United States › North Carolina
Buncombe County, North Carolina
Population 274,360 · Asheville, Black Mountain, Woodfin
- Overall cost of living: −3.5% vs the US average, higher than 82% of US counties.
- % Adults with a bachelor's degree: 45.9%, higher than 95% of US counties.
- Median home price: $391,800, higher than 90% of US counties.
Cost & Housing
| Overall cost of living (vs US avg) | ≈−3.5% | higher than 82% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| ≈ Shared figure for the whole Asheville, NC metro area. Prices are published for areas, not single counties. | ||
| Median home price | $391,800 | higher than 90% of US counties |
| Median rent | $1,362 | higher than 89% of US counties |
| Electric bill | $143/mo | lower than 80% of US counties |
| Child care (preschool) | $9,099/yr | higher than 72% of US counties |
| Property tax rate | 0.57% | lower than 75% of US counties |
| Sales tax | 4.75% | lower than 70% of US counties |
| State income tax | 4.5% | lower than 55% of US counties |
| Property tax paid / yr | $2,222 | higher than 70% of US counties |
Jobs & Career
| Median household income | $74,436 | higher than 72% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | higher than 76% of US counties |
| Job growth (5 yr) | +0.9% | higher than 51% of US counties |
| Jobs per 1k residents | 472.9 | higher than 92% of US counties |
| Profession jobs per 1k residents | N/A |
Climate & Environment
| Sunny days / yr | ≈212 days | lower than 52% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| ≈ Regional estimate: satellite grid cell about 100 km across. Nearby counties can share it. | ||
| July high | 84°F | lower than 69% of US counties |
| January low | 26°F | higher than 58% of US counties |
| Annual snowfall | 10 in | lower than 53% of US counties |
| Hot days (90°F+) | ≈6 days | lower than 88% of US counties |
| ≈ Weather station: Black Mtn 2 W, NC, 11 mi from where the county’s people live. | ||
| Freezing days (32°F or colder) | ≈103 days | lower than 54% of US counties |
| ≈ Weather station: Black Mtn 2 W, NC, 11 mi from where the county’s people live. | ||
| Severe drought | 14.2% of weeks | higher than 70% of US counties |
| Summer dew point | ≈62.5°F | lower than 55% of US counties |
| ≈ Regional estimate: NASA grid cell about 50 km across, read at where the county’s people live. Nearby counties can share it. | ||
| Annual precipitation | 44.9 in | higher than 56% of US counties |
| Disaster damage per $100k | $103/yr | lower than 75% of US counties |
| Flood damage per $100k | $86/yr | higher than 54% of US counties |
| Hurricane damage per $100k | $0.91/yr | higher than 65% of US counties |
| Earthquake damage per $100k | $4.6/yr | higher than 65% of US counties |
| Tornado damage per $100k | $5.2/yr | lower than 64% of US counties |
| Wildfire damage per $100k | $0.6/yr | higher than 50% of US counties |
| PM2.5 air pollution | 6 µg/m³ | lower than 85% of US counties |
| Distance to coast | 243.2 mi | higher than 57% of US counties |
| Terrain relief | ≈2,926 ft | higher than 88% of US counties |
| ≈ Estimated from about 75 elevation points sampled across the county, so the true range is usually somewhat larger. | ||
Education & Health
| % Adults with a high school diploma | 92.6% | higher than 71% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| % Adults with a bachelor's degree | 45.9% | higher than 95% of US counties |
| % Adults with a graduate degree | 19% | higher than 95% of US counties |
| Colleges within 30 mi | 10 | higher than 84% of US counties |
| Student-teacher ratio | 13.8:1 | higher than 49% of US counties |
| On-time high school graduation | 90.3% | higher than 57% of US counties |
| 8th-grade math (grade level) | gr 8.67 | higher than 79% of US counties |
| 8th-grade reading (grade level) | gr 8.22 | higher than 71% of US counties |
| 3rd-grade math (grade level) | gr 3.09 | higher than 60% of US counties |
| Library visits per resident | 2.6 | higher than 56% of US counties |
| Primary care docs / 100k | 148/100k | higher than 98% of US counties |
