Counties in North Carolina by median gross rent (monthly)

Mecklenburg County had the highest median gross rent (monthly) of 100 counties in 2023, at $1,521. Graham County had the lowest, at $581. The median was $860 and the figure for North Carolina was $1,162. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest1,521Mecklenburg County
Lowest581Graham County
Median860100 counties
North Carolina1,162History

Top 40 counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County: 1,521 USD1,521Wake CountyWake County: 1,508 USD1,508Durham CountyDurham County: 1,415 USD1,415Union CountyUnion County: 1,390 USD1,390Orange CountyOrange County: 1,387 USD1,387New Hanover CountyNew Hanover County: 1,343 USD1,343Dare CountyDare County: 1,307 USD1,307Cabarrus CountyCabarrus County: 1,303 USD1,303Buncombe CountyBuncombe County: 1,281 USD1,281Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 1,267 USD1,267Hyde CountyHyde County: 1,237 USD1,237Camden CountyCamden County: 1,220 USD1,220Onslow CountyOnslow County: 1,198 USD1,198Iredell CountyIredell County: 1,183 USD1,183Moore CountyMoore County: 1,181 USD1,181Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 1,156 USD1,156Pasquotank CountyPasquotank County: 1,146 USD1,146Currituck CountyCurrituck County: 1,126 USD1,126Henderson CountyHenderson County: 1,120 USD1,120Guilford CountyGuilford County: 1,108 USD1,108Craven CountyCraven County: 1,100 USD1,100Polk CountyPolk County: 1,089 USD1,089Gaston CountyGaston County: 1,085 USD1,085Harnett CountyHarnett County: 1,080 USD1,080Pender CountyPender County: 1,072 USD1,072Chatham CountyChatham County: 1,066 USD1,066Watauga CountyWatauga County: 1,066 USD1,066Carteret CountyCarteret County: 1,062 USD1,062Perquimans CountyPerquimans County: 1,061 USD1,061Haywood CountyHaywood County: 1,052 USD1,052Hoke CountyHoke County: 1,047 USD1,047Forsyth CountyForsyth County: 1,046 USD1,046Granville CountyGranville County: 1,008 USD1,008Alamance CountyAlamance County: 1,007 USD1,007Johnston CountyJohnston County: 1,007 USD1,007Rowan CountyRowan County: 990 USD990Franklin CountyFranklin County: 988 USD988Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 977 USD977Pitt CountyPitt County: 971 USD971Lee CountyLee County: 962 USD962
USD. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023
USD
Change on 2022
1Mecklenburg County1,521+7.6%
2Wake County1,508+6.8%
3Durham County1,415+8.8%
4Union County1,390+9.1%
5Orange County1,387+5.4%
6New Hanover County1,343+7.5%
7Dare County1,307+3.8%
8Cabarrus County1,303+10%
9Buncombe County1,281+6%
10Brunswick County1,267+6.7%
11Hyde County1,237+34.9%
12Camden County1,220+6%
13Onslow County1,198+5.8%
14Iredell County1,183+7.1%
15Moore County1,181+8.9%
16Cumberland County1,156+5.3%
17Pasquotank County1,146+10.3%
18Currituck County1,126-7.5%
19Henderson County1,120+8.5%
20Guilford County1,108+5.6%
21Craven County1,100+4.2%
22Polk County1,089+10.7%
23Gaston County1,085+8%
24Harnett County1,080+5.7%
25Pender County1,072+3.2%
26Chatham County1,066+7.1%
26Watauga County1,066-0.1%
28Carteret County1,062+5.3%
29Perquimans County1,061+2.7%
30Haywood County1,052+10.3%
31Hoke County1,047+1.1%
32Forsyth County1,046+7.9%
33Granville County1,008+7.6%
34Alamance County1,007+5%
34Johnston County1,007+3.8%
36Rowan County990+7%
37Franklin County988+1.8%
38Lincoln County977+5.3%
39Pitt County971+6.6%
40Lee County962+4.2%
41Gates County940+2.1%
42Wayne County932+3.7%
43Nash County924+5.1%
44Wilson County915+7.3%
45Pamlico County909+9.5%
45Transylvania County909+5.6%
47Catawba County891+2.9%
48Davie County889+6.1%
49Davidson County863+5%
50Vance County860+3.6%
51Beaufort County859+2.9%
52Randolph County857+5.4%
53Jackson County855+6.3%
54Anson County849+3.8%
55Greene County845+2.3%
56Cleveland County835+5.2%
57Stanly County830+1.7%
58Washington County829+9.8%
59Bertie County824+0.1%
60Edgecombe County818+5%
61Duplin County815+6.5%
62Lenoir County814+2.8%
63Sampson County811+7.8%
64Yancey County807+6.6%
65Hertford County806-4.7%
66Burke County805+4.8%
67Cherokee County800-2.3%
68Person County796+2.4%
69Avery County791-2.5%
69Clay County791-0.3%
69Macon County791-3.3%
72Rockingham County789+6.2%
73Robeson County784+5.8%
74Halifax County776+2.1%
75Columbus County775+5%
76Ashe County774+6%
77Warren County771+6.2%
78Chowan County766-5.9%
78Scotland County766+4.1%
78Stokes County766-2.3%
81Madison County764+0.5%
82Alleghany County755+6.6%
83Montgomery County753+6.1%
84Bladen County752+2.9%
85Northampton County749-2%
86Rutherford County748+2.6%
87Alexander County745+1.4%
88Mitchell County744+6.1%
88Richmond County744+3.3%
90McDowell County741+2.2%
90Surry County741+5%
92Caldwell County735+2.5%
93Yadkin County734+3.2%
94Martin County729-3.8%
95Jones County725+6.6%
96Swain County715+3.6%
96Wilkes County715+0.4%
98Caswell County699+3.1%
99Tyrrell County612-15.2%
100Graham County581+0.2%

Other periods

About this ranking

Monthly gross rent of renter-occupied housing units paying cash rent, at the middle of the distribution, in US dollars of the last year of the period. Gross rent is the contract rent plus the estimated cost of utilities and fuels paid by the renter. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

A median, not an average, of what all renters pay, including long-standing leases, so it is lower than asking rents for new listings. Medians outside the published range are coded 99 (under 100) or 3,501 (3,500 or more) and marked as estimated.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25064: median gross rent (dollars), renter-occupied housing units paying cash rent. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b25064.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

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Questions

Which county has the highest median gross rent (monthly)?

Mecklenburg County, with $1,521 in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest median gross rent (monthly)?

Graham County, with $581 in 2023.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25064: median gross rent (dollars), renter-occupied housing units paying cash rent. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Median gross rent (monthly): other rankings

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings