North Carolina real estate markets
Compare 96 North Carolina counties by rent, home prices and property tax, using public government data. Among counties of 50,000 people or more, the median rent-to-price is 0.51% in North Carolina and 0.52% nationwide.
Where the numbers stand out
96 counties · Swipe the table to see every column
| Market | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bertie County, NCNorth Carolina rents · Run a deal | 1.10% | — | — | $98,500 | $1,081 | 0.79% | 17,170 |
| Robeson County, NCLumberton rents · Run a deal | 1.07% | +8.4% | +9.3% | $94,500 | $1,012 | 0.87% | 116,902 |
| Gates County, NCNorth Carolina rents · Run a deal | 0.97% | +8.8% | +9.1% | $170,800 | $1,665 | 0.76% | 10,376 |
| Halifax County, NCNorth Carolina rents · Run a deal | 0.95% | +3.7% | +8.8% | $106,200 | $1,012 | 1.15% | 47,675 |
| Edgecombe County, NCRocky Mount rents · Run a deal | 0.93% | -3.9% | +8.4% | $125,100 | $1,167 | 1.04% | 48,736 |
| Martin County, NCNorth Carolina rents · Run a deal | 0.92% | -0.8% | +7.2% | $109,700 | $1,012 | 1.06% | 21,644 |
| Scotland County, NCLaurinburg rents · Run a deal | 0.88% | +18.8% | +10.8% | $114,900 | $1,012 | 0.93% | 33,590 |
| Northampton County, NCNorth Carolina rents · Run a deal | 0.88% | -16.7% | +3.7% | $114,500 | $1,012 | 1.08% | 16,931 |
| Greene County, NCNorth Carolina rents · Run a deal | 0.86% | -4.9% | +10.6% | $117,400 | $1,012 | 0.89% | 20,486 |
| Hertford County, NCNorth Carolina rents · Run a deal | 0.85% | -3.5% | +8.7% | $119,200 | $1,012 | 0.98% | 19,908 |
| Lenoir County, NCKinston rents · Run a deal | 0.84% | +2.1% | +10.2% | $120,500 | $1,012 | 0.84% | 54,919 |
| Washington County, NCNorth Carolina rents · Run a deal | 0.80% | -2.9% | +9.3% | $125,900 | $1,012 | 0.99% | 10,812 |
| Richmond County, NCRockingham rents · Run a deal | 0.79% | +6.3% | +9.8% | $127,800 | $1,012 | 0.89% | 42,344 |
| Anson County, NCNorth Carolina rents · Run a deal | 0.77% | -5.0% | +9.7% | $148,600 | $1,143 | 0.77% | 22,289 |
| Duplin County, NCNorth Carolina rents · Run a deal | 0.75% | +1.2% | +9.8% | $137,400 | $1,025 | 0.69% | 49,335 |
| Bladen County, NCNorth Carolina rents · Run a deal | 0.75% | +10.4% | +9.9% | $135,100 | $1,012 | 0.91% | 29,566 |
| Cumberland County, NCFayetteville rents · Run a deal | 0.74% | +4.0% | +10.8% | $199,200 | $1,476 | 0.93% | 338,545 |
| Yadkin County, NCNorth Carolina rents · Run a deal | 0.74% | +2.4% | +9.1% | $181,200 | $1,332 | 0.67% | 37,574 |
| Wayne County, NCGoldsboro rents · Run a deal | 0.71% | +3.3% | +10.0% | $178,700 | $1,261 | 0.70% | 118,652 |
| Columbus County, NCNorth Carolina rents · Run a deal | 0.69% | +2.2% | +10.0% | $146,000 | $1,012 | 0.77% | 50,140 |
| Stokes County, NCNorth Carolina rents · Run a deal | 0.68% | -0.6% | +10.3% | $196,700 | $1,332 | 0.60% | 45,139 |
| Gaston County, NCGastonia rents · Run a deal | 0.67% | +1.9% | +10.5% | $266,000 | $1,785 | 0.75% | 234,881 |
| Sampson County, NCClinton rents · Run a deal | 0.67% | +4.7% | +10.0% | $150,700 | $1,012 | 0.75% | 59,470 |
| Madison County, NCNorth Carolina rents · Run a deal | 0.66% | -5.1% | +8.0% | $284,600 | $1,866 | 0.48% | 21,867 |
