ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Just Economics of Western North Carolina announced its 2026 living wage rates and the full resumption of its Living Wage Certification program across the region, including new wage thresholds and updated program rules.

In Buncombe County, the 2026 living wage rate will be $24.10 an hour, a 95-cent increase from 2025. Employers who pay at least that amount to all non-exempt workers are eligible to be certified as “Leading” Living Wage employers, the organization said.

Just Economics said the Buncombe County rate reflects the hourly wage needed for a single person working full-time to afford a one-bedroom apartment in the county. The calculation is based on a four-year rolling average of Fair Market Rent figures determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Outside Buncombe County, the 2026 living wage rate will remain $17.55 an hour, unchanged from 2025. That “rural” rate is set at 233 percent of the federal poverty guideline for a single adult with no children and is adjusted every two years. For more than 100 employers and about 3,100 workers outside Buncombe County due for recertification, the new rate represents a $1.15 increase over the 2023-24 level. The rural rate will be reevaluated in 2027.

Buncombe County employers unable to meet the $24.10 hourly floor may still qualify as “Pledged” Living Wage employers. New employers entering the pledged program in 2026 must pay at least $20 an hour and commit to increasing wages by 3 percent plus inflation the following year, according to Just Economics.

The organization also announced several program changes that will take effect for applications received in 2026. All certifications will shift to one-year terms, worker exemptions will be clarified or removed, and new rules will affect how wage floors are guaranteed for tipped workers. The changes were approved by Just Economics’ board following input from staff, a public certification committee, employers in tipped industries and tipped workers, with assistance from Asheville Food & Beverage United.

“We are incredibly grateful for the feedback from tipped workers and employers and other members of the community who share our commitment to making the Living Wage Certification program even clearer and stronger,” Ela Twigg, a Just Economics board member and former worker at a certified organization, said in a news release.

In response to economic impacts from Tropical Storm Helene, Just Economics extended recertification deadlines by one year for 145 employers originally scheduled to recertify in 2025. The extension ends in 2026, when 326 employers will be asked to recertify under the new rates.

Despite the pause, the organization said new and voluntarily recertified employers reported $346,000 in wage increases in 2025 to meet living wage criteria, averaging a $1.05 hourly raise for full-time workers.

Sam Stites, living wage program coordinator for Just Economics, said the organization continues to oversee what it describes as the nation’s largest local living wage certification program and to collaborate with partners at the local and national levels.

One recent development includes a dual certification partnership with Living Wage for US, a national organization that calculates cost-of-living benchmarks nationwide. In 2025, Asheville-based Living Roofs Inc. became the first employer to receive dual certification, allowing the value of employer-provided benefits to be factored into living wage calculations, Just Economics said.

“Dual living wage certification reflects our commitment to fair, equitable and sustainable compensation for our team,” June Altamura, business manager of Living Roofs Inc., said in the news release

Looking ahead, Just Economics said it plans to study and refine its rural and pledged programs, evaluate the impact of recent changes and continue gathering community input. The organization encouraged residents to participate through public meetings, certification committees or direct outreach.

“An extraordinary show of thanks is owed to our community of workers and Living Wage Certified employers and to our vast network of volunteers, activists, policy advocates and community members who showed up in 2025 while still recovering from Helene to build a more just and sustainable economy for all in Western North Carolina,” Vicki Meath, executive director of Just Economics, said in the news release.