North Carolina rent guide
The Cheapest Cities to Rent in North Carolina (July 2026)
Data as of Jun 9, 2026 · 999 rentals across 71 North Carolina cities
North Carolina is one of the better-value rental states in the US, anchored by two hubs: Charlotte in the south and the Research Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) in the center. But the cheapest rent is rarely in either of those. The value markets are the college towns and the Triad cities (Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point), while the mountains and the coast sit at the top. We track every apartment we can find and rank the cities below by their typical rent, straight from live listings.
The lowest typical rent right now is in Greenville (about $1,000/mo), while Asheville sits at the top ($1,401/mo). The gap across the state is narrow, so the bedroom count you need usually matters more than the city.
North Carolina cities by typical rent, cheapest first
| # | City | Typical | From | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greenville | $1,000 | $805 | 29 |
| 2 | Winston-Salem | $1,077 | $820 | 32 |
| 3 | High Point | $1,085 | $845 | 9 |
| 4 | Fayetteville | $1,099 | $818 | 48 |
| 5 | Burlington | $1,099 | $850 | 11 |
| 6 | Rocky Mount | $1,115 | $875 | 5 |
| 7 | New Bern | $1,115 | $899 | 7 |
| 8 | Kernersville | $1,167 | $800 | 8 |
| 9 | Gastonia | $1,195 | $923 | 11 |
| 10 | Durham | $1,201 | $805 | 60 |
| 11 | Greensboro | $1,222 | $850 | 54 |
| 12 | Jacksonville | $1,230 | $825 | 7 |
| 13 | Raleigh | $1,233 | $900 | 144 |
| 14 | Mooresville | $1,234 | $987 | 16 |
| 15 | Monroe | $1,283 | $865 | 5 |
| 16 | Wake Forest | $1,285 | $1,137 | 14 |
| 17 | Hickory | $1,291 | $829 | 12 |
| 18 | Garner | $1,292 | $1,083 | 6 |
| 19 | Fuquay-Varina | $1,299 | $1,259 | 6 |
| 20 | Cary | $1,304 | $853 | 34 |
| 21 | Matthews | $1,320 | $1,095 | 7 |
| 22 | Charlotte | $1,326 | $896 | 220 |
| 23 | Kannapolis | $1,326 | $1,169 | 6 |
| 24 | Concord | $1,330 | $920 | 23 |
| 25 | Apex | $1,332 | $1,151 | 10 |
| 26 | Huntersville | $1,334 | $980 | 14 |
| 27 | Cornelius | $1,334 | $1,104 | 7 |
| 28 | Morrisville | $1,350 | $1,038 | 21 |
| 29 | Chapel Hill | $1,360 | $982 | 19 |
| 30 | Wilmington | $1,392 | $1,044 | 48 |
| 31 | Clayton | $1,394 | $995 | 8 |
| 32 | Asheville | $1,401 | $1,106 | 34 |
How we rank them
“Typical” is the median rent across everything we track in a city, so half the listings are cheaper and half pricier. “From” is the single cheapest unit listed right now. We include cities with at least five live listings and exclude single rooms and senior housing. Small-city medians can swing on a handful of listings, so the bigger markets like Charlotte and Raleigh are the most stable. Refreshes when our data does (last updated Jun 9, 2026).
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest city to rent in North Carolina?
By typical (median) rent it's Greenville, around $1,000/mo, then Winston-Salem and High Point. The value markets are the college towns and the Triad (Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point), plus Fayetteville. The ranking rebuilds from live listings, so it moves with the market.
Is Charlotte or Raleigh cheaper to rent in?
Raleigh is a bit cheaper: about $1,233/mo typical versus $1,326 in Charlotte. Both of North Carolina's big hubs sit in the upper-middle of the state, and you can usually do better in Greensboro or Durham, or in the smaller cities outside the two metros.
Why are Asheville and Wilmington the most expensive?
The mountains and the coast cost the most in North Carolina. Asheville (mountains) and Wilmington (coast) draw tourism and second-home demand that the big inland metros don't, so they typically top the list, above Charlotte and the Raleigh suburbs.
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