Asheville ranks among U.S. News best places to live in 2026-2027
Asheville landed at No. 648 nationally, but its new ranking lands alongside $459,972 home values, $1,267 rents and a county still rebuilding from Helene.
Asheville’s place on U.S. News & World Report’s 2026-2027 Best Places to Live list offers a useful snapshot of Buncombe County life, but the numbers behind it tell a more complicated story. Asheville ranked No. 648 nationally and No. 24 in North Carolina, with an overall score of 4.9 out of 10.
The city’s profile in the ranking points to the same qualities that have long fueled Asheville’s appeal. U.S. News says about 96,701 people live in Asheville, the median age is 39.7, and the average commute time is 17.44 minutes. It also lists a median household income of $70,970 and an unemployment rate of 4.47%. At the same time, the city’s median home value is $459,972 and median rent is $1,267, numbers that help explain why housing remains one of the clearest pressure points for residents trying to match the city’s livability label with day-to-day reality.
U.S. News says its rankings evaluate 250 top U.S. cities selected from more than 850 cities studied, using value, desirability, the job market and quality of life. The methodology now also gives more weight to cultural and leisure activity measures and state information. That broader formula fits Asheville’s brand as a destination city, but it also underscores the tension between reputation and affordability in a market where incomes have not kept pace with housing costs.
The countywide picture adds another layer. Buncombe County’s population was estimated at 277,417 on July 1, 2025, down from 279,210 a year earlier. The county’s median value of owner-occupied housing units was $391,800 in the 2020-2024 Census estimate, still a steep barrier for many households even outside Asheville proper.
Buncombe County leaders have also been working through long-term recovery from Tropical Storm Helene. On Nov. 18, 2025, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners adopted a Helene Recovery Plan built with Asheville, Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Montreat, Weaverville and Woodfin and informed by input from more than 2,600 community members. The plan lays out 114 projects tied to flooding, landslides, infrastructure damage, housing repair, disaster preparedness, economic revitalization and social services.
The ranking adds to a familiar pattern: Asheville and the surrounding towns continue to show up on national and regional best-of lists. For Buncombe County, the question is not whether the area is attractive on paper. It is whether wages, housing, transportation and recovery can keep pace with the reputation.
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