| As the
western regional center for the state of North Carolina,
Asheville offers amenities far out of proportion to its
size and provides outstanding programs for seniors.
These include the North Carolina Center for Creative
Retirement, affiliated with the University of North
Carolina at Asheville. It maintains the College for
Seniors as well as a research institute and a senior
wellness center. The Buncombe County Council on
Aging and the Senior Opportunity Center also provide an
abundance of programs.
Medical care is superb
and less expensive than the national average.
Asheville is said to have more doctors per capita than
anywhere else in the world! A strong concentration
of hospitals and related facilities round out the
medical community.
The Asheville Art Museum,
Folk Art Center and various other artistic outlets in a
city that has long been a haven for artists and
craftspeople. Together the Asheville Symphony and
the Brevard Music Center present year-round music
programs, and the Asheville Community Theater and
Shakespeare in the Park represent the performing arts.
The region is also a Mecca for antique and folk art
collectors. Traditional mountain crafts such as
lap quilting, corn shuck dolls and white oak basketry
are demonstrated and sold at the Folk Art Center.
Most seniors say the
drawbacks to living here are few but some point to high
housing and utility costs. These seem, however,
to be balanced out by low medical costs.
Summer days can get hot, but these, too, are balanced by
cool nights provided by the 2,340 foot elevation.
Statistics
Climate: The
average January high temperature is 48 degrees, and the
low is 27 degrees. The average summer high
temperature is 84 degrees, and the low is 63 degrees.
The average humidity is between 58% and 74%. The
area receives 16 inches of snow and 38 inches of rain
per year.
Cost-of-Living:
5% above the national average.
Health Care:
Memorial Mission Hospital is the major medical center
for western North Carolina. Other facilities
include St. Joseph Hospital with 24 hour emergency care
and the Asheville VA Medical Center.
Housing: The
average price of a new home is $215,000. Average
price of a 2 bedroom apartment is $750, and rentals are
tight. Overall, housing costs are 20% to 25% above
the national norm.
Taxes:
North
Carolina
is
considered a tax friendly retirement state.
Social Security benefits, public pensions and
military pensions are exempt from state income taxes.
Some qualified private pensions and out-of-state
government pensions are also exempt (the exemptions are
between $2000 and $4000 depending upon the type of
pension). Real estate is assessed at 100% of the
appraised value, but homestead exemptions of up to
$25,000 are available to homeowners age 65 and
older. Income taxes are between 6% and
7.75%.
Safety:
Asheville's crime rate is above the national average.
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