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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

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PLACEThriving

Emma, NC

Thriving overall. Population is the clearest support signal, while housing needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

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Overall score71out of 100
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79
70
80
59
NA

Population

2,657

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+5.7% YoY

79

$21.3B

Output changed +5.7% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth6.2%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

70

3.4%

Unemployment is 3.4% for July 2026.

Vintage date unknown

State avg3.6%
U.S. avg4.1%

Population

+4.9% 5-year

80

2,657

Population moved +4.9% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population10,730,404
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

59

29.1%

Median rent consumes 29.1% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$1.2K
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

Unavailable per resident

NA

Unavailable

Federal spending data is unavailable for this geography.

Vintage date unknown

State total$129.5B
U.S. total$5.3T
USAspending federal inflow temporarily unavailable.

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

Unavailable

No federal obligations were reported for this geography.

Top agencies

Dollars

No agencies reported.

Top recipients

Dollars

No recipients reported.

Affordable

Housing Affordability

29.1%

of median income

1BR estimate$872
2BR estimate$1,149
Median income$43,907
Median home value$92,300

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

2,657

Median age

29.7

Bachelor's degree+

20.8%

Poverty rate

11.3%

Labor force participation

47.8%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.0%

U.S. GDP YoY

+6.6%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

July 2026

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-09-09

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • USAspending federal inflow temporarily unavailable.
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

+1.0%

GDP CAGR

+7.5%

Federal flow

N/A

Population (5 years)
20202,532
20212,767
20222,969
20232,757
20242,657
GDP (5 years)
2020$14.8B
2021$16.6B
2022$18.3B
2023$20.1B
2024$21.3B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

20242,657
20252,808 *
20262,832 *

R² = 5.6% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$21.3B
2025$23.1B *
2026$24.8B *

R² = 99.5% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$43,907/yr
Median rent$1,064/mo
Rent share of income29.1%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$5,601/yr
Mortgage share of income12.8%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate3.4%
State avg3.6%
U.S. avg4.1%
Labor force participation47.8%
Poverty rate11.3%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. July 2026.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$92,300
Median monthly rent$1,064
Price-to-rent ratio7.2x

Low price-to-rent ratio — buying may be more favorable than renting in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateStrong
Composite score75/100
Economic growth79/100
Labor market70/100
Population momentum80/100
Overall stability71/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

Emma CDP, North Carolina

City/Town

Part of

Asheville, NC

Nearby locations

Woodfin, NCAsheville, NCBiltmore Forest, NCBent Creek, NCWeaverville, NC