So, you want to move to Asheville? You’re not alone. With a bright blue backdrop set behind rolling, mountainous land, you couldn’t choose a more stunning region to put down roots. A cultural hub for music, food, health, and art, nestled in the arms of the great Blue Ridge Mountains, it doesn’t get much better than Asheville.

If your sights are set on North Carolina, we’re ready to welcome you. Here are some things you need to know about moving to “The Land of the Sky!”

Big City Buzz, Small Town Charm

Asheville is home to about 93,000 people. The thriving job market has stable career fields in healthcare and education which keeps its residents living comfortably. The unemployment rate remains low, and a happily, rumbling economy encourages growth and innovation.

Tourism and hospitality are booming with plenty of shops, hotels, restaurants, and attractions. Even so, residents enjoy a relatively short commute of 15 minutes on average. Shops range from big box stores and national chains to mom-and-pop shops and local, independent businesses. The natural attractions bring millions of visitors a year, but the expansive mountain scenery never feels crowded.

Outdoor Adventure

If you admire Mother Nature, Asheville will be home-sweet-home for you. With two national parks, two national forests, an array of state parks and forests, hundreds of waterfalls, not to mention everything the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains have to offer, you will never be in want for fresh air and beautiful vistas. From picnicking to mountain biking to floating along the French Broad River, the opportunities for outdoor adventure are seemingly endless for any nature junkie.

Family Friendly

Asheville is a wonderful place to raise a family at any stage of life. Local public schools offer extremely high ratings with plenty of private and charter school options also available.

Family activities are endless throughout the area. The Asheville Museum of Science lets kids dig for dinosaur fossils and explore the Hall of Minerals. Take the family for a night on the town with everything from laser tag to go-carts to the Asheville Pinball Museum with over 75 vintage video games.

As your little ones grow into young adults, there are plenty of options for higher education, including the University of North Carolina at Asheville (UNC Asheville) and Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (AB-Tech). There’s also Western Carolina nearby and several private colleges throughout Western North Carolina.

Weather

In August 2012, The Weather Channel named Asheville one of America’s Safest Weather Cities. It offers four distinct seasons with one of the longest fall color seasons in the US.

With an elevation of approximately 2,200 feet, it has a very low risk of flooding, tornadoes and heat waves. Despite the higher elevation, Asheville sports relatively mild winters. While temperatures occasionally drop below freezing, the average temperature in January is a high of 47° and a low of 28° with snowfall well below the national average due to the protective surrounding mountains.

Summers are warm and humid with average highs reaching 85° in July — not bad for the South!

Food and Drink

Yelp dubbed Asheville a “regional-food powerhouse” in its article Top Foodie Destinations of 2020 with a “slew of restaurants, breweries, and food businesses ‘powered by generations-old family farms.’” Locals endearingly call the food scene in Asheville “Foodtopia” and are very proud of the community of culinary collaborators which nurture both the body and the soul. Just Google “food in Asheville” and you’ll see why visitors call it “the Paris of the South.” The beer scene drives much of the culinary excitement as well, offering more than 30 breweries and housing some of the world’s best craft beers.

Art and Music

The Asheville area is home to the River Art District where you can visit the working studios and galleries of hundreds of artists. Painting, sculpture, photography, wood-working, metal-working, everything you can imagine. Enjoy all the artistic vibes surrounded by the colorful and eclectic architecture of downtown Asheville.

Music also thrives in the area. Pritchard Park is known for its assortment of street performers and weekly drum circle. The legacy of our old mountain music is made new by the lively, perhaps unexpected, full spectrum of innovative musicians. With a myriad of indoor and outdoor venues, touring musicians and bars and clubs with nightly shows, you can stumble across live music any night of the week.

Housing

Asheville offers a range of living options from cozy starter cottages to downtown condos to forever homes. Whether you’re a young professional looking to live in the middle of everything or part of a growing family that’s looking to find a quiet neighborhood, Asheville has a place for you.

In 2021, the median list price for a house was $349,000. While there are a number of historical options to choose from, if you are looking for something a little newer but still in the vibe of all the stunning Asheville architecture, take a look at our new build options!

You’ll notice that Asheville has many nicknames. That’s because everyone who comes here feels the culture and community that brings us all together, visitors and residents alike. If you are thinking about relocating to one of the best places to live in the country, we’d love to be a part of your journey. If building a new home is in your sights, request more information below to get the conversation started.