Housing data for Emma, NC
Emma, NC has an estimated 2,657 residents and 1,103 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is an unincorporated community in Buncombe County.
28.2% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,064 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 2,657 (±873)
- Housing units
- 1,103 (±351)
- Households that rent
- 28.2%
- Median gross rent
- $1,064
What stands out in Emma
Median home value: $92,300 (±$11,354) in Emma, lower than in Buncombe County ($391,800).
Median real estate taxes: $518 (±$176) in Emma, lower than in Buncombe County ($2,222).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 0.0% (±6.6 points) in Emma, lower than in Buncombe County (16.0%).
Working from home: 2.8% (±4.5 points) in Emma, lower than in Buncombe County (17.6%).
Housing in Emma at a glance
- Median rent: $1,064 median gross rent a month
- Rent burden: 29.4% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 28.2% of households rent (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Income and affordability: $43,907 median household income
- Home values: $92,300 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $967 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $518 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 0.0% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Bedrooms: 44.6% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 29.6% of homes were built before 1980 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Vacancy rate: 36.6% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 78.5% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 20.0 minutes average trip to work
- How long people stay: 9.6% moved in since 2020 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Crowding and facilities: 0.9% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Emma against Buncombe County, its state and the nation
| Emma | Buncombe County | North Carolina | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 2,657 (±873) | 274,360 (exact) | 10,730,404 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 1,103 (±351) | 134,483 (±159) | 4,895,668 (±642) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 28.2% (±17.9 points) | 33.8% (±1.4 points) | 33.4% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,064 (±$205) | $1,362 (±$42) | $1,228 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $43,907 (±$9,117) | $74,436 (±$2,206) | $72,388 (±$324) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $92,300 (±$11,354) | $391,800 (±$8,308) | $288,900 (±$1,086) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $518 (±$176) | $2,222 (±$56) | $1,896 (±$8) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 29.6% (±16.6 points) | 36.8% (±1.4 points) | 33.9% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 20.0 minutes (±5.4) | 21.1 minutes (±0.5) | 25.1 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 75.4% (±23.1 points) | 90.3% (±1.0 points) | 90.1% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 29.7 years (±21.8) | 42.6 years (±0.2) | 39.1 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Emma covers 1.1 square miles of land, about 2,444 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
Crime reported to police in Buncombe County
Emma has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Buncombe County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Buncombe County recorded 344 violent and 2,007 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
Places near Emma
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodfin | 3.0 mi | $1,546 | $366,700 | 46.3% |
| Asheville | 3.2 mi | $1,402 | $440,000 | 48.1% |
| Biltmore Forest | 5.7 mi | — | $1,333,300 | 2.7% |
| Bent Creek | 6.4 mi | — | $404,000 | 15.6% |
| Weaverville | 7.1 mi | $1,783 | $463,700 | 27.5% |
| Avery Creek | 9.6 mi | — | $412,900 | 6.5% |
| Royal Pines | 10 mi | $1,596 | $400,200 | 12.0% |
| Swannanoa | 12 mi | $788 | $287,500 | 21.4% |
Places in North Carolina most like Emma
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cove City | $1,016 | $81,700 | $41,522 | 34.7% |
| South Rosemary | $907 | $86,800 | $47,466 | 23.2% |
| Princeville | $1,103 | $106,000 | $46,406 | 33.9% |
| Fruitland | $906 | $133,100 | $48,025 | 22.9% |
| Earl | $944 | $163,400 | $44,033 | 19.9% |
| Dudley | $808 | $90,000 | $42,050 | 19.0% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across North Carolina.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Emma, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,482 | $1,714 | $1,866 | $2,223 | $3,109 |
HUD income limits for Emma, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $21,500 | $35,850 | $57,350 |
| 2 people | $24,600 | $40,950 | $65,550 |
| 3 people | $27,650 | $46,050 | $73,750 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $51,200 | $81,900 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $55,300 | $88,500 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $59,400 | $95,050 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $63,500 | $101,600 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $67,550 | $108,150 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Asheville, NC MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $103,200.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Emma is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.
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 Emma
What is the average rent in Emma, NC?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Emma is $1,064 (±$205) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
What is the median household income in Emma?
The median household income in Emma is $43,907 (±$9,117) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Emma, NC?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $92,300 (±$11,354) for owner-occupied homes in Emma (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Emma?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Emma, NC is $967 (±$371) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in Emma?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Emma, NC is $518 (±$176) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the most common home size in Emma?
The most common size is 2 bedrooms, 46.3% of homes in Emma, NC.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Emma CDP, North Carolina
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Emma CDP, North Carolina
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Emma CDP, North Carolina
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Emma CDP, North Carolina
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Emma CDP, North Carolina
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Emma CDP, North Carolina
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Emma CDP, North Carolina
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Asheville, NC MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Asheville, NC MSA
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
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 Emma CDP, North Carolina (place:21260, in state:37).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
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.
Figures last updated on .