For the second time in 2020, a national magazine has ranked Asheville among the best places to retire in the nation. This time, Money.com listed Asheville seventh in its article, "The 10 Best Places to Retire in America."
Earlier this year, Forbes.com ranked Asheville one of "The Best Places to Retire in 2020." Acknowledging that it's not always easy to decide the best place for retirement, Money combed through about 47,500 data points and considered factors such as housing, climate, diversity and safety to create a list of destinations to suit every taste and budget. And here's what Money singled out about Asheville:
Population: 94,000
Population 50-plus: 35.8%
Days of sunshine a year: 212
Median home price: $328,000
You’re probably not looking to retire in the largest privately-owned house in the country, but if you were, you’d head to Asheville, N.C. The Biltmore House, now a museum, has 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms and 65 fireplaces.
Biltmore aside, the cost of living is relatively low in Asheville. You can get a hamburger at Tastee Diner for just $5, and the bus fare for those aged 65 and older is just 50 cents (or $110 for an annual pass).
At the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at University of North Carolina (UNC) Asheville, older adults can take classes from UNC faculty on everything from economics to photography (classes have moved online during the pandemic). You can also take advantage of the local Blue Ridge Mountains with Senior Treks, low-impact hikes run through the Asheville Parks and Recreation Outdoor Programs. The hiking opportunities don’t stop there — Asheville is less than an hour-long drive from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Pisgah National Forest.
And once you’re comfortable dining out again, you won’t run out of new restaurants to try. Asheville was on The Daily Meal’s 2019 list of top foodie towns in America, and its visitor’s bureau Explore Asheville refers to it as a “Foodtopia.” It seems to live up to the name. Asheville has the highest numbers of bars and restaurants per capita among our winners.
There are also 12 retirement communities in the area.
The Money accolades come along with several over 2020 superlatives for Asheville. Livability.com ranked Asheville sixth on the “Top 100 Best Places to Live in the U.S.," while BestCities.org ranked the city fifth in its Top 50 of “America’s Best Small Cities." Travel & Leisure ranked Asheville No. 3 in its "Top 50 Best Places to Travel in 2020."
To find out even more about all Asheville and the surrounding areas have to offer, contact a CBK agent.