North Carolina · Free comparisons

Find your North Carolina rent vs buy calculator

Choose a city, enter comparable homes, and test the cost of moving sooner or staying longer.

20 city comparisons start from 16 county datasets. Cities in the same county share reference values. These are regional housing indices, not city medians or a statewide average.

Browse all cities ↓Use my own numbers →

20 city pages. Open a location, then replace the starting values with homes you would actually rent or buy.

Start with a city

Hickory, NCChapel Hill, NCGreenville, NC

Published by RentalCalcs · Content and usability reviewed .

Data periods and program effective dates are shown separately. Report a correction.

City calculators, grouped by their county reference

Home values use Zillow ZHVI; monthly rents use Zillow ZORI. Each has its own observation date. Open a city to adjust price, rent, financing and your time horizon.

Jump to a county (16)

Buncombe County

Home value · ZHVI
$440,368
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,700

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Cumberland County

Home value · ZHVI
$227,993
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,382

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Durham County

Home value · ZHVI
$384,848
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,622

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Part of Raleigh is also in Durham County. Its city calculator starts with Wake County values; replace them with your own comparable properties.

Part of Cary is also in Durham County. Its city calculator starts with Wake County values; replace them with your own comparable properties.

Part of Chapel Hill is also in Durham County. Its city calculator starts with Orange County values; replace them with your own comparable properties.

Forsyth County

Home value · ZHVI
$281,187
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,533

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Part of High Point is also in Forsyth County. Its city calculator starts with Guilford County values; replace them with your own comparable properties.

Gaston County

Home value · ZHVI
$295,114
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,633

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

New Hanover County

Home value · ZHVI
$445,851
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,719

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Onslow County

Home value · ZHVI
$290,604
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,577

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Pitt County

Home value · ZHVI
$243,595
Monthly rent · ZORI
$1,465

Source downloads: Zillow ZHVI and ZORI. These are county indices, not matched homes. Coverage and method.

Open a city comparison

Turn a regional reference into your decision

  1. 1. Compare similar homes. Match bedrooms, property type, condition and location. The home-value and rent indices cover different housing stocks; their ratio alone cannot tell you which option is better.
  2. 2. Check the property's costs. Replace the illustrative tax rate, insurance and HOA assumptions. Use the North Carolina county tax office directory to request an estimate after purchase.

    North Carolina combines applicable county, municipal and district rates with the property's county tax appraisal. Check NCDOR's calculation method, then request a current annual estimate for your ownership. A county-only rate leaves out other charges.

    Convert that annual estimate to the purchase-price budget used here: annual property taxes ÷ purchase price × 100. For example, $3,360 a year on a $400,000 purchase is 0.84%, or $280 a month. Leave Assessed Value at 100% in the full calculator after this conversion.

    County reappraisals occur at least every eight years and may happen sooner. A sale price is not automatically the county's taxable appraisal. Confirm exemptions and recurring charges with the local office. Future 2% annual tax growth in this model is an assumption, not a prediction of the next reappraisal.

  3. 3. Test more than one exit date. Each city calculator compares the monthly budget, cash at closing and wealth after selling costs. Try a shorter stay and less favorable growth assumptions before opening the full calculator.

Coverage and sources

These 16 counties are the starting references for the listed cities; this is not complete coverage of North Carolina. City pages include the source series, county FIPS, observation month, retrieval date and download links. Read Zillow's index definitions. Download dates do not make the underlying observations newer.

County references were checked against the U.S. Census Bureau 2020 North Carolina place-by-county table (Cary supplemented by its current town guidance). Check your actual address before using a county source.

Places spanning counties (9)

These references follow the dated boundary source above. Confirm the county for your property; each comparison shows its starting reference and alternate paths.

There is no statewide buy-or-rent verdict here. Results depend on the properties and assumptions you enter. The comparisons are free; the full calculator also offers an optional paid report.