Market statistics · Live · updated October 22, 2026
North Carolina housing market statistics
North Carolina housing market statistics for September 2026: median list price, homes for sale, days on market, price cuts and the monthly payment on a typical home, statewide and for every North Carolina metro, side by side with the U.S. Pulled from the publishers every day and free to quote with a link.
Jump to: North Carolina metros · vs. the U.S. · What's different in North Carolina · Charts
Key takeaways
The North Carolina housing market in September 2026
- North Carolina's median list price was $400,000 in September 2026, down 4.6% from a year earlier, the 27th highest of the 50 states and D.C.
- 48,917 homes were for sale, 11.9% more than a year earlier and 13.6% above the same month in 2019. That inventory change ranks 16th of 51.
- The typical listing sat 69 days (U.S.: 61), and 23.1% of listings had a price cut (U.S.: 20.8%).
- In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro, the state's largest by households, the median list price was $424,950 (down 3.1%) with 11,182 homes for sale.
- Principal and interest on North Carolina's median-priced listing, 20% down at Freddie Mac's 7.40%, is about $2,216 a month (U.S. median: $2,322).
- On the FHFA house price index, North Carolina home values were up 2.4% over the year to the quarter starting April 2026.
Metros
North Carolina metro housing statistics, September 2026
The 25 largest of the 39 North Carolina metro areas in Realtor.com's data, largest first. Tap a column to sort. The small line is the change from a year earlier.
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $424,950−3.1% | $217 | 11,182+10.3% | 64 | 26.2% |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $429,950+4.9% | $223 | 5,760+14.6% | 44 | 21.6% |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $445,000−2.6% | $213 | 6,125+7.6% | 59 | 24.1% |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | $327,000−1.2% | $178 | 2,216+18.6% | 57 | 23.8% |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $334,900−4.6% | $180 | 2,224+21.1% | 60 | 23.8% |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $460,135−4.0% | $242 | 2,310+18.2% | 60 | 24.1% |
| Wilmington, NC | $471,489−5.5% | $250 | 4,016+3.2% | 71 | 22.1% |
| Asheville, NC | $575,000+0.0% | $293 | 2,829+5.3% | 84 | 26.1% |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $350,000−1.4% | $199 | 1,440+18.6% | 63 | 26.7% |
| Fayetteville, NC | $281,000−6.3% | $155 | 1,654+12.4% | 62 | 21.5% |
| Jacksonville, NC | $339,791−2.0% | $189 | 1,234+20.3% | 66 | 22.5% |
| Burlington, NC | $347,874−4.8% | $186 | 604+4.9% | 61 | 23.0% |
| Greenville, NC | $312,450+2.5% | $158 | 565+11.2% | 66 | 15.6% |
| Rocky Mount, NC | $289,450−4.2% | $157 | 652+32.3% | 74 | 20.6% |
| Anderson Creek, NC | $340,996−3.1% | $171 | 1,064+20.2% | 68 | 17.9% |
| New Bern, NC | $369,975+2.8% | $193 | 571+4.4% | 78 | 17.5% |
| Goldsboro, NC | $289,803−2.2% | $161 | 400+3.1% | 73 | 23.4% |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | $472,000−2.7% | $218 | 813+19.7% | 76 | 17.2% |
| Lumberton, NC | $249,000−6.0% | $140 | 175−9.3% | 86 | 14.6% |
| Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC | $288,700+1.5% | $177 | 425+21.4% | 63 | 26.8% |
| Wilson, NC | $272,450+1.0% | $151 | 233−7.2% | 67 | 17.7% |
| Morehead City, NC | $567,000−1.4% | $355 | 662+12.4% | 95 | 15.7% |
| Mount Airy, NC | $302,425+1.1% | $188 | 161+11.0% | 67 | 25.4% |
| North Wilkesboro, NC | $389,450+5.7% | $209 | 182+19.0% | 84 | 21.2% |
| Waynesville, NC | $467,000+4.8% | $271 | 516+1.0% | 89 | 24.9% |
Metro areas are the Census Bureau's core-based statistical areas; a metro that crosses a state line is listed in each state it covers.
