Ranked from ACS 2023 5-Year
Counties Where Owning Costs Less Than Renting in North Carolina
Counties where the full monthly cost of owning the median home comes in below median rent, even after tax, insurance, utilities and maintenance. These are the places where buying is cheapest relative to the local rental market.
Where does yours land?
Every county in America is somewhere on this scale, including the one you live in.
North Carolina ranked
| # | County | Monthly saved by owning | Median rent | Monthly to own |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hyde County | $171 | $1,237 | $1,066 |
| 2 | Robeson County | $-83 | $784 | $867 |
| 3 | Bertie County | $-87 | $824 | $911 |
| 4 | Washington County | $-192 | $829 | $1,021 |
| 5 | Greene County | $-204 | $845 | $1,049 |
| 6 | Halifax County | $-213 | $776 | $989 |
| 7 | Lenoir County | $-218 | $814 | $1,032 |
| 8 | Hertford County | $-232 | $806 | $1,038 |
| 9 | Northampton County | $-243 | $749 | $992 |
| 10 | Anson County | $-245 | $849 | $1,094 |
| 11 | Scotland County | $-257 | $766 | $1,023 |
| 12 | Edgecombe County | $-274 | $818 | $1,092 |
| 13 | Duplin County | $-288 | $815 | $1,103 |
| 14 | Martin County | $-309 | $729 | $1,038 |
| 15 | Sampson County | $-338 | $811 | $1,149 |
| 16 | Warren County | $-354 | $771 | $1,125 |
| 17 | Richmond County | $-361 | $744 | $1,105 |
| 18 | Jones County | $-375 | $725 | $1,100 |
| 19 | Columbus County | $-379 | $775 | $1,154 |
| 20 | Bladen County | $-387 | $752 | $1,139 |
| 21 | Vance County | $-416 | $860 | $1,276 |
| 22 | Cumberland County | $-418 | $1,156 | $1,574 |
| 23 | Wayne County | $-454 | $932 | $1,386 |
| 24 | Gates County | $-459 | $940 | $1,399 |
| 25 | Nash County | $-526 | $924 | $1,450 |
| 26 | Montgomery County | $-539 | $753 | $1,292 |
| 27 | Wilson County | $-548 | $915 | $1,463 |
| 28 | Rockingham County | $-555 | $789 | $1,344 |
| 29 | Hoke County | $-569 | $1,047 | $1,616 |
| 30 | Onslow County | $-577 | $1,198 | $1,775 |
| 31 | Craven County | $-584 | $1,100 | $1,684 |
| 32 | Randolph County | $-589 | $857 | $1,446 |
| 33 | Caswell County | $-596 | $699 | $1,295 |
| 34 | Tyrrell County | $-617 | $612 | $1,229 |
| 35 | Burke County | $-630 | $805 | $1,435 |
| 36 | Wilkes County | $-645 | $715 | $1,360 |
| 37 | Perquimans County | $-653 | $1,061 | $1,714 |
| 38 | McDowell County | $-653 | $741 | $1,394 |
| 39 | Beaufort County | $-653 | $859 | $1,512 |
| 40 | Surry County | $-654 | $741 | $1,395 |
| 41 | Pitt County | $-658 | $971 | $1,629 |
| 42 | Pasquotank County | $-664 | $1,146 | $1,810 |
| 43 | Cleveland County | $-668 | $835 | $1,503 |
| 44 | Caldwell County | $-717 | $735 | $1,452 |
| 45 | Harnett County | $-721 | $1,080 | $1,801 |
| 46 | Graham County | $-729 | $581 | $1,310 |
| 47 | Yadkin County | $-741 | $734 | $1,475 |
| 48 | Rutherford County | $-743 | $748 | $1,491 |
| 49 | Rowan County | $-762 | $990 | $1,752 |
| 50 | Davidson County | $-772 | $863 | $1,635 |
