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

All states·North Carolina·Garner

Wake County · Raleigh-Cary · population 39,345

Growing fast
Garner, NC
Image: Wikipedia · Garner, North Carolina
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
62
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Garner stands

Population growing 6.0% per year.

Median home $385,612
1-year -2.1%
5-yr CAGR +5.4%
vs 5-yr peak -4.7%
Population +6.0%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2022-08$386k$184k$263k$342k$421k201620182020202220242026

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
$1,781/mo$1,352$1,630$1,909202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent130124100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 18.0
Lean buy

At a 18.0 price-to-rent ratio, Garner 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
39 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
67 · w22%
Distance from peak
62 · w18%
Population growth
90 · w16%
Rent YoY
51 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
74 · w10%
Long thesis

Garner has been growing population at 6.0% per year while home values compounded +5.4% annually. Demand-driven appreciation — the kind that persists as long as people keep showing up, which they currently are.

Short thesis

Garner'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 Garner

Garner is a city in Wake County, North Carolina, with an estimated population of 39,345. It anchors the Raleigh-Cary metro area. The population has grown 6.0% per year on average between 2020 and 2024 — among the faster-growing communities in the state. The median home value in Garner is $385,612 as of 2026-04, down 2.1% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.4% annual growth (-4.7% from the 5-year peak). Rents in Garner average $1,781 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+0.9%). The composite momentum score is 62 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●People are voting with their feet: population growing 6.0% per year since 2020 — that’s faster than ~80% of US cities.
●Healthy 5-year run: +5.4% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.

▼ Bear case

●Cooling: -2.1% over the trailing year — momentum has stalled.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Garner (Wikipedia)

Garner is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 31,159 as of the 2020 census. A suburb of Raleigh, the city limits are entirely within Wake County, though portions of unincorporated Wake County, as well as the Cleveland community in northern Johnston County, have Garner mailing addresses. It is part of the Research Triangle region of North Carolina and serves as a bedroom community for the region.

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

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 Wake 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. Wake County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Garner

2 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Downtown$290,915-4.2%
2Cloverdale$290,514-3.0%

Cities like Garner

Rolesville, NC62 · RisingClayton, NC61 · StableWake Forest, NC63 · RisingApex, NC65 · Rising

Run the numbers for Garner

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