Burnsville offers small-town living in the Blue Ridge Mountains
A passion for the great outdoors, the arts and a relaxed pace of living are the pillars of Burnsville. The small town, resting at the base of Mount Mitchell, appeals to retirees and families who love nature. “I like the hiking, fishing, swimming and kayaking,” says Connie Ray, a lifelong resident of the Burnsville area and the owner of Foxfire Real Estate. She adds that the town also attracts second-home buyers and tourists looking for a mountain retreat. “We have plenty [of tourists] from springtime till the end of October. When it gets cold, all the people go home,” Ray says. The seat of Yancey County, Burnsville has a vibrant downtown with community events and long-running businesses. The community also has a resilient spirit and is still recovering from Hurricane Helene, which caused the Cane and Toe rivers and various creeks to breach their banks. Town leaders are developing a Toe River Hazard Mitigation Plan with help from the public as a result. Some hiking trails and parks remain closed.
Condos, townhouses and single-family homes with mountain views
Burnsville stretches well beyond its town limits, offering a wide range of housing from luxury condos to mountainside cabins. Ranch-style homes and bungalows rest on narrow streets north of downtown, while A-frames and mountain-style homes offer acreage and seclusion farther out. Hilly fields surround farmhouses in lower-lying valleys. The median price for a single-family home is around $425,000, on par with the national median. Townhouses cost between $245,000 and $450,000. The gated Mountain Air community offers condos ranging from around $320,000 to nearly $900,000. Potential buyers should note that some properties are on steep roads made of dirt and gravel, and have private wells and septic tanks, as they’re not connected to the town grid.
A small district with above-average schools serves Burnsville
Yancey County Schools earns a B-plus overall rating from Niche. The district has around 2,000 students across six schools, including the B-plus-rated Burnsville Elementary. Fourteen new classrooms were added to the school after flood damage from Helene led to the permanent closure of Micaville Elementary in 2024. Students can move on to the A-minus-rated East Yancey Middle and the B-rated Mountain Heritage High. The high school partners with Mayland Community College to offer dual enrollment pathways in either career and technical education or college preparation. The district has limited school choice, with in-district and out-of-district transfers approved on a case-by-case basis.
Exploring nature in Western North Carolina’s Hiking Capital
Burnsville's green spaces include Ray-Cort Recreation Park, where residents can work out on the fitness court, enjoy a picnic and swim in the outdoor pool, and Kid Mountain, a popular playground recently renovated with all-new equipment. However, residents typically head out of town to explore the region’s natural beauty on foot, by bike or by kayak. At Mount Mitchell State Park, hikers can climb to the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. The park is part of the expansive Pisgah National Forest, which offers more adventure, from horseback riding and mountain biking to backcountry camping and trout fishing. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail takes backpackers along the Tennessee/North Carolina border, and many of the region’s other trails lead to waterfalls. Skiing, snowboarding and tubing are popular winter pastimes, and the winding Blue Ridge Parkway offers scenic drives all year round. Far from city lights, the Mayland Earth to Sky Park is known for its stargazing, with the Bare Dark Sky Observatory providing community viewing nights for the public to enjoy views from its Newtonian telescope.
Shopping, dining and attending events on Main Street and Town Square
Residents and tourists mix in downtown Burnsville, where boutique shops and restaurants line Main Street and circle Town Square. Garden Deli has been a lunchtime favorite since the 1980s. Snap Dragon Bar & Kitchen is a sister restaurant next door, serving pub fare and sailor-themed cocktails. Nearby, Appalachian Java offers a rustic and cozy vibe for coffee and breakfast sandwiches. Locally grown produce and handmade goods fill vendor booths at the Yancey County Farmers’ Market every Saturday morning from mid-April through November. Ingles Markets and a few familiar chains dot U.S. 19E. “For any major shopping, you have to go to Asheville or Johnson City, but most people do online shopping,” Ray says.
Events take over Town Square all year long. On July Fourth, there is live music and fireworks to celebrate Independence Day, and in September, the Old Timey Fall Festival features an antique car show, craft demonstrations and live music. Ray says one of the biggest events of the year is the two-day Mount Mitchell Crafts Fair in August, which highlights unique, handmade items from roughly 200 vendors.
A small town with a big art scene
The region’s eye-catching scenery often inspires Burnsville’s many artists and makers, who are supported by Toe River Arts. The arts council, formed in the 1970s, organizes exhibitions, workshops and annual events like Art in the Garden and Music in the Mountains. Actors of all ages take center stage at Parkway Playhouse, recognized as North Carolina’s oldest continually operating summer theater.
Commuters have access to U.S. Route 19E to get to Asheville
Burnsville is largely car dependent, with U.S. Route 19E serving as the town’s main road. Interstate 26 is about 20 miles away to reach larger cities. “It’s very common for people to commute to Asheville and Johnson City,” Ray says. Asheville is less than a 40-mile drive and is home to Asheville Regional Airport. Johnson City , Tennessee, is around a 50-mile drive. Yancey County Transportation provides door-to-door service throughout the county to destinations such as Blue Ridge Medical Center Yancey Campus, which offers primary care in town. Blue Ridge Regional Hospital is the nearest full-service hospital, about 15 miles away in Spruce Pine.
