Asheville is the hipster region. Nice place to retire if you have the money. It’s expensive there.
If I had to move to NC I would move to Newbern/Morehead city area. It’s part military, part blue collar, and red white and blue.
My son has a house in Candler just outside of Asheville. It’s a beautiful area and not too expensive.
My daughter spent 8 weeks in an artists community near Asheville this past autumn. It took us weeks to get her “de-programmed,” Ha Ha..
Asheville is a little “progressive.”