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

All states·North Carolina·Fayetteville

Cumberland County · Fayetteville · population 209,496

First-time buyersInvestors
Fayetteville, NC
Image: Wikipedia · Fayetteville, North Carolina
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
67
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Fayetteville stands

At or near all-time high. averaging 7.6% annual growth over 5 years.

Median home $226,710
1-year +0.4%
5-yr CAGR +7.6%
vs 5-yr peak -0.0%
Population +0.1%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-03$227k$107k$150k$193k$236k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
25/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
38/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
87/100
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
$1,439/mo$992$1,258$1,525202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent144136100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 13.1
Buy

At a 13.1 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Fayetteville on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 13.1 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
52 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
77 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
47 · w16%
Rent YoY
65 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
74 · w10%
Long thesis

Fayetteville has held up across the cycle: home values at $226,710 with +7.6% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Fayetteville'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 Fayetteville

Fayetteville is a city in Cumberland County, North Carolina, with an estimated population of 209,496. The median home value in Fayetteville is $226,710 as of 2026-04, up 0.4% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +7.6% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Fayetteville average $1,439 per month, up 3.0% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 67 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +7.6% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Held the highs: currently -0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

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

About Fayetteville (Wikipedia)

Fayetteville is a city in and the county seat of Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army installation, is located in the city.

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

City facts

MayorMitch Colvin
Area150.08 sq mi
Elevation223 ft
Settled1783
Density1406.34/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Cumberland 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. Cumberland County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Fayetteville

117 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Greystone$647,153+0.4%
2Kingsford$522,416-4.7%
3Buckhead$462,977-1.9%
4Fairfield Farms$448,268+1.4%
5Preston$391,702-1.0%
6Rayconda$389,163-2.4%
7Vanstory Hills$381,621-2.4%
8Asbury$366,094-1.7%
9Murray Hills$358,589+1.4%
10Summer Grove$353,009-0.9%
11James Creek$347,491-0.1%
12McPherson Estates$337,225-1.0%
13Parkers Ridge$336,271-1.7%
14Runnymeade$331,067-0.3%
15River Glen$324,895+0.4%
16Stonebridge$320,874-1.7%
17Woodchase$306,367-0.1%
18Wells Place$304,304+0.1%
19Huntington Park$298,443-2.2%
20Clairway$297,542-0.0%
21Wells$297,449+0.2%
22Tallywood$290,568-1.7%
23Country Club Hills$288,486-0.1%
24Hunters Crossing$286,971-1.0%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Fayetteville

Winston-Salem, NC70 · RisingWilson, NC69 · RisingGreensboro, NC67 · RisingHigh Point, NC70 · Rising

Run the numbers for Fayetteville

ToolCan I afford Fayetteville?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Fayetteville rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Fayetteville to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolFayetteville 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.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Fayetteville 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 sports teams

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

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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