City safety & data profile

AshevilleNC

Asheville, NC is a 95K-resident city in Buncombe County with a median household income of $71,102.

Buncombe County, North Carolina. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Asheville, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Asheville has a population larger than 92% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $440,000, and 2 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

95K
Population
Top 8%
By size
$71,102
Median income
$440,000
Median home
14.3%
Poverty rate

The read on Asheville

Asheville posts a median household income higher than 38% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 2 hospitals serve the Asheville area.

Top 62%
by median income, US cities
2
hospitals in & near Asheville

Where Asheville income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$71,102 Bottom 38% higher than 38% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. NC $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. 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, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Asheville, NC beyond the headline numbers

Asheville sits inside Buncombe County, North Carolina, at roughly 35.60°N, -82.55°W. Population 95,056, $71,102 median household income. Median home value $440,000, median rent $1,402. Poverty rate 14.3%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Asheville's highest-prevalence health measure is high blood pressure at 34.3%, then obesity at 31.5%. 2 hospitals in/around Asheville, 3.5/5 avg rating, 2 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Asheville from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
95,056
Asheville
Median Income
$71,102
+5% vs avg
Median Home Value
$440,000
+93% vs avg
Median Age
40.7
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Buncombe County) - Asheville's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
274K+13%
Median Income
$74,436+66%
Median Home Value
$391,800+105%
Poverty Rate
11.8%-31%
Unemployment
4.3%-49%

Economics

Economics indicators for Asheville, NC
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,402/mo
Poverty Rate
14.3%
Unemployment 5.1%
Bachelor's Degree+ 53.4%
Work From Home 20.1%
Public Transit 1.3%

Population

White 80.3%
African American 8.2%
Asian 1.1%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.8%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

High Blood Pressure
34.3%
Obesity
31.5%
Short Sleep Duration
28.8%
Physical Inactivity
20%
Frequent Mental Distress
15.9%
Binge Drinking
15.7%
Current Smoking
12.1%
Frequent Physical Distress
11.8%
Current Asthma
10.6%
Diabetes
10.4%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 66.4%
Annual Checkup 78.2%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
9.2%
Coronary Heart Disease
6.1%
Stroke
3.3%

Hospitals 2 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
1
★★★
1
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
3.5/5
Total Hospitals
2
With ER
2
ASHEVILLE-OTEEN VA MEDICAL CENTER
ASHEVILLE · Acute Care - Veterans Administration · ER
★★★★☆
MEMORIAL MISSION HOSPITAL AND ASHEVILLE SURGERY CE
ASHEVILLE · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Asheville, NC? ▼
Asheville, NC has a population of 95,056 people, located in Buncombe County, North Carolina.
What is the median household income in Asheville? ▼
The median household income in Asheville, NC is $71,102 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 14.3%.
What is the median home value in Asheville? ▼
The median home value in Asheville, NC is $440,000. Median rent is $1,402/month.
What are the top health concerns in Asheville? ▼
The top health indicators in Asheville include High Blood Pressure (34.3%), Obesity (31.5%), Short Sleep Duration (28.8%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Asheville? ▼
Asheville has 2 hospitals with an average rating of 3.5/5 stars. 2 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Asheville? ▼
The median age in Asheville, NC is 40.7 years. 53.4% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Asheville, NC is located in Buncombe County, North Carolina. With a population of 95K and a $71,102 median household income, the community faces health challenges including high blood pressure and obesity. Residents have access to 2 hospitals with an average rating of 3.5/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Asheville area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - North Carolina

Real-time AQI for every monitored North Carolina location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Hendersonville, NC 14K Greeneville, TN 15K Berea, SC 14K Taylors, SC 22K Wade Hampton, SC 21K Greer, SC 28K Johnson City, TN 66K Parker, SC 11K
All cities in North Carolina → Compare Asheville vs Hendersonville → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Asheville's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Asheville area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Asheville against North Carolina peers on any ranking lens. Explore North Carolina

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Buncombe County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.