retirement
10 great places to retire in the US
Asheville, N.C.
Overview
In the North Carolina mountain town of Asheville, this 1,515-square-foot, three-bedroom, one-bath house with hardwood floors, wood fireplace, covered front porch, rear deck, all on about 2 acres, sold for $199,900. That's just a bit over the area's median price of $192,500, says broker Jason Brodsky of Asheville Holistic Realty at Keller Williams.
Asheville, on two lists for "top 10 mountain towns" and "top 10 college towns," has a very high quality of life to cost-of-living ratio, Brodsky says.
"Asheville offers amazing diversity and natural beauty," he says. "There is an abundance of culture, from traditional Appalachian crafts and music to world-class dining and entertainment." Asheville is home to the award-winning Mission Hospital. As for higher education, the city offers UNC-Asheville and Warren Wilson College, both recognized by Princeton Review and The New York Times as superior schools, Brodsky says.