Henderson is the region’s clear #2 destination
Henderson County generated $453.34M in total visitor spending in 2025 — 1.2% of North Carolina’s statewide total, and second only to Buncombe County ($2.59B) among the 11 counties in the Asheville & Foothills region. Henderson outpaced its next-closest competitor, Catawba County ($363.42M), by nearly 25%, establishing itself as the strongest secondary market in a region dominated by one major metro.
Henderson grew while its largest neighbor contracted
Henderson posted +3.6% year-over-year visitor spending growth in 2025, beating the Asheville & Foothills regional average of -0.7%. Buncombe County — home to Asheville and the region’s dominant market — actually declined -2.1% over the same period. Henderson is capturing growth the region’s flagship destination is currently losing.
A top regional job creator for residents
Tourism supported 2,813 jobs in Henderson County in 2025 — the second-highest employment total in the region behind only Buncombe (17,211), and roughly 9.6% of all tourism employment across Asheville & Foothills. Henderson’s impact extends well beyond visitor dollars into direct economic opportunity for local residents.
Above-average tax relief for local residents
Visitor spending in Henderson County generated $16.27M in state taxes and $18.13M in local taxes, translating to $278.38 in tax savings per resident — higher than the North Carolina statewide average of $243.67. This reinforces a clear “tourism pays for itself” narrative for local stakeholders and elected officials.
A diversified, food & beverage-anchored visitor economy
Unlike many neighboring counties that lean heavily on a single spending category, Henderson’s visitor economy is well balanced: Food & Beverage ($148.17M) leads, followed by Lodging ($103.69M), Transport ($100.54M), Recreation ($64.24M), and Retail ($36.70M). This diversification signals a fuller destination experience rather than dependence on any single driver.
Henderson County vs. Regional Peers — 2025
Benchmarked against all counties in the Asheville & Foothills marketing region, Henderson stands out on both scale and momentum.
| County | Total Spending ($M) | YoY Growth | Jobs Supported | Tax Savings / Resident |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buncombe (Asheville) | $2,590.15 | -2.1% | 17,211 | $764.50 |
| Henderson | $453.34 | +3.6% | 2,813 | $278.38 |
| Catawba | $363.42 | +3.5% | 2,551 | $161.56 |
| Rutherford | $255.87 | -8.2% | 1,559 | $296.37 |
| Transylvania | $188.01 | +0.5% | 1,138 | $391.24 |
| Burke | $162.88 | +5.6% | 970 | $123.82 |
| Cleveland | $178.64 | +4.6% | 1,016 | $112.98 |
| Polk | $55.76 | -1.7% | 288 | $200.02 |
| Madison | $80.06 | -0.3% | 382 | $265.54 |
| Alexander | $30.54 | -7.5% | 191 | $66.05 |