Side by side
North Carolina vs. the U.S.
| September 2026 | North Carolina | U.S. | Rank of 51 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median list price | $400,000 | $419,250 | 27th |
| Price per sq ft | $212 | $223 | – |
| Homes for sale | 48,917 | 1,161,615 | 5th |
| Inventory change, 1 yr | +11.9% | +5.4% | 16th |
| Median days on market | 69 | 61 | 10th |
| Price cut share | 23.1% | 20.8% | 12th |
| Pending ratio | 0.39 | 0.36 | – |
Rank of the 50 states and D.C., 1 = highest. Pending ratio = pending listings divided by active listings.
Affordability
The monthly payment on a median-priced North Carolina home
$2,216 a month
Principal and interest on $400,000, 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.40%. A year earlier, the same math came to $2,070: $145 a month more now. On the U.S. median listing it is $2,322.
Taxes, insurance, HOA dues and mortgage insurance are extra; in North Carolina they can change the real monthly cost a lot from one county to the next. A Total Cost of Ownership report adds them for a specific home.
Local knowledge
What's different about buying and selling in North Carolina
North Carolina contracts and closings work differently from most states. Three things to explain to every client.
The due diligence fee goes straight to the seller
Under the standard Offer to Purchase and Contract (Form 2-T), the buyer pays the seller a negotiated due diligence fee for the right to investigate and walk away during the due diligence period. The seller keeps it if the buyer walks, except in narrow cases such as a seller breach. Under the 2026 form changes, a buyer who misses payment has until the end of the next banking day, and the seller must demand payment in writing (Form 355-T) before terminating.
Closings run through an attorney
The North Carolina State Bar treats the legal parts of a residential closing (title opinion, deeds, advice, deciding when to record and disburse) as the practice of law, done by a North Carolina attorney or under one's direct supervision. Nonlawyers can present documents and handle disbursement.
Income tax: 3.99% in 2026, cap on the ballot
The flat individual income tax rate is 3.99% for 2026, down from 4.25% in 2025. A constitutional amendment on the November 3, 2026 ballot would lower the income tax cap from 7% to 3.5% starting in 2027.
General information for agents, checked against the sources below on October 22, 2026. It is not legal or tax advice; rules change, so confirm details for a specific transaction with the right professional.
Trends
How North Carolina's numbers have moved
North Carolina median list price
North Carolina homes for sale
North Carolina median days on market
Share of North Carolina listings with a price cut
North Carolina house price index (FHFA)
30-year fixed mortgage rate
Questions
North Carolina housing questions, answered with today's numbers
What is the median home price in North Carolina?
The median list price in North Carolina was $400,000 in September 2026, per Realtor.com. That is the asking price of the middle listing; closed-sale medians come from the MLS or county records.
How many homes are for sale in North Carolina?
48,917 active listings in September 2026, 13.6% above the same month in 2019.
Is North Carolina a buyer's or seller's market?
Statewide, listings took a median 69 days and 23.1% had a price cut in September 2026. Markets differ a lot by metro and price range; the metro table on this page shows each one, and an Area Market Report shows one neighborhood.
What is the monthly payment on a median-priced home in North Carolina?
About $2,216 a month for principal and interest on $400,000 with 20% down at 7.40%. Property taxes, insurance and HOA dues are extra and vary widely across North Carolina.
Free to quote. Use any number on this page with its month and source, and link to agentcos.com/market-statistics/north-carolina/.
Want this for one neighborhood?
These are statewide and metro listing numbers. An Area Market Report gives you 12 months of closed sales for one subdivision, neighborhood or ZIP, built from your MLS export, with your logo on it.
More states: Arizona · California · Florida · Texas · Colorado · every state, side by side
Sources
- Realtor.com Economic Research, Residential Real Estate Data, state and metro monthly files (median list price, price per square foot, active and pending listings, days on market, price-reduced share). realtor.com/research/data
- Freddie Mac, Primary Mortgage Market Survey, weekly. freddiemac.com/pmms
- Federal Housing Finance Agency, House Price Index for North Carolina (all transactions), quarterly, through FRED. fred.stlouisfed.org
- NC REALTORS, “Summary of 2026 Changes to NC REALTORS Residential Forms,” May 27, 2026. www.ncrealtors.org
- North Carolina State Bar, “Authorized Practice Advisory Opinion 2002-1,” revised January 26, 2012. www.ncbar.gov
- North Carolina General Assembly, “Session Law 2026-4 (Senate Bill 1080),” May 21, 2026. ncleg.gov
Listing numbers describe asking prices and inventory, not closed sales. The page refreshes from the publishers at least twice a day; each publisher updates on its own schedule.