| Warren County, NCNorth Carolina rents · Run a deal | 0.66% | -2.4% | +10.0% | $154,200 | $1,012 | 0.71% | 18,795 |
| Randolph County, NCAsheboro rents · Run a deal | 0.64% | +2.1% | +10.5% | $197,100 | $1,271 | 0.67% | 146,348 |
| Vance County, NCHenderson rents · Run a deal | 0.63% | +4.3% | +11.1% | $161,500 | $1,012 | 0.78% | 42,322 |
| Montgomery County, NCNorth Carolina rents · Run a deal | 0.63% | -8.3% | +8.4% | $161,700 | $1,012 | 0.64% | 26,007 |
| Burke County, NCMorganton rents · Run a deal | 0.62% | +2.5% | +9.8% | $185,400 | $1,147 | 0.68% | 87,795 |
| Caswell County, NCNorth Carolina rents · Run a deal | 0.62% | -3.0% | +7.0% | $164,500 | $1,012 | 0.69% | 22,404 |
| Nash County, NCRocky Mount rents · Run a deal | 0.61% | +3.0% | +9.9% | $191,000 | $1,167 | 0.71% | 96,216 |
| Rockingham County, NCEden rents · Run a deal | 0.60% | +6.5% | +10.7% | $168,600 | $1,012 | 0.75% | 92,131 |
| Caldwell County, NCLenoir rents · Run a deal | 0.60% | +3.4% | +10.1% | $192,200 | $1,147 | 0.60% | 80,536 |
| Wilkes County, NCNorth Wilkesboro rents · Run a deal | 0.60% | +4.3% | +10.7% | $168,800 | $1,012 | 0.59% | 65,935 |
| Franklin County, NCNorth Carolina rents · Run a deal | 0.59% | +2.1% | +9.7% | $284,300 | $1,689 | 0.65% | 74,386 |
| McDowell County, NCNorth Carolina rents · Run a deal | 0.59% | -1.8% | +10.5% | $171,100 | $1,012 | 0.53% | 44,817 |
| Wilson County, NCWilson rents · Run a deal | 0.57% | +1.8% | +10.5% | $186,000 | $1,069 | 0.79% | 79,290 |
| Surry County, NCNorth Carolina rents · Run a deal | 0.57% | -0.6% | +10.5% | $177,600 | $1,012 | 0.60% | 71,425 |
| Onslow County, NCJacksonville rents · Run a deal | 0.56% | +2.9% | +11.1% | $236,400 | $1,319 | 0.64% | 207,906 |
| Pitt County, NCGreenville rents · Run a deal | 0.56% | +3.0% | +9.3% | $208,900 | $1,167 | 0.83% | 177,193 |
| Alamance County, NCBurlington rents · Run a deal | 0.56% | +1.3% | +10.6% | $241,500 | $1,348 | 0.62% | 176,893 |
| Chowan County, NCNorth Carolina rents · Run a deal | 0.56% | +10.3% | +10.2% | $235,800 | $1,331 | 0.71% | 13,836 |
| Johnston County, NCClayton rents · Run a deal | 0.55% | +1.5% | +9.3% | $305,600 | $1,689 | 0.62% | 234,263 |
| Craven County, NCNew Bern rents · Run a deal | 0.54% | +2.8% | +10.8% | $231,600 | $1,246 | 0.63% | 102,612 |
| Alexander County, NCNorth Carolina rents · Run a deal | 0.54% | +7.4% | +11.2% | $211,800 | $1,147 | 0.60% | 36,412 |
| Forsyth County, NCWinston-Salem rents · Run a deal | 0.53% | +3.5% | +10.2% | $250,400 | $1,332 | 0.79% | 389,977 |
| Rowan County, NCSalisbury rents · Run a deal | 0.53% | +4.1% | +10.7% | $238,400 | $1,262 | 0.65% | 149,875 |
| Henderson County, NCHendersonville rents · Run a deal | 0.53% | 0.0% | +9.5% | $351,400 | $1,866 | 0.52% | 118,484 |
| Beaufort County, NCNorth Carolina rents · Run a deal | 0.53% | +3.3% | +11.7% | $192,700 | $1,012 | 0.67% | 44,499 |
| Hoke County, NCRaeford rents · Run a deal | 0.52% | +0.9% | +8.6% | $219,300 | $1,150 | 0.67% | 53,835 |
Home prices
Home prices in North Carolina rose 51% over the 5 years to Q2 2026.
