18 Marketing Insights for Engaging Asheville Residents

—

by

Aaron Edwards
in , ,

Small business owners in Asheville are eager for tailored marketing solutions. According to a recent local business impact survey by Mountain BizWorks, local business owners shared three key insights to their success. 

  1. The significance of targeted local marketing for their business. 
  2. A desire to strengthen their own business’ local focus within their decision making and purchasing. 
  3. The importance of networking and building relationships with other small businesses in their community. 

But that begs the question. Who are we really targeting when we’re marketing to Asheville residents? What are common pain points and values? What makes Asheville unique? If you’ve lived here long enough, you can probably make some safe assumptions, but I value quantitative data, to support instinct. I have explored various demographic data and surveys, to compile what I feel are a few key insights into Asheville residents so that we may have a better picture of who we’re marketing to. 

There is a concentration of early Millennials. Splitting the population into 5 year subsets, 35-39 year olds are the most common age group in the Asheville Metro area. This is a heavy skewing as this age group ranks as the 9th largest in North Carolina and 4th nationally. 

Asheville is older. The median age of Asheville is 42.1 years old. North Carolina’s median age is 39.2 and 39 is the median age in America. Additionally, 21.9% of the population in greater Asheville is over 65 years old, compared to 17.4% in North Carolina and 17.3% nationally.

Buncombe County earns more than the rest of the state, but the city lags far behind. The median income of those living in the City of Asheville is $64,548. The average Buncombe County resident earns about 5% more annually at $68,019. The median North Carolina income is $67,481 and it is $74,755 nationally.

The Rent is Too Damn High. Asheville residents are outspoken about paying too much for rent and rightly so. Despite lagging behind national averages for income nationally by more than $10,000, the median gross rent is on par with the $1,300 a month national average. This means that Ashevillians spend 24.1% of income on rent, where it is 20.8% nationally. 

Renters, Not Buyers. Not only is rent too high, but home ownership is more difficult to attain. Roughly two thirds of families in North Carolina and America are home owners. In Asheville, only half of families own homes. Affordable housing is on the minds of residents, as it was the number one concern among those surveyed in the most recent city-commissioned survey on public sentiment.

Local Government Headed in the Wrong Direction. According to the 2023 National Community Survey, only 29% of respondents in the city’s most recent public sentiment survey said that the direction of Asheville’s government was ‘good’ or ‘excellent’. This is the lowest score the city government has received from this survey since 2009, and is below national norms. A staggering 56% said that the city government does a poor job at acting in the best interest of citizens. 

A High Quality of Life. In the 2023 NCS Report, 73% of residents reported a high quality of life. Despite other struggles, the community values living here. 

The Mecca of Relocation. According to a survey of 3,000 professionals by CareerMinds.com, Asheville ranks first among all US cities as the choice option for career relocation domestically.  

Asheville is more educated. 54.3% of Asheville residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher. The state sits at 35.9% and nationally the number is 35.7%.

Childcare is Too Expensive. 71.5% of Asheville parents who did not send their preschool-aged child to childcare said they did so because it is too expensive. Private preschool childcare facilities in Asheville cost $1,200-$1,300 monthly, compared to about $850 monthly nationwide for similarly sized towns. 

Childcare is Hard to Find. In the 2023 NCS Report, only 25% of parents responded saying that there are quality preschool/childcare services available, down from 38% in 2015.

Working in Tourism. About one out of every seven jobs in Asheville is in the tourism sector or directly created because of it. That’s about 27,000 total jobs. Sadly, these jobs average between $27k-32k annually far below the cost of living. 

Longtime Residents Don’t Favor Tourism As Much. Residents of 20+ years are not as fond of the tourist industry. Only 76% of longtime residents see tourism as beneficial long-term to Asheville vs 93% of newer residents.

Tourists Are As Common as Locals. With upwards of 13 million tourists in Asheville every year, Asheville sees 30k to 40k new tourists visit every day. Over one third of visiting tourists stay overnight. 

We Buy Local, Even When We Travel. Three quarters of Asheville residents believe that it’s very important to support local shops, and over half claim to always buy from local shops when vacationing. 

Environmentally Conscious. Asheville residents believe that investing in environmental protection and sustainability is key. Over 85% of residents see it as a priority, only behind public safety in terms of importance.

We Want Passenger Rail. Of all proposed public works projects in the Asheville area, the most popular is the reintroduction of passenger rail to the area for the first time in 50 years. 79% of residents are positive about this project, which would see Asheville connected to Salisbury in a three-times-daily passenger service.

Lovers of the Arts. Asheville residents remain extremely positive about the arts. In the 2023 NCS Report, 84% of respondents said that Asheville has great opportunities to immerse oneself in cultural events, music, and the arts. 

Marketing to Asheville residents involves understanding the unique characteristics and values that define this vibrant community. Asheville has a diverse and educated population, who are facing unique economic and societal struggles. Despite challenges such as high living costs and housing affordability, the city remains a desirable location for relocation and career opportunities for a high quality of life. Asheville residents strongly value our community and initiatives that enrich local living.

To effectively reach Asheville’s audience, businesses should employ marketing strategies that prioritize a local focus that can implement these findings. By fostering connections within the community and aligning marketing values with those who live here, businesses can create impactful and resonant campaigns that engage Asheville’s distinctive population.

References

Aaron Edwards's avatar

Aaron Edwards is a marketing professional with over 13 years of experience in strategy and development. He is proficient in data analysis and multi-channel marketing, leveraging marketing insights and strategic decision-making to achieve results.

Aaron Edwards