North Carolina City Named One Of America’s Most Beautiful Mountain Towns & It’s Not Asheville

When you hear that a North Carolina city was named one of America's most beautiful mountain towns, your mind probably immediately goes to Asheville or maybe even Blowing Rock. Well, this is a different type of list. This list looks at the most beautiful hidden mountain towns in America. These towns will give you the real mountain experience without the hustle and bustle of tourist-heavy towns.

This list was compiled by Cheapism. They found "off-the-radar" spots around the country that are ready to take you away from the tourist-heavy spots. One town in North Carolina managed to make the list.

According to the site, "It's got live theater, great boutiques, orchards, and farmers markets, and plenty of outdoor recreation, including zip line tours and the waterfall-laden DuPont State Recreational Forest, where much of "The Hunger Games" was shot. It also bills itself as pet-friendly, so be sure to bring the dogs along — you'll find plenty of places to exercise them on- and off-leash. Finally, Hendersonville is part of the Cheers Trail, which showcases the area's beer, wine, cider, and mead producers."

Hendersonville, North Carolina is less than 2 hours away from Charlotte. It looks like I just found my next weekend getaway spot! If you'd like to check out more off-the-radar mountain towns around the country, check those out here.

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Have you seen the cost of living as of recently? Yes, that's right it is quite expensive to survive around here. It's pretty insane if you ask me. People are also getting to the point of relocating to more affordable cities more than ever. Some towns and cities are just so much more affordable that it's a no-brainer to relocate.

Travel + Leisure released their list of the ten most beautiful and affordable places to live in the United States. Yes, affordable does not mean you won't be able to have some beauty either. From fast-paced cities to small, quaint towns on the beaches there are tons of great, affordable places you could live. In fact, one North Carolina town took home the No. 1 spot for the most beautiful and affordable spot in the U.S. One South Carolina area also made the top five. Do you have any guesses? Check out the top 5 below and tell us what you think. View Travel + Leisure's full list here.

First, we're taking a trip to Tennessee, Knoxville to be exact. Knoxville is the No. 5 most affordable and beautiful place to live on this list. The area gives those that live there a perfect balance of city and nature living. The report states that the median housing price is about $335,000 which is figuratively low for other small, metro type areas in the country.

Next up, we're living it up in Kentucky. Lousiville, Kentucky is the No. 4 most affordable, beautiful location to live. This city is full of life with the history and culture that can be seen in buildings and through the locals. The median housing cost is quite low coming in at $163,000. Now that sounds like a great deal to me!

Coming in at No. 3, we're heading to South Carolina. Greenville is one of South Carolina's most up-and-coming cities that has grown tremendously over the last few years. The city has tons of job opportunities, restaurants, and tons of other things to do. The median home price is about $320,000. The revamped downtown areas offer visitors and locals a fresh new look at what Greenville is all about! 

Coming in at No. 2 is this Michigan staple, Grand Rapids. The Grand Rapids area is home to a booming arts scene and offers those that live in the area tons of things to do. The family friendly area offers entertainment for the entire family ranging in different ages. They also have a median home price of $367,000 which is roughly low compared to the area. 

Here we are at No. 1! Hickory, North Carolina is the most beautiful and affordable spot to live in the U.S. This family friendly spot is a beautiful town for those loving the close proximity to nature and mountain dreams. The median home price is $161,000 which makes it clearly far more affordable than anywhere else in the top 5. Great for retirees or those looking for a bit quieter area to call home, Hickory would be perfect for you!