North Carolina cities

All states·North Carolina

148 North Carolina cities tracked. Sorted by composite momentum score (home prices, rent, population).

Long thesis

The state's pop-weighted momentum is 66/100, and only 0 of 142 tracked cities are in the 'Declining' tier. That's a healthier distribution than most states. Bull case: the average is good, and the bottom of the distribution isn't ugly.

Short thesis

The bear case is the boring one: the median market is fine but the cycle is real. Watch the cities at the bottom of this state's distribution as the early-warning signal.

148
Cities tracked
$322,547
Median home (state)
128
Rising / Hot
1
Cooling / Declining

Oak Island

pop 9,322
79
Hot$572,756 · +1.5%

Graham

pop 19,311
78
Hot$295,264 · +1.3%

Weddington

pop 14,391
78
Hot$1,074,184 · +2.0%

King

pop 7,764
78
Hot$278,928 · +5.8%

Marvin

pop 6,985
78
Hot$1,258,629 · +1.5%

Holly Ridge

pop 5,766
78
Hot$346,267 · +3.4%

Whispering Pines

pop 5,416
78
Hot$530,571 · +2.6%

Sanford

pop 32,971
77
Rising$291,935 · +1.0%

Havelock

pop 17,407
77
Rising$234,391 · +4.1%

Greenville

pop 95,138
76
Rising$235,708 · +1.6%

Lincolnton

pop 12,353
76
Rising$297,961 · +2.6%

New Bern

pop 34,218
75
Rising$283,025 · +2.4%

Statesville

pop 31,693
75
Rising$298,935 · +3.2%

Walkertown

pop 6,027
75
Rising$271,382 · +3.1%

Ayden

pop 5,190
75
Rising$225,648 · +2.2%

Lexington

pop 19,904
74
Rising$273,516 · +6.2%

Kinston

pop 19,519
74
Rising$146,737 · +4.8%

Davidson

pop 16,276
74
Rising$658,840 · +1.1%

Archdale

pop 12,147
74
Rising$251,427 · +3.9%

Gibsonville

pop 9,744
74
Rising$307,806 · +1.6%

Wesley Chapel

pop 9,495
74
Rising$657,993 · +0.7%

Dunn

pop 8,754
74
Rising$228,656 · +2.9%

Roxboro

pop 8,289
74
Rising$220,453 · +7.6%

Cherryville

pop 6,385
74
Rising$251,749 · +1.9%

Dallas

pop 6,270
74
Rising$277,935 · +1.0%

Locust

pop 5,992
74
Rising$386,783 · +0.5%

Bessemer City

pop 5,730
74
Rising$239,099 · +2.2%

Shallotte

pop 5,161
74
Rising$322,622 · +1.2%

Pleasant Garden

pop 5,151
74
Rising$315,420 · +4.5%

Kannapolis

pop 60,521
73
Rising$281,628 · +0.6%

Monroe

pop 40,054
73
Rising$358,266 · +0.4%

Mint Hill

pop 28,825
73
Rising$515,422 · +0.6%

Waxhaw

pop 23,178
73
Rising$627,621 · +0.4%

Albemarle

pop 17,344
73
Rising$264,776 · +0.5%

Unionville

pop 7,258
73
Rising$418,681 · +0.8%

Mocksville

pop 6,224
73
Rising$281,300 · +3.5%

Gastonia

pop 85,535
72
Rising$279,838 · +1.0%

Burlington

pop 61,365
72
Rising$257,450 · +1.3%

Kernersville

pop 28,760
72
Rising$322,547 · +1.8%

Clemmons

pop 22,471
72
Rising$387,792 · +1.4%

Mount Holly

pop 18,723
72
Rising$363,332 · +1.6%

Stallings

pop 17,617
72
Rising$465,877 · +0.3%

Belmont

pop 16,044
72
Rising$434,466 · +1.7%

Aberdeen

pop 9,573
72
Rising$352,870 · +0.5%

Conover

pop 8,760
72
Rising$278,608 · +1.2%

