Population
422,345
2025
+3.6% since 2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025), 2025. Resident population, July 1 estimate.
Asheville, NC metro growth snapshot
The Asheville, NC metro area had an estimated 422,345 residents in 2025, up 3.6% (14,786 more people) since 2020.
Data as of 2025 · updated
Headline numbers
Net domestic migration
−734
2025
−1.7 per 1,000 residents
+15,037 in total, 2021–2025
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025), 2025. People moving in from other U.S. counties minus people moving out.
Jobs
182,910
2025
+10.9% since 2020
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025. Average annual employment covered by unemployment insurance.
New homes permitted
3,238
2025
−13.5% since 2021
7.7 per 1,000 residents
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025. Housing units authorized by building permits in the year.
Private-sector employment
169,531
2023
+4.5% since 2018
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023. Paid employees of private employers in mid-March (County Business Patterns).
Metro figures add up the member counties: totals only, so medians, wages and rates are on each county's page.
What the numbers say
Net domestic migration was negative in 2025: 734 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in.
Employers counted 182,910 jobs in 2025, +10.9% since 2020.
Builders were authorized to start 3,238 new homes in 2025, or 7.7 per 1,000 residents.
Counties in this metro area
- Buncombe County, NCpop +2.9% · jobs +9.9%
- Henderson County, NCpop +5.0% · jobs +13.8%
- Madison County, NCpop +5.9% · jobs +14.4%
Fastest-growing metro areas in North Carolina · Fastest-growing metro areas in the U.S.
Questions
Is the Asheville, NC metro area growing?
Yes. Its population grew 3.6% between 2020 and 2025, about 14,786 more people (Census Bureau population estimates).
Which county in the Asheville, NC metro area is growing fastest?
Madison County, NC. Its population grew 5.9% between 2020 and 2025, the fastest of the 3 member counties (Census Bureau population estimates).
How many people moved to the Asheville, NC metro area?
On net, none in 2025: about 734 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).
What is the population of the Asheville, NC metro area?
About 422,345 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.
How many jobs are in the Asheville, NC metro area?
Employers there reported 182,910 jobs covered by unemployment insurance in 2025, +10.9% since 2020 (BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages).
See Asheville, NC tract by tract
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Sources and method
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns
Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.