Poverty Data Resources

The following resource pages are designed to give context and local history of the Asheville area.

Community and Economic Development Website Collects Current City of Asheville Data:

Who’s homeless in Asheville?
Why are people homeless?
What about people who choose to be homeless?
Are people losing housing here, or arriving here without housing?
What services are available to people experiencing homelessness, and how do they access them?
What’s the best way for me to support people experiencing homelessness?
I live or work in a high-traffic area and often encounter people experiencing homelessness. How can I make sure we interact positively?
When is it appropriate to call law enforcement or emergency responders?
Is “ending homelessness” realistic?
Contact Information

The data on this page is a snapshot of summer 2024 available data. The website source links will provide more detailed and updated data.

Buncombe County Administration:
- The poverty rate in Asheville, North Carolina was 13.9% in 2020, which is higher than the state average of 12.9% and increasing.
- In 2023, an informal report to the Board of Commissioners in Buncombe County found that 11.1% of working residents aged 16–64 were in poverty, compared to 19.2% of people with disabilities and 9% of seniors aged 65 and older.
- The largest demographic groups living in poverty are females aged 25–34, followed by females aged 18–24, and then males aged 25–34.
Dogwood Health Trust found 22% of Western North Carolina children under the age of 6 live in families making less than the federal poverty level. (Citizen Times 2022)
City of Asheville Homelessness Data (2024):
Census Bureau Poverty Thresholds: 2023 Poverty level for a family of 4 (2 children under 18 ): $30,900
Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation: Poverty Guidelines
Census Bureau Quick Facts: Population, income, housing data
Selected Economic Indicators (2023): These initiatives include targeted job growth in high wage sectors, support for Pre-K programs and childcare centers, workforce development programs and collaborations, and investments in affordable housing, broadband and poverty by demographic
Buncombe County Board of Commissioners: (2023) Economic indicators, median wage by job category,