Homeownership is fundamental to the American dream. It offers wealth, security, community, and countless other benefits. Yet for many North Carolina residents, the dream feels increasingly out of reach—even as incomes rise and mortgage rates fall. Near-record prices have made homes hard to come by and often even harder to afford, leaving buyers and sellers stuck and younger generations priced out.
But affordable pockets still exist. In cities across the state, residents can comfortably spend around 30% of their income or less on housing, which is widely considered the affordable threshold.
To find out where these cities are, Redfin Real Estate ranked the most affordable cities in North Carolina, based on their local payment to income ratios. All data is an average for the January-October 2025 period. To see the most affordable cities in the country, read this recent Redfin article.
#1. Wake Forest, North Carolina
- Payment to income ratio: 33.1%
- Median sale price: $522,290
- Median household income: $120,777
- Income needed to buy: $133,374
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,334
- See homes for sale in Wake Forest on Redfin.com
#2. High Point, North Carolina
- Payment to income ratio: 34.5%
- Median sale price: $275,585
- Median household income: $61,228
- Income needed to buy: $70,374
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $1,759
- See homes for sale in High Point on Redfin.com
#3. Kannapolis, North Carolina
- Payment to income ratio: 34.6%
- Median sale price: $318,941
- Median household income: $70,691
- Income needed to buy: $81,446
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,036
- See homes for sale in Kannapolis on Redfin.com
#4. Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina
- Payment to income ratio: 35.7%
- Median sale price: $519,752
- Median household income: $111,447
- Income needed to buy: $132,725
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,318
- See homes for sale in Fuquay-Varina on Redfin.com
#5. Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Payment to income ratio: 36.0%
- Median sale price: $254,052
- Median household income: $54,069
- Income needed to buy: $64,876
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $1,622
- See homes for sale in Jacksonville on Redfin.com
#6. Indian Trail, North Carolina
- Payment to income ratio: 36.5%
- Median sale price: $472,408
- Median household income: $99,073
- Income needed to buy: $120,635
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,016
- See homes for sale in Indian Trail on Redfin.com
#7. Concord, North Carolina
- Payment to income ratio: 36.7%
- Median sale price: $406,091
- Median household income: $84,752
- Income needed to buy: $103,701
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,593
- See homes for sale in Concord on Redfin.com
#8. Holly Springs, North Carolina
- Payment to income ratio: 37.3%
- Median sale price: $644,354
- Median household income: $132,435
- Income needed to buy: $164,544
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $4,114
- See homes for sale in Holly Springs on Redfin.com
#9. Clayton, North Carolina
- Payment to income ratio: 37.5%
- Median sale price: $358,849
- Median household income: $73,348
- Income needed to buy: $91,637
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,291
- See homes for sale in Clayton on Redfin.com
#10. Apex, North Carolina
- Payment to income ratio: 38.2%
- Median sale price: $689,646
- Median household income: $138,442
- Income needed to buy: $176,110
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $4,403
- See homes for sale in Apex on Redfin.com
#11. Gastonia, North Carolina
- Payment to income ratio: 38.4%
- Median sale price: $303,466
- Median household income: $60,554
- Income needed to buy: $77,494
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $1,937
- See homes for sale in Gastonia on Redfin.com
#12. Matthews, North Carolina
- Payment to income ratio: 39.4%
- Median sale price: $542,367
- Median household income: $105,579
- Income needed to buy: $138,500
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,463
- See homes for sale in Matthews on Redfin.com
#13. Huntersville, North Carolina
- Payment to income ratio: 39.7%
- Median sale price: $621,447
- Median household income: $119,951
- Income needed to buy: $158,694
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,967
- See homes for sale in Huntersville on Redfin.com
#14. Mooresville, North Carolina
- Payment to income ratio: 40.0%
- Median sale price: $462,213
- Median household income: $88,592
- Income needed to buy: $118,032
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,951
- See homes for sale in Mooresville on Redfin.com
#15. Kernersville, North Carolina
- Payment to income ratio: 41.2%
- Median sale price: $375,833
- Median household income: $69,923
- Income needed to buy: $95,974
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,399
- See homes for sale in Kernersville on Redfin.com
#16. Morrisville, North Carolina
- Payment to income ratio: 41.3%
- Median sale price: $675,942
- Median household income: $125,404
- Income needed to buy: $172,611
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $4,315
- See homes for sale in Morrisville on Redfin.com
#17. Mint Hill, North Carolina
- Payment to income ratio: 42.8%
- Median sale price: $554,912
- Median household income: $99,272
- Income needed to buy: $141,704
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,543
- See homes for sale in Mint Hill on Redfin.com
#18. Cary, North Carolina
- Payment to income ratio: 44.6%
- Median sale price: $753,174
- Median household income: $129,399
- Income needed to buy: $192,333
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $4,808
- See homes for sale in Cary on Redfin.com
#19. Charlotte, North Carolina
- Payment to income ratio: 44.6%
- Median sale price: $456,916
- Median household income: $78,438
- Income needed to buy: $116,679
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,917
- See homes for sale in Charlotte on Redfin.com
#20. Durham, North Carolina
- Payment to income ratio: 44.6%
- Median sale price: $461,728
- Median household income: $79,234
- Income needed to buy: $117,908
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,948
- See homes for sale in Durham on Redfin.com
This story was produced by Redfin Real Estate and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.