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NCNorth Carolina rankings

Towns where rent is easiest to afford in North Carolina

Ranked by the share of renter households spending 30% or more of their income on rent, the federal "cost-burdened" line. 81 towns with 2,500+ residents.

U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year

1 Morrisville 24.8% Median rent $1,858 2 Aberdeen 31.3% Median rent $1,244 Map of Waxhaw 3 Waxhaw 32.3% Median rent $1,840
#TownRenters paying 30%+Median rentRenter households
1 Morrisville31,422 people 24.8% $1,858 6,585
2 Aberdeen9,228 people 31.3% $1,244 1,462
3 Map of Waxhaw Waxhaw22,275 people 32.3% $1,840 1,078
4 Lenoir18,299 people 35.9% $664 2,701
5 Map of Cary Cary179,306 people 38.2% $1,738 22,488
6 Map of Thomasville Thomasville27,321 people 38.4% $879 3,773
7 Clinton8,304 people 38.4% $759 1,404
8 Dunn8,559 people 40% $788 1,574
9 Map of Hickory Hickory44,258 people 40.3% $1,063 7,473
10 Fuquay-Varina40,485 people 40.9% $1,720 3,523
11 Map of Rocky Mount Rocky Mount54,297 people 42.2% $957 10,945
12 Map of Roanoke Rapids Roanoke Rapids14,856 people 42.7% $858 2,898
13 Marion Marion7,579 people 43.4% $762 1,287
14 Apex70,630 people 44.2% $1,902 5,796
15 Mooresville Mooresville52,381 people 44.2% $1,626 7,870
16 Huntersville Huntersville63,969 people 44.4% $1,834 6,706
17 Map of Knightdale Knightdale20,214 people 44.6% $1,674 2,641
18 Anderson Creek13,927 people 44.8% $1,251 1,297
19 Graham Graham18,048 people 45.1% $1,071 3,472
20 Map of Matthews Matthews30,577 people 45.4% $1,764 3,967
21 Map of High Point High Point116,245 people 45.7% $1,116 18,232
22 Map of Kernersville Kernersville27,830 people 45.9% $1,082 4,768
23 Wilson48,370 people 46.1% $971 9,751
24 Wake Forest Wake Forest52,844 people 46.3% $1,596 4,627
25 Hope Mills17,939 people 46.3% $1,141 2,086
26 Lexington Lexington19,690 people 46.4% $893 4,256
27 New Bern32,734 people 46.5% $1,081 5,764
28 Map of Burlington Burlington59,610 people 46.8% $1,051 11,051
29 Map of Mount Airy Mount Airy10,633 people 46.8% $725 2,077
30 Asheboro Asheboro27,580 people 47.1% $906 6,229
31 Indian Trail Indian Trail42,036 people 47.2% $2,077 2,877
32 Brevard Brevard7,897 people 47.2% $979 1,722
33 Kinston19,505 people 47.4% $867 4,755
34 Clemmons21,871 people 47.9% $1,269 2,010
35 Morganton17,646 people 48% $944 2,869
36 Durham Durham291,467 people 48.5% $1,508 57,629
37 Kannapolis Kannapolis57,890 people 48.7% $1,319 7,249
38 Map of Lumberton Lumberton18,859 people 48.7% $866 3,553
39 Map of Holly Springs Holly Springs45,248 people 48.9% $2,021 2,832
40 Map of Cornelius Cornelius32,783 people 48.9% $1,722 3,919
41 Map of Havelock Havelock17,691 people 48.9% $1,280 3,181
42 Monroe Monroe36,759 people 49.1% $1,246 4,581
43 Lincolnton Lincolnton11,783 people 49.1% $965 2,628
44 Map of Goldsboro Goldsboro34,383 people 49.3% $971 9,265
45 Sanford Sanford31,478 people 49.4% $1,052 4,909
46 Belmont15,546 people 49.4% $1,365 1,779
47 Map of Charlotte Charlotte903,844 people 49.8% $1,612 173,403
48 Map of Winston-Salem Winston-Salem252,037 people 50.7% $1,087 42,635
49 Elizabeth City Elizabeth City18,871 people 51.4% $1,117 4,130
50 Map of Oxford Oxford8,914 people 51.5% $995 1,613
51 Spring Lake11,573 people 51.6% $1,351 3,454
52 Concord Concord108,719 people 51.7% $1,451 13,011
53 Raleigh Raleigh481,031 people 52.1% $1,572 97,271
54 Map of Shelby Shelby22,100 people 52.2% $945 3,453
55 Fayetteville210,815 people 52.5% $1,250 40,883
56 Map of Greenville Greenville92,857 people 52.6% $1,007 26,083
57 Map of Statesville Statesville29,894 people 52.9% $1,000 5,583
58 Garner34,473 people 53.3% $1,549 5,008
59 Southern Pines Southern Pines16,420 people 53.6% $1,354 3,054
60 Map of Reidsville Reidsville14,585 people 53.6% $822 2,935
61 Map of Salisbury Salisbury35,825 people 53.8% $1,071 6,345
62 Map of Asheville Asheville94,535 people 54.1% $1,402 16,731
63 Map of Clayton Clayton29,320 people 54.2% $1,661 4,111
64 Gastonia82,884 people 54.3% $1,204 13,778
65 Map of Greensboro Greensboro301,198 people 54.7% $1,172 57,509
66 Map of Laurinburg Laurinburg15,087 people 55.2% $774 2,643
67 Mebane19,538 people 55.3% $1,283 3,075
68 Map of Carrboro Carrboro21,204 people 55.8% $1,470 5,035
69 Henderson14,885 people 56.3% $848 3,333
70 Map of Wilmington Wilmington120,805 people 56.4% $1,395 28,265
71 Map of Jacksonville Jacksonville71,279 people 56.4% $1,321 12,954
72 Pinehurst Pinehurst18,256 people 56.6% $1,664 1,185
73 Albemarle Albemarle16,762 people 56.9% $880 2,573
74 Eden15,356 people 57.2% $799 2,647
75 Morehead City Morehead City9,806 people 58.2% $1,134 2,546
76 Forest City Forest City7,363 people 59.1% $813 1,378
77 Hendersonville Hendersonville15,408 people 59.9% $1,332 4,116
78 Chapel Hill Chapel Hill61,607 people 60.8% $1,613 10,508
79 Pineville Pineville11,055 people 62.8% $1,552 2,253
80 Map of Kings Mountain Kings Mountain12,039 people 70.3% $959 1,687
81 Map of Boone Boone20,032 people 78.8% $1,111 4,152

How this ranking works

We rank every town by the share of renter households spending 30% or more of their income on rent, the federal "cost-burdened" line. Lower is better. Only towns with 1,000+ renter households are ranked, because smaller samples are too uncertain. The town with the lowest figure ranks #1. For comparison, the figure for North Carolina as a whole is 48.9%.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states

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