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

Vance County · Henderson · population 14,807

AffordabilitySmall-town feel
View watchlist →
58
Stable
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Henderson stands

Steady, no major recent move.

Median home $181,923
1-year -1.5%
5-yr CAGR +4.3%
vs 5-yr peak -2.8%
Population -0.4%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2024-08$182k$84k$121k$158k$195k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
25/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
67/100
Strong remote-work fit
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
$966/mo$827$929$1,0322026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent991041002026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 15.7
Lean buy

At a 15.7 price-to-rent ratio, Henderson 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
61 · w22%
Distance from peak
73 · w18%
Population growth
39 · w16%
Rent YoY
74 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
75 · w10%
Long thesis

Henderson offers a $181,923 median home with +4.3% annualized 5-year appreciation. Affordability + positive trend is one of the better risk/reward setups in US residential — small downside, room to compound.

Short thesis

Henderson'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 Henderson

Henderson is a city in Vance County, North Carolina, with an estimated population of 14,807. The median home value in Henderson is $181,923 as of 2026-04, down 1.5% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.3% annual growth (-2.8% from the 5-year peak). Rents in Henderson average $966 per month, up 4.3% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 58 of 100 (Stable). Conditions are neither hot nor cold, so the local fit matters more than market timing.

Bull case

Held the highs: currently -2.8% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
Cheap entry point: $181,923 median home is well below the US median of $355k — room to grow without overpaying.

Bear case

Flat or shrinking population: -0.4% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
Thin housing market: small population means fewer transactions and slower resale. Liquidity risk on exit.

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 Vance County right now.

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

Cities like Henderson

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 Henderson listings on the major real-estate sites.

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

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Henderson 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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