Cost of living in Asheville research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Asheville is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in North Carolina, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Asheville is 106, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Asheville is 1.1x higher than the national average.
Asheville ranks as the #122 cheapest in North Carolina out of 153.
Asheville ranks as the #3,772 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Asheville is $319,400.
The median income in Asheville is $58,193.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Asheville has an overall cost of living index of 106, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to North Carolina, Asheville has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than North Carolina's index of 95.
The standard of living in Asheville ranks as #122 most affordable out of the 153 places we measured in North Carolina. By definition, that implies Asheville ranks as the #31 most expensive place in the Tar Heel State.
For more reading on life in Asheville, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Asheville. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Asheville is 101.
The Groceries index in Asheville is 96.
The Health index in Asheville is 118.
The Housing index in Asheville is 107.
The Transportation index in Asheville is 101.
The Utilities index in Asheville is 106.
Living Expense | Asheville | North Carolina | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 106 | 95 | 100 | |
Services | 101 | 97 | 100 | |
Groceries | 96 | 98 | 100 | |
Health | 118 | 108 | 100 | |
Housing | 107 | 91 | 100 | |
Transportation | 101 | 92 | 100 | |
Utilities | 106 | 95 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in North Carolina, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Asheville is $319,400.
The Median Rent in Asheville is $1,152.
The Median Income in Asheville is $58,193.
The Home Value To Income in Asheville is 5.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Asheville is 0.24x.
Statistic | Asheville | North Carolina | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $319,400 | $197,500 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,152 | $988 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $58,193 | $60,516 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 5.5x | 3.3x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.24x | 0.2x | 0.2x |
Item | Asheville | North Carolina |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.13 | $1.06 |
Movie | $12.49 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $15.0 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $25.0 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $50.0 | $39.05 |
Item | Asheville | North Carolina |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.12 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.19 | $1.39 |
Milk | $1.79 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.69 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $10.49 | $10.62 |
Beer | $10.16 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.69 | $2.34 |
Item | Asheville | North Carolina |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $117.32 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $116.59 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $128.33 | $99.13 |
Item | Asheville | North Carolina |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.19 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $56.16 | $50.07 |
Item | Asheville | North Carolina |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $185.77 | $167.67 |
Phone | $179.92 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Asheville. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Hendersonville, NC has a cost of living index of 98, 0.9x Asheville.
Black Mountain, NC has a cost of living index of 101, 1.0x Asheville.
Fletcher, NC has a cost of living index of 104, 1.0x Asheville.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Asheville |
---|---|---|---|
Hendersonville, NC | 14,878 | 98 | 0.9x |
Black Mountain, NC | 8,386 | 101 | 1.0x |
Fletcher, NC | 7,935 | 104 | 1.0x |
Woodfin, NC | 7,771 | 95 | 0.9x |
Etowah, NC | 7,464 | 99 | 0.9x |
Mills River, NC | 7,082 | 105 | 1.0x |