Calabash, NC housing market
The typical Calabash home is worth about $352,000, up 1.9% in a year, 5% above the North Carolina typical home. Homes typically sell in 92 days, below asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Calabash compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Calabash at a glance
A buyer's market
More homes are for sale than are selling — about 8 months of supply. Buyers have room to negotiate.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Calabash | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $173,000 | $179,000 |
| 2018 | $183,000 | $190,000 |
| 2019 | $195,000 | $203,000 |
| 2020 | $213,000 | $215,000 |
| 2021 | $241,000 | $242,000 |
| 2022 | $295,000 | $287,000 |
| 2023 | $334,000 | $320,000 |
| 2024 | $350,000 | $332,000 |
| 2025 | $349,000 | $338,000 |
| 2026 | $351,000 | $336,000 |
| August 2026 | $352,000 | $335,000 |
104 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 104 new homes in Calabash in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $37.5 million to build. That's 44 per 1,000 residents, faster than across North Carolina (11). Over the past 10 years, Calabash has permitted 1,203 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Calabash gained 225 residents while 354 new homes were permitted: about 0.6 new residents per new home. Building outpaced population growth, which usually means smaller households or homes used part of the year. 26% of Calabash's homes are seasonal or vacation homes, which adds housing without adding residents. Across North Carolina: 1.7 new residents per new home.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 79 | 79 | 0 | $28.4 million |
| 2025 | 104 | 104 | 0 | $37.5 million |
| 2024 | 142 | 142 | 0 | $39.3 million |
| 2023 | 497 | 291 | 206 | $88.8 million |
| 2022 | 105 | 105 | 0 | $34.5 million |
| 2021 | 98 | 96 | 2 | $24.8 million |
| 2020 | 119 | 59 | 60 | $19.7 million |
| 2019 | 60 | 58 | 2 | $13.4 million |
| 2018 | 29 | 29 | 0 | $6.4 million |
| 2017 | 33 | 33 | 0 | $9.5 million |
| 2016 | 16 | 16 | 0 | $5.5 million |
| 2015 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.5 million |
| 2014 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $3.7 million |
| 2013 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.5 million |
| 2012 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $2.7 million |
| 2011 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $3.9 million |
| 2010 | 176 | 8 | 168 | $9.6 million |
| 2009 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2008 | 25 | 9 | 16 | $6.6 million |
| 2007 | 22 | 14 | 8 | $5.9 million |
| 2006 | 18 | 18 | 0 | $5 million |
| 2005 | 24 | 24 | 0 | $5.3 million |
| 2004 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $2 million |
| 2003 | 14 | 9 | 5 | $1.8 million |
| 2002 | 38 | 38 | 0 | $4.4 million |
| 2001 | 17 | 17 | 0 | $2 million |
| 2000 | 23 | 23 | 0 | $2.6 million |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Calabash and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calabash | $352K | +1.9% | $1,530 | 104 | $65,310 |
| Sunset Beach | $439K | +0.4% | $1,500 | 172 | $81,976 |
| Carolina Shores | $321K | −0.4% | $1,550 | 23 | $76,087 |
5.4 years of income
The typical Calabash home costs about 5.4 years of the town's median household income, more than across North Carolina (4.6 years).
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,530
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Calabash is $1,530 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Calabash pay a median of $1,360, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 28% of the town's median household income.
Studio $1,330 · 4 bedrooms $2,560
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (28467, 28468; Brunswick County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.