Rentals in Asheville, North Carolina are a bit different from the current Real Estate Market. If you are looking to rent instead of purchase, here is some information that could help you. It is very hard to tell you about costs, because there are so many secluded areas of Asheville and surrounding towns that rent varies drastically. For instance, you can find an awesome deal at $350 a month, but you could be 25 miles outside of town, and terrible weather could prevent you from leaving the property for days. It is best to look around and actually try to visit the property. If you are not in the Asheville area, get street addresses and look at maps so that you can best judge for yourself.
As a lifelong Asheville resident, I can tell you first hand that the rental market is nuts. Depending on which subsidiary area of Asheville you choose to live in and whether you choose an apartment, a mobile home, or a house, can severely affect your rental amount.
North Asheville, and the neighboring town of Weaverville which rests close the neighboring county of Madison, generally has cheaper rent for the amount of housing you are getting, in terms of bedrooms and bathrooms, not necessarily square footage. But, in deciding to move a little further out from the city, you must also factor in the distance to your place of employment, and whether the higher transportation costs are worth the cut in rental expenses. This used to be the case when gas prices were much more economical, but really is not so anymore now that gas is over three dollars a gallon in the area, and holding steady at that price. While the expansion of places to eat and shop in that area continues rapidly, places of employment offering a higher end pay are still not widely available. If you work in the retail market, living and working in that area may be possible. Houses and mobile homes rent for about $400-$550 a month for a two bedroom home. Another bonus is that often times in this area well and septic tanks are in use at the property, so you save by not having to pay a water or sewer utility payment. Other areas to consider in North Asheville are Woodfin, and Emma. Rent there can be about the same or a bit higher, but generally speaking you are closer to town.
West Asheville and the surrounding town of Enka-Candler also offers some lower cost rentals, while offering the benefit of being a little closer to the main action in the city, so choosing a rental there may actually be worth the decreased rental amount versus the cost of transportation. Other areas in West Asheville to consider: Leciester, and Downtown. Parts of Leciester are out in the middle of nowhere, so they put you in the same situation as I mentioned in North Asheville. Rental ranges are in the $450-$650 range depending on the type of home, and the bedrooms. Right now, within the Asheville City limits, (I am considered to live on the outskirts of West Asheville) I live in a two bedroom one bathroom house that is very old for $500 a month. By the time I pay for water and sewer, I could definitely find a better quality mobile home pretty close to here for cheaper rent, and save by not having a water and sewer bill. But my husband also works less than a quarter of a mile away, so that convenience is what led us here in the first place.
East Asheville and the surrounding area is where most of the high end shopping takes place, with the Asheville Mall and Super Walmart being located here. The rental market runs about the same as West Asheville, but once again you are closer to retail jobs, which could be nice on the wallet.
South Asheville is by far the most expensive part of Asheville to live in. One of the richest neighborhoods in the entire state is nestled there, which makes the real estate market a bit higher in that area. Rentals there range from $500-$1500 a month! When I say $500 a month that is going to be a lucky find, and probably a mobile home in the middle of one of the lower end parks. It is like its own city, offering many of the shopping places that the rest of us have to travel across town to visit.
Hopefully this advice will help you in your searching endeavors, and at any rate I am sure you will find something affordable for you, regardless of your financial state.
