A friendly city of trails in the heart of North Carolina’s apple capital
Just south of Asheville in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, Hendersonville has a trail for everyone, including the Ice Cream Trail, Blue Ridge Crafts Trails and hiking trails through several forests and parks. While this Henderson Couty city draws thousands of annual visitors, it also attracts creatives and retirees who move here for the artistic community, mountain scenery and mild climate. “Hendersonville is a place people think of as their hometown. You may not have been born here, but you can feel like this is a place you’re comfortable in,” says Mayor Barbara Volk, who moved to the city with her husband nearly 50 years ago. “We wanted a small town. We like to hike, and we had looked at other places, but everyone here was so friendly, and that’s what people still say. It’s just a very friendly town.” She notes that the popular Main Street Historic District, the centrally located downtown with locally owned shops and restaurants, often seals the deal for newcomers. Two hospital systems, the University of North Carolina Health and Advent Health, have facilities in town: Pardee Hospital and Advent Health Henderson.
Hendersonville attracts creatives and retirees who move here for the artistic community.
The Main Street Historic District has a great selection of restaurants in Hendersonville.
Hendersonville downtown is full of rich history and artistic inspirations.
Hendersonville features the Ice Cream Trail and Blue Ridge Crafts Trail for locals to enjoy.
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Local green spaces and Chimney Rock State Park nearby
According to the Trust for Public Land, half of residents are within a 10-minute walk of one of the city’s 15 urban parks, including the 220-acre Jackson Park. It features a dog park, disc golf course and BMX bike track. Many mountain parks are nearby, including Chimney Rock State Park and DuPont State Recreational Forest, for challenging hikes, relaxing fishing and kayaking trips. “There’s Sliding Rock if you want to brave the cold waters of the Davidson River,” Mayor Volk says. When complete, the planned Ecusta Trail will be a nearly 20-mile paved path connecting downtown Hendersonville to the city of Brevard.
Jackson Park offers multiple tennis and baseball courts for Hendersonville locals.
Hendersonville locals enjoy going hiking at Chimney Rock and DuPont Park.
Cascade Lake is located in DuPont State Park in Hendersonville, NC.
The DuPont State Forest is a great place to go fishing and camping in Hendersonville.
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The lively Main Street Historic District
Hendersonville’s downtown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its Neoclassical storefronts and serpentine Main Street, which gently curves around ornamental trees and shaded outdoor dining areas. The wide sidewalks can become crowded on weekends as residents and visitors stroll among the local boutiques, breweries, art galleries and restaurants. The city’s popular cideries and wineries display the region’s strong terroir: the unique flavors the mountain climate gives to wine.
With dozens of farms and apple orchards in the area, Henderson County is considered the apple capital of the state. Hendersonville runs on this agriculture and the tourism it brings. “We have the Apple Festival over Labor Day weekend. It can draw up to 250,000 people into our town of around 16,000 over a four-day weekend,” Mayor Volk says. “We call ourselves the City of Four Seasons because there are so many things to do throughout the year,” she adds. Plants, gardening equipment and novelties fill vendor booths for the Garden Jubilee over Memorial Day weekend, while decorated bear sculptures dot downtown for the Barefootin’ Public Art Walk from May through October. Residents can catch a play or musical at the Hendersonville Theatre or the Flat Rock Playhouse, the State Theater of North Carolina.
There is a wide selection of local bars in Hendersonville.
The Appalachian Ridge Artisan Cidery features a large orchard for the locals to pick apples.
Brandy's on Main in Hendersonville offers American classics for the locals to enjoy.
Hendersonville is known for its many vineyards and apple orchards.
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Historic neighborhoods and Craftsman bungalows
Hendersonville’s home prices are ticking upward, increasing 8% from 2023 to 2024. The median price for a home is $435,000. The market is slow, with properties selling after 54 days on average, about 10 days longer than the national average.
Hendersonville has several historic districts close to downtown, including Druid Hills, Lenox Park and Hyman Heights. These districts offer a variety of early 20th-century architectural styles, such as Colonial and Tudor Revival. However, most of the city’s homes are ranch-style or Craftsman bungalows. New builds are typically found south of 6th Avenue, and townhouses and condos are available on the city’s west side and near downtown.
Hendersonville’s population of roughly 16,000 people is growing over 1% each year, which Mayor Volk says is the city’s biggest challenge. “Lower price housing is in short supply. We’re getting more townhome developments and trying to keep denser developments closer to the city to protect the outlying farms and apple orchards.”
Craftsman style homes can be found in quiet neighborhoods in Hendersonville, NC.
Ranch homes can be seen on the outskirts of Hendersonville County.
Townhomes and condos are becoming more abundant in Hendersonville, NC.
Large colonial homes are a common sight in Hendersonville.
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Henderson County Schools students can earn college credits
Henderson County Schools earn a B-plus overall rating from Niche. Its 23 schools serve nearly 13,000 students. With more than 2,000 teachers and staff, the district is the county’s biggest employer. It features Henderson County Early College, a public high school on Blue Ridge Community College’s campus in town where students can earn a high school diploma and an associate degree.
Students in Hendersonville can attend the Hendersonville High School.
Bruce Drysdale Elementary School is a popular destination for Hendersonville students.
The Boys & Girls Club is associated with the schools in Hendersonville.
Hendersonville High School students can participate in a plethora of sports programs.
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Getting around western North Carolina
Hendersonville’s residents rely on their cars to get around. While there aren’t urban bike lanes, the 3-mile Oklawaha Greenway connects several parks along Mud Creek, and the planned Ecusta Trail will eventually add 20 more miles of bike paths. U.S. Route 64 is the main east-west road through the city, and Interstate 26 connects Hendersonville to Asheville, roughly 25 miles north. Hendersonville Airport, a general aviation airport with no commercial flights, is 3 miles outside of the city. The Asheville Regional Airport, 11 miles away, has direct flights to U.S. cities like Boston and Las Vegas; the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport is a 46-mile trip.
The Oklawaha Greenway Trail is a great place to go biking in Hendersonville.
U.S. Route 64 is the main east-west road through the Hendersonville city.
The Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport is a 46-mile trip from Hendersonville.
Interstate 26 connects Hendersonville to Asheville, NC.
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Property crime falling in Hendersonville
Data specific to Hendersonville’s violent crime rate is not readily available. However, according to FBI statistics, the city’s property crime rate has been trending downward over the last five years, but it remains high compared to state and national figures. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation’s “Crime In North Carolina 2023” report finds Henderson County’s violent crime rate increased by nearly 7% from 2022, and the county’s property crime rate fell by almost 29%.
The effects of wildfires and Hurricane Helene
Though Hendersonville has a low risk of wildfire, the forested mountains nearby have a moderate risk. Fires have damaged property and reduced air quality here as recently as the fall of 2023. Hendersonville also lies on a floodplain and continues to recover following Hurricane Helene in September 2024. “We were more fortunate than some of our neighboring communities. However, we had businesses and homes that were severely damaged or are now completely unusable,” says Mayor Volk. Following the storm, Hendersonville is repairing and replacing damaged infrastructure related to its water and sewer systems and other city facilities. The storm is not stopping the already planned expansion of its public trails, greenways and bike lanes.
Written By
DeeVa Payne
Photography Contributed By
Viktor Zagorevskiy
Video By
Nina Violi
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On average, homes in Hendersonville, NC sell after 61 days on the market compared to the national average of 49 days. The median sale price for homes in Hendersonville, NC over the last 12 months is $421,900, down 3% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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