Asheville, Hendersonville are among the friendliest places in the South, Southern Living says

Asheville and several other cities and towns in Western North Carolina have been named some of the friendliest in the South by Southern Living.

Chosen through surveys of over 20,000 people, Southern Living asked respondents to name the friendliest people and places in the South and compiled the results into two lists: The 15 Friendliest Cities in the South and The 20 Friendliest Towns in the South.

While there is no legal difference in N.C. between the definitions for city and town, Southern Living placed areas with populations over 40,000 on their list of cities.

Here are the WNC towns that placed on the Southern Living lists.

Friendliest cities in the South

Three N.C. cities placed on Southern Living's list of friendliest in the South, including Asheville which landed at No. 7.

It isn't the first time Asheville and its many restaurants, breweries and attractions have landed on Southern Living lists. Other recent placements have included No. 5 on a list of Best Southern Cities, and first place on a list of cities for Mother's Day weekend trips.

This time, the list praised the "artsy little mountain town" for craft beer, the city's Friday night drum circle and general "good vibes." Asheville's entry also said that people who voted for the city as the South's friendliest mentioned diversity, community-mindedness and laid-back feel as some of its merits.

The list included a quote from one reader who said, "It seems like it would be a clash of cultures, but I’ve never been to another place where everyone seems to be in a good mood all the time."

Other N.C. cities that placed were Cary (15) and Wilmington (6). Here are the top 10 Friendliest Cities in the South, according to Southern Living:

1. Charleston, South Carolina
2. Savannah, Georgia
3. Greenville, South Carolina
4. New Orleans, Louisiana
5. Nashville, Tennessee
6. Wilmington, North Carolina
7. Asheville, North Carolina
8. Franklin, Tennessee
9. Lexington, Kentucky
10. Lafayette, Louisiana

Friendliest towns in the South

As for areas with smaller populations, three more N.C. cities were included as friendliest. Hendersonville was the WNC pick this time, coming in at No. 14. Previously chosen by Southern Living as one of their favorite small towns in N.C., this analysis called the town "easy to love."

Several survey respondents cited Hendersonville's friendliness to not just humans, but their canine friends. Downtown's Main Street was noted as particularly dog-friendly.

"Every person I've met there is so warm, friendly, and accommodating. The downtown area is divine, with each establishment being locally owned and operated,” said one respondent. "If that doesn’t put you in a good mood, time spent outdoors hiking and boating will."

Another respondent mentioned the abundance of hiking trails, rivers and waterfalls in the area, with weather that seems to never become too hot or too cold no matter what time of year it is.

Carolina Beach (11) and Southport (6) were the other N.C. cities mentioned. Here are the top 10 friendliest towns in the South, according to Southern Living:

1. Covington, Louisiana
2. Beaufort, South Carolina
3. Fairhope, Alabama
4. Spartanburg, South Carolina
5. Oxford, Mississippi
6. Southport, North Carolina
7. Round Top, Texas
8. St. Augustine, Florida
9. Fredericksburg, Texas
10. Laurel, Mississippi

Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.