Sunset Beach, NC housing market
The typical Sunset Beach home is worth about $439,000, about the same as a year ago, 31% above the North Carolina typical home. Homes typically sell in 101 days, below asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Sunset Beach compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Sunset Beach at a glance
A seller's market
Supply is tight — about 3.7 months of homes for sale at the current pace. Buyers should expect competition on well-priced homes.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Sunset Beach | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $234,000 | $179,000 |
| 2018 | $242,000 | $190,000 |
| 2019 | $254,000 | $203,000 |
| 2020 | $271,000 | $215,000 |
| 2021 | $297,000 | $242,000 |
| 2022 | $358,000 | $287,000 |
| 2023 | $412,000 | $320,000 |
| 2024 | $425,000 | $332,000 |
| 2025 | $435,000 | $338,000 |
| 2026 | $439,000 | $336,000 |
| August 2026 | $439,000 | $335,000 |
172 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 172 new homes in Sunset Beach in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $58.7 million to build. That's 40 per 1,000 residents, faster than across North Carolina (11). Over the past 10 years, Sunset Beach has permitted 1,368 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Sunset Beach gained 603 residents while 527 new homes were permitted: about 1.1 new residents per new home. Building outpaced population growth, which usually means smaller households or homes used part of the year. 39% of Sunset Beach's homes are seasonal or vacation homes, which adds housing without adding residents. Across North Carolina: 1.7 new residents per new home.
How Sunset Beach ranks on housing keeping up with growth →
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) | 123 | 99 | 24 | $48 million |
| 2025 | 172 | 172 | 0 | $58.7 million |
| 2024 | 251 | 143 | 108 | $62 million |
| 2023 | 167 | 167 | 0 | $43.3 million |
| 2022 | 233 | 233 | 0 | $56.6 million |
| 2021 | 153 | 153 | 0 | $31.3 million |
| 2020 | 65 | 65 | 0 | $12.1 million |
| 2019 | 147 | 75 | 72 | $20.4 million |
| 2018 | 74 | 74 | 0 | $13.6 million |
| 2017 | 62 | 60 | 2 | $12.4 million |
| 2016 | 44 | 42 | 2 | $8.7 million |
| 2015 | 104 | 28 | 76 | $12.6 million |
| 2014 | 29 | 17 | 12 | $4.4 million |
| 2013 | 25 | 25 | 0 | $4.6 million |
| 2012 | 17 | 17 | 0 | $3.6 million |
| 2011 | 17 | 17 | 0 | $2.7 million |
| 2010 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $1.6 million |
| 2009 | 22 | 22 | 0 | $5.9 million |
| 2008 | 77 | 39 | 38 | $11.2 million |
| 2007 | 65 | 51 | 14 | $14.2 million |
| 2006 | 182 | 82 | 100 | $30.3 million |
| 2005 | 133 | 73 | 60 | $20 million |
| 2004 | 165 | 71 | 94 | $23.8 million |
| 2003 | 37 | 37 | 0 | $7.3 million |
| 2002 | 175 | 67 | 108 | $19 million |
| 2001 | 151 | 71 | 80 | $11.1 million |
| 2000 | 140 | 75 | 65 | $11.7 million |
How Sunset Beach ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Sunset Beach and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset Beach | $439K | +0.4% | $1,500 | 172 | $81,976 |
| Calabash | $352K | +1.9% | $1,530 | 104 | $65,310 |
5.4 years of income
The typical Sunset Beach home costs about 5.4 years of the town's median household income, more than across North Carolina (4.6 years).
How Sunset Beach ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,500
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Sunset Beach is $1,500 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Sunset Beach pay a median of $537, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 22% of the town's median household income.
Studio $1,310 · 4 bedrooms $2,520
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (28468, 28469; 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.