Asheville is weird right now. If you scroll through social media, you’ll see two completely different cities. One version is a ghost town of mud and twisted rebar, a permanent monument to the wreckage of Tropical Storm Helene. The other is a glossy tourism ad featuring Michelin-starred dinners and pristine mountain sunrises.
The truth? It’s neither. And it’s both.
As of January 2026, the latest news in asheville isn't just about survival anymore; it's about a bizarre, high-stakes tug-of-war between a $30 million budget deficit and a record-breaking surge in tourism. We are living in a city that is simultaneously broke and booming.
The $30 Million Elephant in the Room
Let’s talk about the money. Or the lack of it.
During a mid-January work session, Asheville City Council got hit with some pretty grim math. Staffers are projecting a $30 million gap between what the city brings in and what it needs to spend for the 2026-27 fiscal year. That is a massive hole. To put it simply: the cost of keeping the lights on, the water running, and the roads patched has skyrocketed while the tax base is still catching its breath.
You might wonder how a city can be "broke" when the hotels are full. It's a fair question. The reality is that disaster recovery is expensive in ways people don't see. We aren't just talking about moving trees. We're talking about 22,000 linear feet of new water lines being laid right now by contractors like T.P. Howard’s Plumbing to replace ancient, failing pipes that the storm finally finished off.
The West Asheville Police Debate
Budget stress leads to friction. Look at the recent 5-1 Council vote to move the West Asheville police resource center to the Tanger Outlets on Brevard Road. On paper, it's a 10-year lease for more space. In reality? Residents are fired up. Many feel like moving the base away from the heart of Haywood Road leaves the neighborhood vulnerable.
✨ Don't miss: Franklin D Roosevelt Civil Rights Record: Why It Is Way More Complicated Than You Think
Council member Kim Roney was the lone "no" vote, basically saying the city didn't talk to the neighbors enough before signing the dotted line. Chief Jackie Stepp is promising that patrols won't change, but in a city facing a budget crisis, every move feels like a withdrawal of resources to someone.
Tourism Is Breaking Records (Seriously)
While the city government is checking the couch cushions for spare change, the tourism industry is absolutely hauling it in. It feels wrong to some, but the numbers don't lie.
Explore Asheville recently reported that group travel and meetings generated over $67 million in direct spending recently. That’s a 35% jump. If you tried to get a table downtown lately, you already knew this. We have new Michelin-recognized spots, the PGA Tour is coming back, and the Biltmore just launched a new after-dark experience that is drawing massive crowds.
- SoCon is back: FIRC Hospitality just locked in a deal making their downtown properties (like the Cambria and Haywood Park Hotel) the official home base for Southern Conference administrative meetings.
- The Pump Track: North America’s largest pump track is now a major draw for the bike crowd.
- Wellness Overload: Mountaintop yoga and wood-fired saunas are the new standard. Goats are, apparently, still optional.
It’s a strange vibe. You can spend $400 on a tasting menu and then drive three blocks and see a "FEMA Buyout" sign in front of a house that’s been empty for over a year.
The Health Scare Nobody Expected
We also need to talk about the measles.
Honestly, this caught everyone off guard. In early January 2026, health officials confirmed cases in three siblings in Buncombe County. This is the first time we’ve seen measles here in decades. It’s linked to a massive outbreak in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, which has seen over 400 cases.
🔗 Read more: 39 Carl St and Kevin Lau: What Actually Happened at the Cole Valley Property
If you were in the Mission Hospital Emergency Department waiting room on January 4th between 2:00 a.m. and 6:30 a.m., you might have been exposed. The county is still trying to track down everyone who was there. It’s a sobering reminder that while we’re worried about infrastructure and budgets, basic public health can still trip us up.
Real Estate: The Great Rebalancing
Is the housing market crashing? No. But it’s definitely not the fever dream it was in 2022.
The latest news in asheville for buyers is actually pretty good, relatively speaking. We are officially in a "balanced" to "buyer-friendly" market. The median sale price has hovered around $485,000, but here’s the kicker: over 70% of homes on the market recently saw price drops.
Sellers are no longer the kings of the hill. Homes are sitting for an average of 65 to 70 days. If you’re looking to buy, you actually have leverage to negotiate for the first time in a long time.
Why prices aren't plummeting
Inventory is still low. Even with a 75% increase in year-over-year inventory, we only have about 6 months of supply. That prevents a total "crash." Plus, most homeowners here have a ton of equity, so we aren't seeing a wave of desperate foreclosures. It’s just... slower.
The Infrastructure Long Game
If you’ve been stuck in traffic on I-26 lately, you know the $1.8 billion Connector project is finally moving into the "final design" phase. The NCDOT is even looking at a potential rail line between Asheville and Salisbury. They’re taking public comments on that until January 20th.
💡 You might also like: Effingham County Jail Bookings 72 Hours: What Really Happened
It feels like the city is being rebuilt for a version of Asheville that doesn't quite exist yet.
We’ve got $2.09 million going toward a new bike and pedestrian bridge near Craven Street and nearly $3 million for a multi-use path on Deaverview Road. But—and this is a big "but"—those won't even start construction until 2028 or 2031.
What This Means for You
So, what do you actually do with all this information?
If you live here, you need to pay attention to the budget hearings. That $30 million gap is going to be closed somehow, and it usually means higher fees or property tax adjustments. The city is using FEMA loans to bridge the gap right now, but that’s a temporary fix.
If you’re visiting, keep coming. The "voluntourism" trend is real. Groups are now booking trips specifically to help with "imaginative reuse" projects or stream cleanups. MountainTrue is currently working to clean up 125 miles of waterways, and they’ve already pulled out millions of pounds of debris.
Actionable Next Steps
- Check your records: If you haven't had a MMR vaccine or aren't sure of your status, call Buncombe County Public Health at 828-250-6100, especially given the recent exposure at Mission Hospital.
- Voice your opinion: The NCDOT is open for comments on the state rail plan until January 20, 2026. If you want that Asheville-to-Salisbury train, now is the time to say so.
- Apply for help: If your home was damaged by Helene and you haven't applied for the Renew NC program, the deadline is January 31, 2026. Don't leave money on the table.
- Shop local: The West Asheville "ReMix It" space is opening soon for community workshops. Supporting these smaller, community-forward businesses is what keeps the "weird" in Asheville alive while the big hotels take over downtown.
Asheville is in a state of "aggressive recovery." We are building bike bridges while facing massive deficits. We are dealing with measles while hosting PGA tours. It’s messy, it’s complicated, and it’s exactly why people can’t stop talking about this place. Over a million cubic yards of debris have been cleared, but the path forward is still being paved—literally.