Cost of living in Asheville: rent, homes and salary
In 2024, BEA regional price parity (RPP) numbers for the Asheville, NC metro area came to 96.5 against 100 for the US, and housing alone 93.4, so cost of living in Asheville is 3.5% below the US average.
- Overall prices
- 96.5US = 100, BEA 2024
- Price level for housing
- 93.4. Rents, US = 100.
Cost of living index for Asheville
A regional price parity compares the cost of one basket of goods and services in one place with the US average, which is set at 100. The Asheville, NC metro area includes Asheville, and BEA prices the whole area together. Utilities sit furthest from the US average: 88.6, or 11.4% below the US.
| Price level, US = 100 | Asheville, NC metro | North Carolina | Metro against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 96.5 | 94.3 | −3.5% |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.6 | −3.4% |
| Housing (rents) | 93.4 | 81.4 | −6.6% |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 88.6 | −11.4% |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.2 | −1.8% |
For 2024, regional price parities for metro areas and states come from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. BEA regional price parities
Asheville rents
In Asheville, typical asking rent is $1,726 a month, +0.2% on a year, according to the Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI). It tracks rent on homes listed now. In the US, it is $1,932. Census median gross rent is $1,611. It counts every renting household, not only new leases. Asking rent for a year equals 26% of the median household income.
| Rent | Asheville | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical asking rent, Zillow ZORI | $1,726 | $1,932 |
| Asking rent, 12-month change | +0.2% | |
| Median gross rent, Census ACS 2024 | $1,611 | $1,487 |
| Asking rent for a year, as a share of median income | 26% | 28% |
One-year estimates from the Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024, along with the Zillow Observed Rent Index.
Asheville home prices
In September 2026, the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) put the value of a typical home in Asheville at $444,478, a figure for a typical home at the middle of the market. That works out to −5.0% on a year, compared with $366,157 for the US. That price equals 5.6 years of median household income, while the US figure is 4.5.
| Home prices | Asheville | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value, September 2026 | $444,478 | $366,157 |
| 12-month change | −5.0% | +1.2% |
| 10-year change | +69.8% | +77.4% |
| Price to income (years of median income) | 5.6 | 4.5 |
| Price to rent (years of asking rent) | 21.5 | 15.8 |
A price chart going back to 2000, a forecast, plus days on market: Asheville housing market.
What salary you need to live in Asheville
Two questions set the salary in Asheville: where you live and what you earn. That figure buys what your pay buys now.
- Moving from:
- Salary
How the method works, with every city shown alongside: cost of living city comparison.
Moving to Asheville? Compare moving quotes on Moving.com, a mover-quote service; we are not paid for this link.
Asheville cost of living compared with other cities
| City | Overall prices | Housing | Typical rent figure | Value of a typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville | 96.5 | 93.4 | $1,726 | $444,478 |
| Durham | 97.6 | 98.9 | $1,626 | $384,724 |
| Winston-Salem | 92.0 | 71.4 | $1,478 | $260,047 |
| Wilmington, North Carolina | 96.4 | 93.2 | $1,713 | $416,464 |
| New York City | 112.6 | 148.6 | $4,089 | $825,854 |
| Los Angeles | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,772 | $927,891 |
| Chicago | 103.6 | 112.0 | $2,311 | $334,108 |
| Houston | 98.6 | 104.5 | $1,544 | $259,465 |
| Phoenix | 103.3 | 121.2 | $1,571 | $404,067 |
Source for price levels: BEA regional price parities (2024), where US = 100. Rent data: Zillow ZORI. Home values: Zillow ZHVI, September 2026.
All cities, ranked: cost of living by city. Each state: living costs by state.