Land of Sky study tells Buncombe County committee region needs roughly 34,000 homes by 2029

Jacob, a Land of Sky Regional Council representative, presented the council—s 2025 Housing Needs Assessment to the Buncombe County advisory committee and said the region faces a large shortfall in housing. "We have over 34,000 units that are gonna be needed by 2029," he said, adding that the estimate breaks down to about 14,000 rental units and a little over 20,000 for-sale units.

The study, an update to reports from 2015 and 2020, uses U.S. Census and American Community Survey data, Esri modeling and feedback from stakeholders across the Land of Sky region. Jacob said the region—s population is roughly half a million and expected to grow, while median household income for the area is below the state average (the presenter described median household income figures in the mid-to-high $60,000 range). He told the committee the housing market is being driven by three interlinked pressures: a shortage of units, rising costs, and affordability limits that particularly affect special-needs cohorts such as older adults.

The assessment…