- 1 year
- +2%
- 5 years
- +51%
- 10 years
- +113%
From the FHFA House Price Index for North Carolina (state level), updated Mar 31, 2026. It tracks repeat sales and refinance appraisals of the same homes, so it shows the area's trend, not what any one home is worth. See what local prices suggest your rental is worth.
Keep looking
How to read this
Use this to shortlist, not to decide. These are county-wide figures, and a single county can hold very different neighborhoods. Check a real deal with the rental cash flow calculator.
Rent-to-price is the 2-bedroom rent as a percent of the median home value. It's a rough comparison between counties. The two figures describe different homes, and the home value lags current prices, so it can look better than today's market in places where prices rose quickly.
2-bed rent is HUD's Fair Market Rent (fiscal year from Oct 1, 2026): the 40th percentile for recent movers, including utilities. HUD often uses one figure across a whole metro area, so neighboring counties can match.
Home value and population are Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates through 2024. Home values are what owners report. Counties under 10,000 people aren't listed.
Prices are the FHFA House Price Index through 2025: the latest year's change, and the average yearly change over five years. FHFA calls its county index developmental, and it doesn't cover every county.
Property tax is median taxes paid divided by median home value, from the Census. It reflects what current owners pay. An investor buying today can pay more where assessments are capped for homeowners, as in Florida and California.
People and jobs: income, vacant homes (seasonal homes count as vacant, which can look high in vacation areas) and renters are Census 5-year estimates. Population growth compares two Census releases five years apart. Rent ÷ income is a year of the 2-bedroom rent as a percent of median household income. Unemployment is the Bureau of Labor Statistics yearly average for 2025.
Frequently asked questions
- Which North Carolina county has the highest rent-to-price ratio?
- Bertie County, at 1.10%: a 2-bedroom rent of $1,081 against a median home value of $98,500. It's a rough comparison, and a high ratio can come with slower growth or weaker demand, so check the other columns too.
- Where have North Carolina home prices grown fastest?
- Avery County, at an average of +13.6% a year over five years, on the FHFA House Price Index. Past growth doesn't predict future growth.
- Which North Carolina county has the lowest property tax?
- Jackson County, at about 0.34% of home value, based on what current owners pay. An investor buying today can pay more where assessments are capped for homeowners.
- Where is the North Carolina population growing fastest?
- Johnston County, at +3.5% a year, comparing two Census releases five years apart. These are estimates, and they're less exact for small places.
- How does North Carolina compare with the rest of the US?
- Among counties of 50,000 people or more, the median rent-to-price is 0.51% in North Carolina and 0.52% nationwide. The ratio is the 2-bedroom rent as a percent of the median home value.
- Are home prices going up in North Carolina?
- Home prices in North Carolina rose 51% over the 5 years to Q2 2026. In the latest year (to Q2 2026) they rose 2%. These figures come from the FHFA House Price Index for North Carolina (state level), which tracks repeat sales and refinance appraisals of the same homes. It shows the trend for the area, not what any one home is worth.