Holly Springs, NC — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·North Carolina·Holly Springs

Wake County · Raleigh-Cary · population 48,674

Growing fastRenter-friendly
Holly Springs, NC
Image: Wikipedia · Holly Springs, North Carolina
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
67
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Holly Springs stands

At or near all-time high. population growing 4.2% per year.

Median home $582,085
1-year -1.3%
5-yr CAGR +6.9%
vs 5-yr peak -1.9%
Population +4.2%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2022-08$582k$296k$403k$510k$617k201620182020202220242026

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
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
$1,878/mo$1,399$1,719$2,039202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent139126100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 25.8
Rent

At a 25.8 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Holly Springs for most shorter holds. The premium you pay to own would take many years of rent savings to recoup, and that's before maintenance, taxes, and opportunity cost on the down payment.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
44 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
74 · w22%
Distance from peak
79 · w18%
Population growth
90 · w16%
Rent YoY
44 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
69 · w10%
Long thesis

Holly Springs has been growing population at 4.2% per year while home values compounded +6.9% annually. Demand-driven appreciation — the kind that persists as long as people keep showing up, which they currently are.

Short thesis

Holly Springs'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 Holly Springs

Holly Springs is a city in Wake County, North Carolina, with an estimated population of 48,674. It anchors the Raleigh-Cary metro area. The population has grown 4.2% per year on average between 2020 and 2024 — among the faster-growing communities in the state. The median home value in Holly Springs is $582,085 as of 2026-04, down 1.3% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.9% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Holly Springs average $1,878 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (-0.2%). The composite momentum score is 67 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●People are voting with their feet: population growing 4.2% per year since 2020 — that’s faster than ~80% of US cities.
●Healthy 5-year run: +6.9% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Held the highs: currently -1.9% 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 Holly Springs (Wikipedia)

Holly Springs is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 41,239, a 67% increase from 2010.

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.

Cities like Holly Springs

Wake Forest, NC63 · RisingMebane, NC70 · RisingClayton, NC61 · StableMonroe, NC73 · Rising

Run the numbers for Holly Springs

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