Trinity

pop 7,190
72
Rising$290,934 · +3.4%

Boiling Spring Lakes

pop 6,738
72
Rising$316,951 · +0.0%

Stokesdale

pop 6,111
72
Rising$387,987 · +3.3%

Cramerton

pop 5,604
72
Rising$307,971 · +0.8%

Moyock

pop 5,154
72
Rising$499,002 · +2.4%

Cullowhee

pop 7,682
72
Rising$417,521 · +1.2%

Huntersville

pop 67,087
71
Rising$552,969 · +0.7%

Hickory

pop 45,081
71
Rising$295,638 · +2.3%

Cornelius

pop 34,366
71
Rising$527,742 · +0.8%

Thomasville

pop 27,605
71
Rising$239,141 · +2.7%

Elizabeth City

pop 19,028
71
Rising$264,999 · +1.8%

Southern Pines

pop 16,987
71
Rising$455,918 · +0.9%

Laurinburg

pop 15,130
71
Rising$141,777 · +2.0%

Newton

pop 13,571
71
Rising$257,901 · +0.8%

Winterville

pop 10,899
71
Rising$278,672 · +2.5%

Siler City

pop 8,087
71
Rising$250,732 · +1.6%

Selma

pop 7,228
71
Rising$276,411 · +0.1%

Midland

pop 5,027
71
Rising$428,098 · +1.0%

Winston-Salem

pop 255,769
70
Rising$265,013 · +1.1%

High Point

pop 118,601
70
Rising$251,699 · +0.6%

Jacksonville

pop 70,840
70
Rising$262,215 · +3.8%

Leland

pop 34,451
70
Rising$377,303 · +0.3%

Asheboro

pop 27,928
70
Rising$241,615 · +2.3%

Mebane

pop 20,654
70
Rising$355,065 · -0.1%

Pinehurst

pop 18,502
70
Rising$534,185 · +0.7%

Morganton

pop 17,825
70
Rising$260,793 · +1.8%

Lewisville

pop 14,203
70
Rising$403,351 · +1.1%

Morehead City

pop 9,963
70
Rising$414,155 · +0.3%

Wilson

pop 48,579
69
Rising$218,140 · +1.0%

Matthews

pop 32,048
69
Rising$505,820 · +1.0%

Smithfield

pop 12,806
69
Rising$294,547 · -0.5%

Summerfield

pop 11,333
69
Rising$519,591 · +1.7%

Washington

pop 9,738
69
Rising$243,771 · +2.2%

St. James

pop 7,315
69
Rising$693,855 · -1.8%

Wilmington

pop 125,284
68
Rising$419,326 · -1.3%

Mooresville

pop 52,884
68
Rising$483,732 · +0.5%

Salisbury

pop 36,579
68
Rising$283,068 · +1.8%

Harrisburg

pop 20,335
68
Rising$499,122 · -1.6%

Boone

pop 20,080
68
Rising$484,758 · -0.4%

Hope Mills

pop 18,102
68
Rising$263,973 · +1.0%

Spring Lake

pop 11,530
68
Rising$262,077 · +0.8%

Brevard

pop 7,973
68
Rising$463,221 · -0.6%

Oak Ridge

pop 7,900
68
Rising$602,663 · +0.3%

Kill Devil Hills

pop 7,742
68
Rising$525,287 · +0.5%

Creedmoor

pop 5,049
68
Rising$339,607 · -0.4%

Greensboro

pop 307,381
67
Rising$265,214 · +0.3%

Fayetteville

pop 209,496
67
Rising$226,710 · +0.4%

Holly Springs

pop 48,674
67
Rising$582,085 · -1.3%

Kings Mountain

pop 11,797
67
Rising$249,099 · -0.1%

Angier

pop 8,284
67
Rising$336,481 · -1.2%

Forest City

pop 7,397
67
Rising$190,469 · +4.7%

Nashville

pop 5,850
67
Rising$259,432 · -0.1%

Etowah

pop 7,642
67
Rising$420,256 · -1.2%

Goldsboro

pop 34,629
66
Rising$195,757 · +1.2%

Wendell

pop 16,845
66
Rising$372,496 · -1.5%

Elon

pop 11,282
66
Rising$349,939 · +1.0%

Oxford

pop 8,972
66
Rising$253,573 · -0.6%

Carolina Beach

pop 6,864
