Rent by ZIP code in Cary
| ZIP code | County | Typical rent | vs city median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27519 | Wake County | $2,028 | +24% |
| 27511 | Wake County | $1,655 | +1% |
| 27513 | Wake County | $1,620 | -1% |
| 27518 | Wake County | $1,577 | -4% |
Rent by bedroom count in Cary
Zillow's index above blends every unit size into one number. For a bedroom level view, these are HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rents for Wake County. They include utilities and sit near the 40th percentile of the market, so treat them as the low side of what a typical unit lists for. Wake County uses Small Area FMRs, and the two bedroom figure runs from $1,610 to $2,140 depending on the Cary ZIP code.
| Unit size | FY2027 Fair Market Rent | Change from FY2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,489 | -2.3% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,552 | -2.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,689 | -3.5% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,103 | -4.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,823 | -3.8% |
Source: HUD Fair Market Rents. Updates when HUD publishes a new fiscal year.
Is rent going up or down in Cary?
Typical rent across Wake County is $1,665 as of August 2026. That is up 1.0% from a year earlier and up 13.9% over five years.
| Year | Typical rent, Wake County | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $1,537 | +17.0% |
| 2022 | $1,636 | +6.4% |
| 2023 | $1,644 | +0.5% |
| 2024 | $1,648 | +0.2% |
| 2025 | $1,649 | +0.1% |
| 2026 (through August) | $1,665 | +1.0% |
Zillow Observed Rent Index for the county, all home types, last published month of each year. Each row is compared with the end of the year before it.
Cary rent questions
- What is the average rent in Cary, NC?
- Typical asking rent in Cary is $1,638 a month as of July 2026, across 4 ZIP codes. By ZIP code it runs from $1,577 to $2,028.
- How much is rent for a 2 bedroom in Cary?
- HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a two bedroom in Wake County is $1,689 a month including utilities. A one bedroom is $1,552 and a three bedroom is $2,103. Fair Market Rent is set near the 40th percentile, so a typical unit lists somewhat higher.
- Is rent going up or down in Cary?
- Rent is rising. Typical rent in Wake County is $1,665 as of August 2026, up 1.0% from a year earlier.
- What is the cheapest ZIP code to rent in Cary?
- ZIP 27518 has the lowest typical asking rent in Cary at $1,577 a month, compared with $1,638 for the city overall.
- How much income do you need to rent in Cary?
- Most landlords look for gross income of about three times the rent. At the typical Cary rent of $1,638, that is about $4,914 a month, or $58,968 a year. This is a common screening rule of thumb, and individual landlords set their own.
How to use these numbers
These are Zillow Observed Rent Index values, a smoothed measure of typical asking rent for single family homes, condos, and apartments in each ZIP code. They describe what units are listed for, not what any specific unit will get. Condition, bedroom count, and the exact block all move the number.
If you are underwriting a purchase, use the ZIP figure rather than the city median, and then verify against live listings for the same bedroom count before you commit. Cary sits in the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area.