Housing in Western North Carolina is expensive. Surprisingly expensive. Those from other parts of the country often assume that because Western North Carolina (WNC) is rural, housing is inexpensive. Residents know otherwise.
On February 11th the CSFE along with the College Debates and Discord Alliance will co-host a discussion: What should be done about the lack of affordable housing in Western North Carolina? Food will be served at 6pm and the discussion starts at 6:30pm. Registration is here: A Braver Campus Dialogue – Western Carolina University Tickets, Tue, Feb 11, 2025 at 6:00 PM | Eventbrite
So why might this be an important topic? The first figure below is the average price of a three-bedroom house in 13 cities in North Carolina. Six are from Western North Carolina; seven are from other areas of the state. The six from WNC are Asheville, Boone, Brevard, Bryson City, Sylva, and Waynesville. The seven other NC cities are Charlotte, Durham, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Raleigh, Wilmington, and Winston-Salem. Which are WNC cities? Which are not? 
What are your guesses? Do you think the top two are outside WNC? The top four?
As it turns out, the top four are ALL IN WNC: Boone, Brevard, Asheville, and Waynesville. The complete list is labeled in order of housing prices in the figure below.
