Clayton, NC — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·North Carolina·Clayton

Johnston County · Raleigh-Cary · population 31,732

Growing fast
Clayton, NC
Image: Wikipedia · Clayton, North Carolina
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
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61
Stable
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Clayton stands

Population growing 4.8% per year.

Median home $366,558
1-year -1.5%
5-yr CAGR +5.3%
vs 5-yr peak -6.6%
Population +4.8%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2022-08$367k$182k$258k$333k$408k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
93/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,816/mo$1,400$1,665$1,931202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent129122100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 16.8
Lean buy

At a 16.8 price-to-rent ratio, Clayton is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
43 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
66 · w22%
Distance from peak
55 · w18%
Population growth
90 · w16%
Rent YoY
46 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
71 · w10%
Long thesis

Clayton has been growing population at 4.8% per year while home values compounded +5.3% annually. Demand-driven appreciation — the kind that persists as long as people keep showing up, which they currently are.

Short thesis

Clayton's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Clayton

Clayton is a city in Johnston County, North Carolina, with an estimated population of 31,732. It anchors the Raleigh-Cary metro area. The population has grown 4.8% per year on average between 2020 and 2024 — among the faster-growing communities in the state. The median home value in Clayton is $366,558 as of 2026-04, down 1.5% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.3% annual growth (-6.6% from the 5-year peak). Rents in Clayton average $1,816 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+0.1%). The composite momentum score is 61 of 100 (Stable). Conditions are neither hot nor cold, so the local fit matters more than market timing.

▲ Bull case

●People are voting with their feet: population growing 4.8% per year since 2020 — that’s faster than ~80% of US cities.
●Healthy 5-year run: +5.3% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Clayton (Wikipedia)

Clayton is a town in Johnston County, North Carolina, United States, and is considered a suburb of Raleigh. As of 2020, Clayton's population was 26,307, up from 16,116 at the 2010 census. By 2024, the town's estimated population was 30,621. Much of that growth can be attributed to the town's proximity to the Research Triangle area and access to major highways such as I-40 and US 70.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

Lifestyle fit matters more than market timing in a Stable market. Take your time on the home and neighborhood; the macro trend isn't urgent. Negotiate normally.

Seller

Price competitively from day one or risk a 60+ day listing. Staging, photography, and presentation matter more in Stable markets than in Hot ones.

Investor

Stable cap rates, no big appreciation story to lean on. Underwrite this as a pure cash-flow play — the math has to work on rent alone.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Johnston County right now.

NWS active alerts (NC)North Carolina Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Johnston County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Clayton

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Run the numbers for Clayton

ToolCan I afford Clayton?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Clayton rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Clayton to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolClayton cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

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

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
50° / 30°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
88° / 68°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
213
~58% of year
Annual precip
50″ rain
6″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
High
Tornado
Moderate
Wildfire
Low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
High

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Raleigh-Cary area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Clayton listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
71%
Humid climate
Median household income
$67,500
North Carolina state median
Top industries (state-level)
Banking (Charlotte)Tech (RTP)Manufacturing

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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