🏠 Buying a house in North Carolina | 🏘️ Selling a house in North Carolina | 🚚 Moving to North Carolina
❓ FAQ | 📊 Methodology
🏡 Home values in North Carolina have risen 7.00% over the past year, indicating a seller's market.
📈 Housing inventory (the total number of homes for sale) stands at 48,109. That's about 5.5 months of inventory, indicating a seller's market.
📊 The sale-to-list price ratio (the percentage of listing price sellers are actually getting) is 97.70%, indicating a buyer's market.
How does North Carolina compare to the national average?
| Data point | Value | Rank | Compared to national avg |
| Typical home value | $332,357[1] | #26 of 50 states | 11.6% lower |
| Median listing price | $419,450[2] | #26 of 50 states | 5.4% lower |
| Median sale price | $408,600[3] | #26 of 50 states | 6.6% lower |
| 30-year mortgage rate | 7.02%[4] | #29 of 50 states | 0.6% higher |
| Median days on market | 66[5] | #35 of 50 states | 12.2% longer |
Looking to buy or sell in North Carolina?
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Buying a house in the North Carolina real estate market
North Carolina has an affordability score of 5.8, meaning it takes 5.8 years of the median household income ($70,804) to afford North Carolina's median home sale price ($408,600). Because of this, we rank North Carolina as the 21st least affordable state for buyers based strictly on prices compared to income.
| Data Point | Value | Rank | Compared to national avg |
| Median sale price | $408,600[6] | #26 of 50 states | 6.6% lower |
| 30-year mortgage rate | 7.02%[7] | #29 of 50 states | 0.6% higher |
| Median household income | $70,804[8] | #34 of 50 states | 8% lower |
| Affordability ratio | 5.8 | #30 of 50 states | 3.5% higher |
| Buyers agent commission | 2.69%[9] | #10 of 50 states | 2.1% lower |
Who pays for realtor commission in North Carolina?
Real estate agents' commissions are technically the responsibility of their respective clients - buyers pay their agents, and sellers pay theirs. Each party signs a contract with their agent promising to pay. However, sellers usually offer to pay for the buyer's agent so they can more easily afford the home.
Who pays closing costs in North Carolina?
Sellers are usually responsible for most closing costs, but some closing expenses fall to the buyer. As a buyer, you'll be expected to pay for the mortgage loan origination fee and other lender-related fees, private mortgage insurance, the down payment, an appraisal fee, and a home inspection fee.
Learn more about who pays closing costs in North Carolina.
Resources for North Carolina home buyers
Preparing to buy in North Carolina
North Carolina home buying costs
Selling a house in the North Carolina real estate market
According to our detailed survey of North Carolina real estate agents, listing agents (those representing the seller) charge an average commission in North Carolina of 2.81%, which is the 16th lowest in the United States. Buyers' agents charge an average commission of 2.69%, which is the 10th lowest in the United States.
| Data point | Value | Rank | Compared to national avg |
| Median listing price | $419,450[10] | #26 of 50 states | 5.4% lower |
| Median sale price | $408,600[11] | #26 of 50 states | 6.6% lower |
| Median days on market | 66[12] | #35 of 50 states | 12.2% longer |
| Buyer's agent commission | 2.69%[13] | #10 of 50 states | 2.1% lower |
| Listing agent commission | 2.81%[14] | #16 of 50 states | 1.1% lower |
Resources for North Carolina home sellers
Preparing to sell in North Carolina
- Selling a House in North Carolina: 8 Simple Steps
- How Long Does It Take to Sell a House in North Carolina?
- When Is the Best Time to Sell a House in North Carolina?
- Top Real Estate Agents in North Carolina
North Carolina home selling costs and requirements
Moving to North Carolina
According to our recent moving trends survey[15], North Carolina is the 17th most desirable state to move to, with 10% of Americans indicating that they would choose to move there if money were no object. Likewise, 11% of survey respondents indicated that they would move to Charlotte among a choice of America's largest cities, and 7% indicated that they would move to Raleigh. Among medium-sized cities, 16% indicated that they would move to Winston, and 12% indicated that they would move to Greenville.
Here's how North Carolina cities rank in a number of our research studies.
| Study | Best North Carolina city | Rank |
| Best Pizza Cities[16] | Raleigh | 44th best |
| Best Coffee Cities[17] | Raleigh | 27th best |
| Best LGBTQ Cities[18] | Charlotte | 29th best |
| Best Bike Cities[19] | Raleigh | 13th best |
| Best Commuter Cities[20] | Raleigh | 3rd best |
Where to shop for homes in North Carolina
- The 10 Most Affordable Places to Live in North Carolina
- Best Real Estate Investments in North Carolina
Frequently asked questions
As of October 10, 2025, the median days on market (DOM) in North Carolina is 70. On average, it takes about 68 days to sell in North Carolina.
Home values have risen in North Carolina over the past year. The current median home value is $336,465 and it's projected to rise by 1.63% in the next year.
As of October 10, 2025, sellers in North Carolina are typically getting 98.86% of the list price for their homes.
Methodology
Information on market conditions is based on Zillow data as of August 2025, Realtor.com data as of September 2025, and HouseCanary data as of October 10, 2025, unless specified otherwise.
We gathered our commission rate data from a September 2025 survey of 828 of agents nationwide. The survey asked about standard local rates for both listing and buying agents. These data points are averages based on responses we’ve received from 36 agents in North Carolina.