What is the rental vacancy rate in Asheville, NC?

Name: Vacancy rate in Asheville, NC, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

The rental vacancy rate in Asheville, NC is 19.3% (±2.5 points) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

The homeowner vacancy rate is 21.2% (±2.6 points).

12,640 (±945) homes, 25.3% of all housing units, were vacant, a count that includes seasonal homes and homes being sold or rented.

In Asheville, the rental vacancy rate went from 6.0% in 2015–2019 to 19.3% in 2020–2024 (+13.3 percentage points), a measurable increase.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Rental vacancy rate: 19.3% (±2.5 points)
Homeowner vacancy rate: 21.2% (±2.6 points)
Vacant homes: 12,640 (±945)

Vacancy in Asheville against Buncombe County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Asheville	Buncombe County	North Carolina	United States
Rental vacancy rate	19.3% (±2.5 points)	18.2% (±2.1 points)	7.1% (±0.2 points)	5.5%
Homeowner vacancy rate	21.2% (±2.6 points)	14.8% (±1.4 points)	1.3% (±0.1 points)	0.9%
Vacant housing units	12,640 (±945)	32,628 (±1,977)	613,323 (±9,483)	14,547,859

The rental vacancy rate is the share of rental homes that are vacant and for rent; it leaves out homes already rented but not yet moved into, and seasonal homes.

In Asheville, the rental vacancy rate is not measurably different from Buncombe County (18.2%).

It is also higher than in North Carolina (7.1%).

It is higher than the national figure (5.5%).

Rental vacancy rate in places near Asheville

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Asheville
Place	Distance	Rental vacancy rate	Compared with this place
Asheville	—	19.3% (±2.5 points)	—
Biltmore Forest	2.6 mi	0.0% (±84.8 points)	Not measurably different
Emma	3.2 mi	36.6% (±28.9 points)	Not measurably different
Bent Creek	5.5 mi	0.0% (±40.0 points)	Not measurably different
Woodfin	5.7 mi	18.2% (±8.0 points)	Not measurably different
Royal Pines	7.0 mi	10.4% (±17.1 points)	Not measurably different
Avery Creek	7.4 mi	53.4% (±53.1 points)	Not measurably different
Weaverville	8.9 mi	19.3% (±14.4 points)	Not measurably different
Fairview (community)	9.1 mi	0.0% (±53.0 points)	Not measurably different

None of the nearby places differs measurably from this one on this figure.

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Rental vacancy rate across Buncombe County, place by place

Rank	Place	Rental vacancy rate
1	Avery Creek	53.4% (±53.1 points)
2	Emma	36.6% (±28.9 points)
3 (tie)	Asheville	19.3% (±2.5 points)
3 (tie)	Weaverville	19.3% (±14.4 points)
5	Woodfin	18.2% (±8.0 points)
6	Royal Pines	10.4% (±17.1 points)
7	Black Mountain	6.2% (±4.8 points)
8	Swannanoa	3.9% (±6.1 points)
9 (tie)	Bent Creek	0.0% (±40.0 points)

Showing 9 of 11 places in Buncombe County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Asheville

Is it hard to find a rental in Asheville?

The rental vacancy rate in Asheville, NC is 19.3% (±2.5 points); a low rate means few rental homes stand empty and for rent at any time, which usually means more competition for each one.

Is the rental market in Asheville tighter than it was?

In Asheville, the rental vacancy rate went from 6.0% in 2015–2019 to 19.3% in 2020–2024 (+13.3 percentage points), a measurable increase.

How many homes are vacant in Asheville?

An estimated 12,640 (±945) housing units, 25.3% of the total, including seasonal homes and homes waiting to be sold or rented.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Asheville city, North Carolina (place:02140, in state:37).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M, DP04_0004E, DP04_0004M, DP04_0003E, DP04_0003M, DP04_0003PE, DP04_0003PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.