The Asheville, North Carolina is a place where magic and romance thrives. Picture gargoyles perched atop buildings keeping watch over an Art Deco downtown. A city located 2,200 feet in elevation on a plateau divided by the French Broad River. Ringed with smoke-blue mountain peaks that stretch all the way into the clouds, Asheville is called by writers the world over "Paris of the South."

This is a city so splendid, that it is rated as one of the "Top 10 Places to Live" by Outside Magazine, voted one of the "Best Places To Retire" by MSN, selected as one of the "Top 15 Dream Towns" (specifically Best Place to Reinvent Your Life) by AARP Magazine, and listed in Rand McNally's Places Rated Almanac. Asheville is favored for its mild year-round climate, with moderate winter and summer temperatures balanced by the surrounding mountains. As the county seat of Buncombe, Asheville with a population of 68,889 is the largest city in Western North Carolina and has become the regional hotspot for manufacturing, transportation, health care, banking, professional services and shopping. Asheville's bustling and diversified economy offers a wide range of employment and business opportunities. The median income for a household in the city is $32,772.

Housing in and around Asheville is as diverse and wonderful as the natural surroundings. Residents can choose from luxury condominiums in the heart of downtown, cottages nestled in quaint neighborhoods, modern houses in the country, elegant lakeside neighborhoods, resort golf club homes and wooded mountain retreats. The average sales price of homes listed with the Asheville Board of Realtors rose from $187,590 to $209,651 between April 2003 and April 2004 while the five year home appreciation rates for Asheville are the highest of all North Carolina metro areas. Currently Asheville has a medium home average of $205,880. With real estate still affordable and appreciation steadily climbing this makes Asheville an exciting relocation choice!

Asheville is probably most widely known for the lavish Biltmore estate, that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. George Vanderbilt's magnificent 250-room Victorian chateau is America's largest home with an immaculate century old garden, award winning winery, and an impressive four-star inn. Asheville is also home to a thriving arts community, with a host of local galleries, drama companies, music rooms, and a symphony. In fact it was rated number 13 among the "America's Top 25 Arts Destinations" by AmericanStyle in 2002.

Asheville and the surrounding countryside offer more outdoor activities than nearly any Southeastern destination. The streams, rivers, ponds and lakes throughout the area are home to a wide variety of fish species, including trout and small-mouth bass. Searching for treasures or as the locals call rockhounding is an exciting and popular pastime. Rubies, sapphires and even gold nuggets, have all been discovered in the gem mines in Western North Carolina. With the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains embracing Asheville, there is never a shortage of hiking trails. From a leisurely stroll through Asheville's art deco downtown to an extended hike on the Appalachian Trail, Asheville's mountains offer something for every level of hiker. Just before the crack of dawn, hot air balloons gracefully float over Asheville's picturesque landscape. Watching the sunrise from this incredible vista and to soak in the splendor of the surrounding mountains is a memory that will last a lifetime. With rivers woven throughout the region, there's a rapid for everyone. Paddlers can stay close to the city for a trip down the French Broad River, admire the lush scenery along the Nolichucky River an hour north of Asheville, rush through the Nantahala Gorge on the Nantahala River's Class II-III rapids, or brave Class III-IV rapids at the site of the Summer 1996 Canoe and Kayak Competition on the Ocoee River. Whatever your skill level, rafting and kayaking provide great exercise and heart pounding adventures for river thrill-seekers.

For kids, Asheville is awesome wonderland. With a multitude of activities from a natural waterslide in the forest and a children's science museum, to the natural delights of picking blueberries in the mountains, children of all ages love the Asheville area. The young in years can find out what it was like on a mountain pioneer homestead, meet native animals at the WNC Nature Center, go on a simulated helicopter ride and fight a forest fire, or spend quality time on a hike to a waterfall or a scavenger hunt along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Parents moving to the Asheville area will be encouraged by the focus on quality education. Teacher salaries are above average here, as are median scores achieved by students on nationally recognized tests. The county system serves some 22,665 students in nineteen elementary, six middle and six high schools. The city system has 4,400 students in six elementary schools, one middle school, one high school and one learning center. There are over ten colleges and universities in the Asheville area including the University of North Carolina Asheville, Western Carolina University, Warren Wilson College and Montreat College. Asheville was also voted among the "Best College Towns" (#4 Warren Wilson College) by Outside Magazine.


If you're thinking of moving to Asheville, North Carolina, our relocation packet is yours for the asking!