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Austin vs Asheville for digital nomads
Austin, TX and Asheville, NC compared on 24 measures for people who work remotely, as of October 2026. Every figure links to its source on the city pages.
Austin is the cheaper city to rent in near downtown: a 1-bedroom is $1,730 a month against $1,800 in Asheville, 4% less on HUD's FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rent for the ZIP codes near the center. Metro-wide the figures are $1,530 and $1,714. Austin is more walkable downtown (15.8 vs 14.6 out of 20 on the EPA index). Across the 19 measures with a clear winner, Asheville comes out ahead on 10 and Austin on 9: Asheville has lower home prices, cheaper Airbnb stays, more car-free households, a cheaper bus fare, while Austin has cheaper rent near downtown, cheaper metro-wide rent, a more walkable center, a better bike network.
- Rent, 1-bed
- $1,730 vs $1,800HUD, utilities in
- Walkability
- 15.8 vs 14.6out of 20
- Airbnb night
- $246 vs $237entire home
- Breweries
- 43 vs 27open, in city
- Measures won
- 9 vs 10of 19 judged
Austin and Asheville, measure by measure
A dot marks the better figure where one is clearly better: lower for costs, higher for walkability, bike network, car-free households, clean air and breweries. Weather is shown without a verdict.
| Measure | Austin | Asheville | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bedroom rent near downtown, HUD small-area rent | $1,730 | $1,800 | HUD SAFMR FY2027 |
| 1-bedroom rent, whole metro area | $1,530 | $1,714 | HUD FY2027 |
| Studio rent near downtown, HUD | $1,630 | $1,560 | HUD FY2027 |
| 1-bedroom, paid by current tenants | $1,593 | $1,229 | Census ACS 2024 1-year / Census ACS 2024 5-year |
| Typical asking rent, all homes | $1,586 | $1,704 | Zillow ZORI |
| Typical home value | $497,418 | $448,688 | Zillow ZHVI |
| Airbnb, entire home, per night | $246 | $237 | Inside Airbnb median |
| Walkability within 2 miles of downtown, out of 20 | 15.8 | 14.6 | EPA |
| Households with no car | 7.4% | 7.6% | Census ACS 2024 1-year / Census ACS 2024 5-year |
| Commute by public transit | 3% | 1.3% | Census ACS 2024 1-year / Census ACS 2024 5-year |
| Single transit ride | $1.25 | $1.00 | CapMetro / ART |
| Bike network score, out of 100 | 36 | 19 | PeopleForBikes 2026 |
| Fastest advertised home internet | 8 Gbps | 5 Gbps | Google Fiber / AT&T |
| Cheapest advertised internet plan | $45 / mo | $35 / mo | advertised |
| July average high | 97°F | 86°F | NOAA normals |
| January average low | 42°F | 29°F | NOAA normals |
| Rain and melted snow per year | 36 in | 41 in | NOAA normals |
| Days with good air, latest full year | 159 | 268 | EPA 2025 |
| Unemployment rate, county | 3.9% | 3.2% | BLS |
| Cafes within 2 miles of downtown | 124 | n/a | OpenStreetMap |
| Coworking spaces within 2 miles | 10 | n/a | OpenStreetMap |
| Open breweries in the city | 43 | 27 | Open Brewery DB |
| Free dispersed camping areas within 50 miles | 0 | 2 | Forest Service and BLM |
| Population | 993,771 | 94,535 | Census ACS 2024 1-year / Census ACS 2024 5-year |
Full receipts, with the page each number was read from and the date: Austin, TX and Asheville, NC.
Questions people ask
Is Austin or Asheville cheaper to live in?
Austin is the cheaper city to rent in near downtown: a 1-bedroom is $1,730 a month against $1,800 in Asheville, 4% less on HUD's FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rent for the ZIP codes near the center. Metro-wide the figures are $1,530 and $1,714. For a studio it is $1,630 in Austin and $1,560 in Asheville, and typical home values are $497,418 and $448,688 (Zillow). As of October 2026.
Which is more walkable, Austin or Asheville?
Austin. Within 2 miles of downtown the EPA National Walkability Index gives Austin 15.8 and Asheville 14.6 out of 20. 7.4% of Austin households and 7.6% of Asheville households own no car.
Which has faster internet, Austin or Asheville?
Austin, on paper. The fastest advertised home plan is 8 Gbps from Google Fiber in Austin and 5 Gbps from AT&T in Asheville. Both are advertised top speeds, not measured ones, and most plans are far slower.
Which has milder winters, Austin or Asheville?
Austin. The average January low is 42°F in Austin and 29°F in Asheville; July highs average 97°F and 86°F (NOAA 30-year normals).
Which has more breweries, Austin or Asheville?
Austin: 43 open breweries inside Austin and 27 inside Asheville on Open Brewery DB. Per 100,000 residents that is 4.3 and 28.6. Austin list, Asheville list.