| 51 | Stokes County | $-773 | $766 | $1,539 |
| 52 | Alamance County | $-780 | $1,007 | $1,787 |
| 53 | Pamlico County | $-789 | $909 | $1,698 |
| 54 | Person County | $-793 | $796 | $1,589 |
| 55 | Lee County | $-799 | $962 | $1,761 |
| 56 | Alexander County | $-818 | $745 | $1,563 |
| 57 | Guilford County | $-822 | $1,108 | $1,930 |
| 58 | Forsyth County | $-826 | $1,046 | $1,872 |
| 59 | Gaston County | $-829 | $1,085 | $1,914 |
| 60 | Catawba County | $-866 | $891 | $1,757 |
| 61 | Alleghany County | $-867 | $755 | $1,622 |
| 62 | Cherokee County | $-873 | $800 | $1,673 |
| 63 | Mitchell County | $-883 | $744 | $1,627 |
| 64 | Granville County | $-895 | $1,008 | $1,903 |
| 65 | Stanly County | $-903 | $830 | $1,733 |
| 66 | Chowan County | $-908 | $766 | $1,674 |
| 67 | Swain County | $-948 | $715 | $1,663 |
| 68 | Franklin County | $-952 | $988 | $1,940 |
| 69 | Yancey County | $-956 | $807 | $1,763 |
| 70 | Haywood County | $-963 | $1,052 | $2,015 |
| 71 | Ashe County | $-993 | $774 | $1,767 |
| 72 | Davie County | $-1,001 | $889 | $1,890 |
| 73 | Macon County | $-1,009 | $791 | $1,800 |
| 74 | Avery County | $-1,035 | $791 | $1,826 |
| 75 | Camden County | $-1,044 | $1,220 | $2,264 |
| 76 | Pender County | $-1,050 | $1,072 | $2,122 |
| 77 | Iredell County | $-1,103 | $1,183 | $2,286 |
| 78 | Jackson County | $-1,104 | $855 | $1,959 |
| 79 | Polk County | $-1,105 | $1,089 | $2,194 |
| 80 | Johnston County | $-1,117 | $1,007 | $2,124 |
| 81 | Brunswick County | $-1,160 | $1,267 | $2,427 |
| 82 | Cabarrus County | $-1,203 | $1,303 | $2,506 |
| 83 | Lincoln County | $-1,210 | $977 | $2,187 |
| 84 | Moore County | $-1,250 | $1,181 | $2,431 |
| 85 | Clay County | $-1,250 | $791 | $2,041 |
| 86 | Carteret County | $-1,262 | $1,062 | $2,324 |
| 87 | Madison County | $-1,289 | $764 | $2,053 |
| 88 | Henderson County | $-1,318 | $1,120 | $2,438 |
| 89 | Durham County | $-1,351 | $1,415 | $2,766 |
| 90 | Mecklenburg County | $-1,358 | $1,521 | $2,879 |
| 91 | New Hanover County | $-1,363 | $1,343 | $2,706 |
| 92 | Watauga County | $-1,368 | $1,066 | $2,434 |
| 93 | Union County | $-1,470 | $1,390 | $2,860 |
| 94 | Buncombe County | $-1,474 | $1,281 | $2,755 |
| 95 | Currituck County | $-1,524 | $1,126 | $2,650 |
| 96 | Transylvania County | $-1,637 | $909 | $2,546 |
| 97 | Wake County | $-1,729 | $1,508 | $3,237 |
| 98 | Dare County | $-1,882 | $1,307 | $3,189 |
| 99 | Orange County | $-1,977 | $1,387 | $3,364 |
| 100 | Chatham County | $-1,978 | $1,066 | $3,044 |
Every figure is modelled on the county's own median home with 20% down at 7.03%. Property tax and electricity are county and state specific; homeowners insurance uses the NAIC average premium for that state, which ranges from 0.16% of home value in Hawaii to 1.16% in Oklahoma. Maintenance and water are national estimates. Full methodology.
Nationwide
Counties Where Owning Costs Less Than Renting across all 3,133 US counties · Every county in North Carolina