Asheville, NC vs Shelby, NC

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricAsheville, NCShelby, NC
Population94,53522,100
Median Household Income$71,102$48,376
Median Rent$1,402/mo$945/mo
Median Home Value$440,000$197,200
Cost of Living (US = 100)97—
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income50.3%47.2%
Poverty Rate14.3%17.6%
Unemployment Rate5.2%4.4% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k753879
Property Crime Rate /100k4,3922,462
Median AQI40—
Good AQI Days /yr268—
Summer Highs84°F89°F
Winter Lows31°F29°F
Snowfall12 in/yr4 in/yr
Avg Commute18.2 min20.2 min
Hospitals21
Avg Hospital Rating3.5 / 53.0 / 5
Students per Teacher14.116.8
College Degree Rate53.4%26.6%
Foreign-Born %7%2.3%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-1.3%+6.5%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.