The move
Moving from Austin to Asheville, NC
For everyone who moved to Austin for the weird and watched it leave: it's alive and well at 2,100 feet.
Photo: Quintin Soloviev via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
What changes for you
Austin
Asheville
State housing law
No statewide law
No statewide law
Local nondiscrimination ordinances in some WNC cities
State income tax
No state income tax
Flat, low
Flat ~4.5% NC state income tax
Median home price
—
$480,000
2026 Q3 estimate — verify current pricing with Dylan
Summer / winter
—
84° / 26°
Community anchor
—
Blue Ridge Pride
The receiving end
Mountain-town culture, four seasons, and the South’s most visible LGBTQ+ community outside a major metro. See the full picture in our gay life in Asheville guide, browse Asheville neighborhoods, or check the real numbers in our cost of living breakdown.