With Disney already putting shovels in the ground for its new North Carolina development, it’s a little late for residents in the Tar Heel state to have buyer’s remorse. But with the toothpaste out of the tube, some in Carolina are starting to ask who exactly is Disney building its million-dollar homes for and what kind of damage this influx of people will do to the environment of the small town chosen by Disney?
In December 2023, Disney announced its plans to build a second StoryLiving Community in Chatham County, North Carolina. Disney’s Asteria will include 4000 residential units on 1,500 acres, green space, community buildings, neighborhood parks, and access to the development’s natural beauty, including the Haw River. Disney expects sales to begin on the new development in 2027.
In June, the Pittsboro Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the preliminary plan for the development, and later that month, Disney broke ground on an infrastructure project to begin phase I construction. Despite the unanimous approval, many in the town were concerned about the project’s environmental impacts and the fact that it would dramatically alter the small town.
Disney Chose *THIS* Tiny Town?! You Won’t Believe Why! Explore the buzz around Disney Asteria coming to Pittsboro! Join our discussion on the surprising location choice, beating out Austin & Boulder. Hear insights into Disney’s demographic research. Discover why grandparents… pic.twitter.com/e4G4RnIHje
— Chatham Journal (@chathamjournal) May 27, 2025
Pittsboro, North Carolina, is a town of around 4,500 people about 40 minutes outside the state capital of Raleigh. While many in the city applauded the increased housing, their tune changed once they realized that these Disney houses come with a massive price tag.
The Charlotte Observer compared the prices of Disney’s other StoryLiving Community outside Palm Springs, California, and found that most of the homes cost around $1 million with $600 monthly HOA fees. Obviously, the housing markets in California and North Carolina have different prices, but with the Disney name attached, homes in the Asteria project would come with a hefty price tag.
Tim Burrell, a Raleigh-based Realtor, told the Observer:
It’s an interesting experiment. Logically, I think it’ll work, because they don’t need to get every single person. Each house only needs one buyer, and they just need to find enough people that believe in the Disney panache and will pay money for it.
Adding 4,000 homes to a town of 4,500 also causes some large-scale problems that perhaps even Disney hasn’t accounted for. Most of those homes will be purchased by families who will need to send their children to schools, and those families will need other basic services like water, sewage, and trash removal.
Many in Pittsboro fear their small-town life is over. They also worry that they will be priced out of the town they have called home for generations.
The Observer wrote:
Typically, increasing the housing supply in an area can help lower the higher prices often caused by surging demand. But what happens if that housing is branded as exclusive and luxurious, rather than affordable and accessible? And therein lies the biggest question raised by Disney’s foray into the housing market: who are these developments really for? Will it really bring economic prosperity to the area, or will it simply raise the cost of living and make things less affordable for those who already live there?
It remains to be seen just how much Disney will change this small town in North Carolina. The residents will just have to hold their breath and hope for the best.
What do you think of Disney taking over a small town in North Carolina? Let us know in the comments.
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