ASHEVILLE — Asheville rental prices again are on the rise.

Rental prices in June were up 2.7% compared to the same time in 2018, growing sharply through the spring after a decline in March. The median rent in Asheville for a one-bedroom apartment now sits at $900 and is $1,130 for a two-bedroom, fourth-most expensive in the state, according to Apartment List, a San Francisco company that tracks the apartment industry.

Asheville's growth exceeded the national average of 1.5%, but fell short of the statewide mark of 2.8%. Three North Carolina cities bested the state average: High Point, Cary, and Durham.

Cary is the most expensive of the state's major cities with a median two-bedroom rent of $1,280, data shows.

The analysis notes Asheville remains "more affordable than most large cities across the country." Its median two-bedroom rent comes in lower than the national average of $1,190. It is a similar rate to a number of other cities including Dallas, Cape Coral, Florida; Waterbury, Connecticut; and Glennwood, Illinois.

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Data from analysis is compiled by using median rent statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau extrapolated forward to individual months using Apartment List's listing information. Its figures are comparable to those of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which estimates the median one-bedroom rate in Asheville's metropolitan area at $875 and at $1,088 for a two-bedroom rental.

Asheville residents and community leaders have spent much of the past several years clamoring for affordable rental prices as the region continues to grow. Buncombe County leaders launched this year an Affordable Housing Committee to discuss strategy and other updates on projects in which the county has a hand, such as Mountain Housing Opportunities' East Haven Apartments on U.S. 70. in Swannanoa.

The city also has an Affordable Housing Advisory Committee and a Housing Trust Fund, both of which are designed to implement affordable housing strategies with city controlled funds.