings
Open current Asheville listings on the major real-estate sites.
Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.
Local news & community
Latest news
- Stretch of I-26 West in Asheville to close overnight TuesdayWLOS · 1d ago
- Texas' No. 1 burger joint expands to the 'nicest' town in the USMySA · 2h ago
- NC Adult Correction will close Asheville prison due to short staffingThe Asheville Citizen Times · 1d ago
- Rain, thunderstorms expected in western North Carolina through Memorial Day weekendWLOS · 1d ago
- Business owners seek safety solutions after police used pepperballs to clear bar crowdWLOS · 1mo ago
- Rain, thunderstorms expected in western North Carolina through Memorial Day weekendWLOS · 1d ago
Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.
Local sports teams
Major professional teams the Asheville area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.
Local economy & environment
Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.
Cities similar to Asheville
Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.