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Buying a home in Asheville, North Carolina

The typical owner-occupied home in Asheville is worth about $440,000, 52% above the North Carolina median of $288,900 and 32% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,960 a year in property taxes, about 0.67% of their home's value, close to the North Carolina rate of 0.66%. The median household earns $71,102 a year, so the median home costs 6.2 times the median income (4.0 times for North Carolina). 52% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 60% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Asheville at a glance

Asheville North Carolina U.S.
Median home value $440,000 $288,900 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $2,960 $1,896 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.67% 0.66% 0.94%
Median household income $71,102 $72,388 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 52% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 60% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,886 $1,631 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 19.8% 19.4% 21.0%
Median rent $1,402 $1,228 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 31.7% 29.5% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1982 1991 1980
Vacant homes 25.3% 12.5% 10.1%
Population 94,535 10,730,404 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Asheville

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Asheville home of $440,000 with 20% down costs about $2,797 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $3,530, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $119,868 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 47% of the median Asheville household income of $71,102; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $261,000.

The median rent here is $1,402 a month, so owning the median home costs about $1,395 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$88,000
Loan amount$352,000
Principal and interest$2,368
Property taxes (0.67% a year)$246
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$183
PMI$0
Total per month$2,797

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$15,400
Loan amount$432,030
Principal and interest$2,906
Property taxes (0.67% a year)$246
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$183
FHA mortgage insurance$195
Total per month$3,530

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Questions about home buying in Asheville

What is the median home value in Asheville?

About $440,000 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Asheville?

Homeowners pay a median $2,960 a year, which is about 0.67% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Asheville?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $2,797 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $119,868 a year.

More about Asheville

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data