66
Rising$609,835 · -1.3%

Hampstead

pop 7,016
66
Rising$486,770 · -0.7%

Charlotte

pop 943,476
65
Rising$399,070 · -1.2%

Concord

pop 112,395
65
Rising$384,688 · -1.5%

Apex

pop 75,977
65
Rising$602,646 · -2.1%

Pineville

pop 11,567
65
Rising$405,317 · -1.3%

Rockingham

pop 8,802
65
Rising$135,681 · +3.6%

Carolina Shores

pop 5,463
65
Rising$321,813 · -1.8%

Chapel Hill

pop 64,028
64
Rising$634,403 · -0.7%

Zebulon

pop 10,505
64
Rising$343,144 · -0.8%

Sawmills

pop 5,059
64
Rising$229,892 · +0.6%

Wake Forest

pop 56,764
63
Rising$515,272 · -1.7%

Indian Trail

pop 43,867
63
Rising$420,753 · -2.2%

Lenoir

pop 18,280
63
Rising$215,951 · +0.4%

Roanoke Rapids

pop 14,573
63
Rising$123,237 · +2.6%

Clinton

pop 8,317
63
Rising$155,402 · +2.4%

Mills River

pop 7,426
63
Rising$523,367 · -2.1%

Durham

pop 301,870
62
Rising$399,509 · -2.7%

Cary

pop 182,659
62
Rising$629,864 · -1.8%

Garner

pop 39,345
62
Rising$385,612 · -2.1%

Lumberton

pop 18,882
62
Rising$146,987 · +0.7%

Hendersonville

pop 15,656
62
Rising$410,935 · -2.7%

Rolesville

pop 11,854
62
Rising$501,278 · -2.4%

Mount Airy

pop 10,583
62
Rising$213,268 · +0.7%

Hamlet

pop 5,888
62
Rising$131,933 · +2.1%

East Flat Rock

pop 5,757
62
Rising$296,002 · -2.2%

Clayton

pop 31,732
61
Stable$366,558 · -1.5%

Reidsville

pop 14,646
61
Stable$211,228 · +1.6%

Butner

pop 8,134
61
Stable$274,252 · -1.1%

Waynesville

pop 10,709
60
Stable$355,848 · -4.8%

Raleigh

pop 499,825
59
Stable$435,807 · -2.2%

Rocky Mount

pop 54,541
59
Stable$188,398 · -1.2%

Knightdale

pop 21,829
59
Stable$370,519 · -2.8%

Henderson

pop 14,807
58
Stable$181,923 · -1.5%

Hillsborough

pop 9,773
58
Stable$474,806 · -2.3%

Fletcher

pop 8,251
58
Stable$454,188 · -3.5%

Black Mountain

pop 8,572
57
Stable$465,564 · -3.4%

Shelby

pop 22,778
56
Stable$218,243 · -2.2%

Carrboro

pop 21,079
56
Stable$431,560 · -2.9%

Tarboro

pop 10,954
56
Stable$154,436 · -4.1%

Marion

pop 7,534
55
Stable$242,060 · -2.3%

Morrisville

pop 32,628
54
Stable$483,927 · -4.9%

Swannanoa

pop 5,021
51
Stable$364,249 · -5.3%

Asheville

pop 94,992
49
Stable$461,425 · -5.2%

Eden

pop 15,399
49
Stable$149,572 · -2.0%

Williamston

pop 5,066
46
Cooling$129,085 · -2.1%

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Official state resources

Traffic & road closures

Verified official state sources from our source registry. Opens in a new tab.

Tools for North Carolina

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Cost of living & climate

Cost-of-living index
95.7 (US=100)
Below Us Avg. Source: MERIC Q4 2024 composite (housing, groceries, utilities, transport, healthcare, misc).
Climate

Humid subtropical. Hot humid summers, mild winters (snowy in the Appalachians). Hurricane exposure on the coast.

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