The 28379 zip code in Rockingham tops our ranking of the most affordable places to live in North Carolina.
We looked at 299 zip codes in the state, evaluating home values, rental costs, energy rates, property taxes, and five other affordability indicators. We used the data we gathered to calculate our proprietary Affordability Score for each zip code.
Top 10 most affordable places to live in North Carolina
| Rank | City | Affordability Score | Median home value | Rental costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rockingham 🥇 | 100.0 | $125,481 | $1,702 |
| 2 | Mount Olive 🥈 | 99.8 | $121,264 | $1,702 |
| 3 | Henderson 🥉 | 99.6 | $117,660 | $888 |
| 4 | Ahoskie | 99.4 | $101,149 | $1,702 |
| 5 | Roanoke Rapids | 99.1 | $108,405 | $1,702 |
| 6 | Rocky Mount | 98.9 | $121,238 | $928 |
| 7 | Goldsboro | 98.8 | $168,697 | $1,336 |
| 8 | Hamlet | 98.3 | $112,766 | $1,702 |
| 9 | Eden | 97.8 | $140,950 | $1,702 |
| 10 | Gibsonville | 96.6 | $271,403 | $1,313 |
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1. Rockingham
Here's why the 28379 zip code in Rockingham is North Carolina's most affordable place to live.
🔎 Key data about Rockingham
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 299 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 100.0 | No. 1 | N/A |
| Median home value | $125,481[1] | No. 11 | -$226,657.26 |
| Home affordability ratio | 2.8 | No. 7 | -2.1 |
| Home value five-year change | 40.7%[2] | No. 10 | -17.1% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -0.2%[3] | No. 4 | -2.1% |
| Rental costs | $1,702[4] | No. 107 | $0 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.36% | No. 90 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | $45,298[5] | No. 272 | -$26,719 |
| Property taxes | $1,179[6] | No. 42 | -$966 |
| Energy costs | $0.12 kWh[7] | No. 193 | $0.01 |
Rockingham's 28379 zip code is the cheapest place to live in North Carolina, leading the 299 markets we evaluated.
The median home value is $125,481, making it the 11th-cheapest housing market in the state. Forecasts project a -0.2% change in home values in the next year. Rent in the zip code averages $1,702 per month, which is the 90th cheapest amount in North Carolina.
The median property tax for homeowners in Rockingham is $1,179 per household, the No. 42 ranked market in North Carolina.
Residents pay $0.12 per kWh of electricity, which ranks No. 193 among North Carolina markets.
2. Mount Olive
The 28365 zip code is the 2nd-cheapest place to live in North Carolina.
🔎 Key data about Mount Olive
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 299 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 99.8 | No. 2 | N/A |
| Median home value | $121,264[8] | No. 10 | -$230,873.73 |
| Home affordability ratio | 2.505152263 | No. 4 | -2.4 |
| Home value five-year change | 0.1856304067[9] | No. 1 | -39.2% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 1.922546935%[10] | No. 145 | 0.0% |
| Rental costs | $1,702[11] | No. 107 | $0 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.36% | No. 90 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | 48406[12] | No. 259 | -$23,611 |
| Property taxes | $1,030[13] | No. 20 | -$1,115 |
| Energy costs | 0.1217795165 kWh[14] | No. 193 | $0.01 |
Mount Olive's 28365 zip code has a median home value of $121,264, which is the 145th-cheapest housing market in North Carolina. You can rent for an average of $1,702 per month. That's the 107th-cheapest price in the state.
The average household income in the zip code is 48406, which ranks 259th-highest in the state.
Homeowners in Mount Olive pay a median property tax of $1,030 per year, making it the 20th-most affordable market in North Carolina.
Mount Olive ranks No. 193 among North Carolina energy markets. You'll pay 0.1217795165 per kWh of electricity.
3. Henderson
The 3rd-cheapest place to live in North Carolina is Henderson's 27536 zip code.
🔎 Key data about Henderson
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 299 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 99.6 | No. 3 | N/A |
| Median home value | $117,660[15] | No. 7 | -$234,478.58 |
| Home affordability ratio | 3.014747041 | No. 10 | -1.9 |
| Home value five-year change | 0.5834879895[16] | No. 155 | 0.6% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 1.8%[17] | No. 140 | -0.1% |
| Rental costs | $888[18] | No. 1 | -$814 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.27% | No. 81 | -0.1% |
| Median household income | 39028[19] | No. 290 | -$32,989 |
| Property taxes | $1,286[20] | No. 69 | -$859 |
| Energy costs | 0.1217795165 kWh[21] | No. 193 | $0.01 |
The No. 7 cheapest housing market in North Carolina is Henderson's 27536 zip code, with a median home value of $117,660. Rents in the market average $888 per month, making it the 1st-most affordable rental market in the state.
