Rent affordability
How much rent can you afford in North Carolina?
At North Carolina's median household income of $73,958, the 30% rule leaves about $1,622 a month for rent after about $226 in utilities, internet, and renters insurance. 1-bedroom medians run from $737 in the Hickory metro to $1,242 in the Raleigh metro. Each of the 15 city pages below adds its metro's rent and local utilities.
Max rent in North Carolina
$1,622/mo
30% of gross income is $1,848 a month. Utilities, internet, and renters insurance take $226, which leaves $1,622 for rent.
Metro 1-bedroom medians here run from $737 to $1,242. Pick a city below to compare one with your max.
- Take-home
- $4,810/moAfter estimated federal tax, state tax, and FICA.
- Move-in cash
- $3,244First month and a one-month deposit, at your max rent.
- Landlord screen
- $2,054/moHighest rent if a landlord wants income of 36× the rent.
Monthly budget
Where take-home pay of $4,810 goes at your max rent of $1,622. Each slice is its share of take-home.
- Rent34%$1,622
- Electric, gas, water3%$141
- Internet1%$71
- Renters insurance<1%$14
- Left over62%$2,962
Housing comes to $1,848 a month, 30% of gross income and 38% of take-home. That leaves $2,962 for food, transportation, savings, and everything else.
Rent by metro in North Carolina
Cities in the same metro share its median rent, as of August 2026. Each city page compares that rent with your max and adds local utilities and Census figures for the city.
Charlotte metro
$1,225 1-bed
Raleigh metro
$1,242 1-bed
Greensboro metro
$951 1-bed
Winston-Salem metro
$903 1-bed
Durham metro
$1,177 1-bed
Fayetteville metro
$942 1-bed
Asheville metro
$1,123 1-bed
Hickory metro
$737 1-bed
Wilmington metro
$1,215 1-bed
Burlington metro
$996 1-bed
Greenville metro
$923 1-bed
Household income in North Carolina
The U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates put median household income in North Carolina at $73,958. That was up 1.5% from $72,884 in 2023. The margin of error on the 2024 figure is $863. The estimate covers income of everyone age 15 or older in the household, in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars.
Household utility bills in North Carolina
These are typical monthly bills for all household types in North Carolina, not an apartment quote. The rent calculator uses a smaller apartment estimate for electricity, gas, water, sewer, and trash, plus the internet row. The all-household core of those housing bills is $379 a month.
| Bill | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Electricity | $150 |
| Natural gas | $84 |
| Water | $23 |
| Sewer | $59 |
| Trash | $63 |
| Internet | $71 |
Methodology and sources
Updated . Max rent is 30% of gross monthly income minus estimated utilities, internet, and renters insurance. If you enter other bills, max rent also keeps housing plus those bills within 36% of gross income, a debt-to-income ratio lenders generally consider good. Take-home pay uses 2026 federal brackets, North Carolina's 2025 single-filer income tax brackets, and FICA. Metro rents are Apartment List estimates. City pages add Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates. See how North Carolina's metros compare in the rent affordability rankings. None of this is tax, legal, or housing advice.