About Western North Carolina

Something for Everyone

The mountains of Western NC are a magical place with something for everyone.

Surrounded on all sides by now national and state forests and parks, Western NC was home to multiple Indian tribes, including the Eastern Band of Cherokee.

The area developed as a hub for tourism, wellness and wealth, growing immensely following the establishment of railroad infrastructure in the late 1800s. The Biltmore House, the Grove Park Inn and known as Beer City USA, there’s way more to these twisty quirky mountains than what you read in the media.

Nearly a half a million people live in Western NC, with more than half of those neighbors living in Buncombe County, home to Asheville, according to the Asheville Buncombe Economic Development Coalition.

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Plant Roots

Maybe you’ve been traveling the world, woofing in countries unheard of. Maybe the laptop dream life you’re living in a big city is getting a little stale and lonely. Maybe you’re thinking of settling down and planting some food, raising some goats, engaging in a community. The Asheville area is a fantastic landing place.

With a median age of 45, half of the area population sits squarely below middle age and half squarely above middle age, requiring a community that reflects and serves interests of diverse age groups and abilities. Multi-generational friends are one of the great gifts of an area like Asheville.

Thinking of Homesteading?

Raise Kids

Swimming holes, summer camps, experiential learning, creative educational solutions and connection with makers and entrepreneurs, the Asheville area has a community education component that is unmatched. Some of the world’s top visual and performing artists engage in the schools and organizations their children attend. Outdoor, experiential educators have built a world-renowned education camp industry in western NC, welcoming youth from around the world to explore these mountains.

The nectar of this place is freely shared with the next generation, honoring the passing along of knowledge and the importance of building mindful citizens.

Attend University

Pay rent or pay toward equity in a condo or home? When a child heads off to school, investing in real estate may be a great option for those who are keen on having others pay off a mortgage as they build equity. With homes increasing in value between 6 and 8% over the last couple of years, real estate in WNC is a sound investment.

Seed & Grow Your Business

Whether you have an existing business or are looking for a supportive community to launch a business, the Asheville area is ripe with opportunity. There are more than 24,000 businesses in the Asheville area and 70% of them have four or fewer employees.

Tell me more about this nurturing hive

Retire in Bliss

Absorb the mountain views from your back deck, and then take a quick drive to:

- Continue learning at multiple universities and colleges
- Soak in Theatre, Music and Performances
- Hike, bike, climb, golf and swim
- Read in our independently owned bookstores and libraries
- Gnosh at James Beard award-winning restaurants
- Stretch at world-class yoga retreats hosted right in your hometown
- Tour a local brewery, winery or meadery
- Pick apples, berries, flowers and more from local farms

Asheville is easy to access, landing squarely at the intersection of I40 and I26, and within 75 miles of three airports: Asheville, Greenville-Spartanburg and Charlotte.

I want to retire here

The Magic Mountains of Western NC

The Appalachian mountains are some of the oldest in the world-about 480 million years, give or take.

Some even say you can feel the lifetimes of magic in the mountains and under ground in this area. While not officially designated as a temperate rainforest due to the inconsistency of the level of rainfall over the course of years, the Asheville area and Western NC are home to both the most wet and arid areas in the state.

At the turn of the 19th century, the mountain air was thought to bring healing to tuberculous patients and the breathing porches in Montford and other areas of Asheville drew wellness tourists. The Asheville area is home to climate-based government agency NOAA, climate-based non-profit organizations and private businesses.

Because of the topography and climate, we have some beautiful areas for growing, raising and processing food, as well as a vibrant homesteading mindset.

With support from Asheville-Buncombe Community College, Blue Ridge Food Ventures supports food-based businesses through collaborative commercial kitchen use, safety training, marketing and business planning, and more. In these mountains, you can grow and raise your food or develop your products and then take it to market with guidance and support.

Western NC: Where you belong

These mountains are home to innovation.

The Asheville area has a thriving and creative independent business community, weaving the diversity and character of the people into the fabric of this place. From artists to restaurateurs, farmers to brewers, Realtor®s to home builders, Asheville draws people who bring ideas to life in their own innovative way. It feels different in Asheville because it is different.

Walk through any of the downtown areas:

Asheville, Swannanoa, Black Mountain, Marshall, Mars Hill, Waynesville, Canton, Hendersonville and you’re bound to experience our unique entrepreneurial mindset. You’ll likely come across a nun riding a tall bike, see a storefront piled high with locally made goods, or eat at a locally-born/nationally recognized restaurant featuring ingredients from local brewers, farmers and growers. You can taste it.

Hendersonville
Wild Morel and Oscar Blues, Brevard
Flat Rock
Weaverville
Marshall
Mars Hill
Burnsville
Candler
Waynesville
Maggie Valley
Sylva

Learn from and Meet our Farmers:

Gribley Permaculture
Wild Abundance

Experience Music, Visual & Performing Arts:

Hiding out in these mountains you’ll find Grammy and Oscar award winners, buskers, and the next generation of aspiring artists. Western NC has a rich history as a home for creatives. With historical places, like Black Mountain College.

Move in our Outdoor Mecca:

WNC is the outdoor area hub of the east. Surrounded in all directions by state and national forests and parks, Western NC is home to: Dupont State Forest, Cherokee, Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Appalachian Trail literally meanders through many towns in the region.

Hike the Appalachian trail or the Smokies. Drive, bike, hike or run the Blue Ridge Parkway. Some of the best mountain biking and kayaking in the country is in the Asheville area. Climb, camp, paddle board, run, walk in these mountains.

Made by Mountains will help you dig into movement in these mountains.

Summer camps and retreats are one of the area’s largest industries, innovative entrepreneurs make magic for area kids and adults with camps and retreats that are built upon the beauty and diversity of the area’s ecosystem and tap into the expertise of amazing resident experts willing to share their skills with the next generation.

Camps with experiences in: climbing, mountain biking, black smithing, horseback riding, ceramics, book binding, foraging, orienteering, cooking, fermenting, yoga, pilates, meditation, photography…you get the picture.

But don’t take my word for it! See for yourself! NC Tripping has a number of great self-guided tours so you can experience the magic of Western NC yourself.

With over 15 years living and working in Asheville, I’ve developed a deep understanding of our Western NC communities.

So when we work together, you’re not just getting a Realtor®—you’re getting a well connected local who can truly help you belong here.

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