| Hospitals within 25 mi | 6 | higher than 76% of US counties |
| Hospital quality (avg stars) | 4★ | higher than 79% of US counties |
| Life expectancy | 77.6 yrs | higher than 72% of US counties |
| % Uninsured (under 65) | 12.7% | higher than 75% of US counties |
| Mental health providers / 100k | 948/100k | higher than 99% of US counties |
| Dentists / 100k | 78/100k | higher than 86% of US counties |
| Lyme disease cases | 14.7/100k | higher than 84% of US counties |
| % Near parks or rec facilities | 76.3% | higher than 70% of US counties |
Transit & Connectivity
| Airport drive time | 28 min | lower than 90% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Int'l airport drive time | 76 min | lower than 70% of US counties |
| Avg commute | 21 min | lower than 69% of US counties |
| Broadband coverage | 90.3% | higher than 76% of US counties |
| Transit commute share | 0.7% | higher than 78% of US counties |
| Work-from-home share | 17.6% | higher than 93% of US counties |
| Drive to a big city | 135 min | higher than 54% of US counties |
| Street intersections | 47 per sq mi | higher than 76% of US counties |
Community & Safety
| Violent crime | 2.6 per 1k | higher than 62% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Property crime | 20.2 per 1k | higher than 92% of US counties |
| Population | 274,360 | higher than 92% of US counties |
| Median age | 42.6 | higher than 60% of US counties |
| Net domestic migration | +5 per 1k/yr | higher than 63% of US counties |
| % Democratic vote | 61.7% Dem | higher than 95% of US counties |
| % Republican vote | 36.9% Rep | lower than 95% of US counties |
| % Third-party vote | 1.4% | higher than 55% of US counties |
| % White | 80.8% | higher than 51% of US counties |
| % Hispanic or Latino | 8.6% | higher than 68% of US counties |
| % Black | 4.8% | higher than 64% of US counties |
| % Asian | 1.1% | higher than 68% of US counties |
| % American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | lower than 50% of US counties |
| % Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0% | the lowest in the US |
| % Two or more races | 4.3% | higher than 69% of US counties |
| % Some other race | 0.4% | higher than 58% of US counties |
Recreation & Lifestyle
| Parks & protected areas | 303 parks | higher than 82% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants / 10k | 24.3 | higher than 93% of US counties |
| Arts & rec venues / 10k | 7.4 | higher than 89% of US counties |
| Drive to dark skies | 76 min | higher than 82% of US counties |
| Lakes & rivers | 0.5% | lower than 70% of US counties |
| Ski areas within 90 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Golf courses within 30 mi | 27 | higher than 74% of US counties |
| Marinas & boat tours within 90 mi | 30 | higher than 69% of US counties |
| Trails (km) within 30 mi | 1,631 km | higher than 92% of US counties |
| Named paved greenways (km) within 15 mi | 23 km | higher than 81% of US counties |
| Gyms & fitness centers within 30 mi | 61 | higher than 79% of US counties |
| Bars within 30 mi | 82 | higher than 82% of US counties |
| Music & theater companies within 30 mi | 14 | higher than 85% of US counties |
| Museums within 30 mi | 10 | higher than 84% of US counties |
| Breweries within 30 mi | 51 | higher than 97% of US counties |
| Wineries within 30 mi | 11 | higher than 92% of US counties |
| Theme parks & arcades within 90 mi | 60 | higher than 84% of US counties |
| Casinos & casino hotels within 90 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Campgrounds & RV parks within 30 mi | 18 | higher than 95% of US counties |
| Sports teams & arenas within 90 mi | 37 | higher than 67% of US counties |
| Bike paths (km) within 15 mi | 53 km | higher than 74% of US counties |
Most similar counties
Closest across all well-covered metrics.
Every number is from a public dataset; N/A means the source doesn't cover this county. Percentages compare against all US counties. ≈ marks a value not measured in the county itself; the line under it says where it comes from. Report bad data