The median property tax for households in Henderson is $1,286, which makes it the 69th-cheapest place in North Carolina. Henderson ranks No. 193 among North Carolina markets by energy costs. Residents pay 0.1217795165 per kWh of electricity.
4. Ahoskie
The 27910 zip code in Ahoskie comes in at No. 4 on our list of the cheapest places to live in North Carolina.
🔎 Key data about Ahoskie
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 299 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 99.4 | No. 4 | N/A |
| Median home value | $101,149[22] | No. 3 | -$250,989.58 |
| Home affordability ratio | 2.360581446 | No. 1 | -2.5 |
| Home value five-year change | 0.3403317985[23] | No. 3 | -23.8% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 1.922546935%[24] | No. 145 | 0.0% |
| Rental costs | $1,702[25] | No. 107 | $0 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.36% | No. 90 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | 42849[26] | No. 284 | -$29,168 |
| Property taxes | $1,143[27] | No. 34 | -$1,002 |
| Energy costs | 0.116512575 kWh[28] | No. 179 | $0.00 |
The No. 3 cheapest housing market in North Carolina is Ahoskie's 27910 zip code, where the median home value is $101,149. Renters here pay an average of $1,702 per month.
When it comes to energy costs, Ahoskie ranks 179th among North Carolina markets. Residents pay 0.116512575 per kWh of electricity.
The median property tax for households in the zip code is $1,143, which makes it the 34th-cheapest market in North Carolina.
5. Roanoke Rapids
The 27870 zip code in Roanoke Rapids ranks No. 5 among North Carolina's most affordable places to live.
🔎 Key data about Roanoke Rapids
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 299 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 99.1 | No. 5 | N/A |
| Median home value | $108,405[29] | No. 4 | -$243,733.24 |
| Home affordability ratio | 2.440672189 | No. 2 | -2.4 |
| Home value five-year change | 0.5122517168[30] | No. 55 | -6.6% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -0.2%[31] | No. 4 | -2.1% |
| Rental costs | $1,702[32] | No. 107 | $0 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.36% | No. 90 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | 44416[33] | No. 279 | -$27,601 |
| Property taxes | $1,460[34] | No. 113 | -$685 |
| Energy costs | 0.1191460458 kWh[35] | No. 185 | $0.01 |
Roanoke Rapids's 27870 zip code has a median home value of $108,405, the 4th-cheapest market in the state. Forecasts project a -0.2% change in home values in the next year.
The median property tax per household in Roanoke Rapids is $1,460. It's the 113th-cheapest market by tax rate in North Carolina.
6. Rocky Mount
The No. 6 most affordable place to live in North Carolina is the 27801 zip code.
🔎 Key data about Rocky Mount
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 299 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 98.9 | No. 6 | N/A |
| Median home value | $121,238[36] | No. 9 | -$230,899.85 |
| Home affordability ratio | 2.853471096 | No. 8 | -2.0 |
| Home value five-year change | 0.9692408448[37] | No. 299 | 39.1% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 3.2%[38] | No. 280 | 1.3% |
| Rental costs | $928[39] | No. 2 | -$774 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.18% | No. 66 | -0.2% |
| Median household income | 42488[40] | No. 286 | -$29,529 |
| Property taxes | $1,332[41] | No. 81 | -$813 |
| Energy costs | 0.1191460458 kWh[42] | No. 185 | $0.01 |
The back half of our top 10 kicks off with Rocky Mount's 27801 zip code, which has the 9th-cheapest home values in North Carolina. The median home value is $121,238. Rents average $928 per month, making it the 2nd-most affordable rental market in the state.
Residents pay 0.1191460458 per kWh of electricity. It's the 185th-cheapest energy market.
7. Goldsboro
Goldsboro's 27530 zip code is the 7th-cheapest place to live in North Carolina.
🔎 Key data about Goldsboro
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 299 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 98.8 | No. 7 | N/A |
| Median home value | $168,697[43] | No. 23 | -$183,440.82 |
| Home affordability ratio | 3.215364389 | No. 16 | -1.7 |
| Home value five-year change | 0.4066203366[44] | No. 9 | -17.1% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -0.3%[45] | No. 1 | -2.2% |
| Rental costs | $1,336[46] | No. 23 | -$366 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.55% | No. 215 | 0.2% |
| Median household income | 52466[47] | No. 231 | -$19,551 |
| Property taxes | $1,310[48] | No. 74 | -$835 |
| Energy costs | 0.1217795165 kWh[49] | No. 193 | $0.01 |
You'll find the 23rd-cheapest home values in North Carolina in Goldsboro's 27530 zip code. The median value: $168,697. Renters in Goldsboro pay an average of $1,336 per month.
Homeowners in Goldsboro pay a median property tax of $1,310 per year, which is North Carolina's 74th-most affordable market.
The average household income is 52466, which ranks 231st-highest in the state.
8. Hamlet
The 8th-cheapest place to live in North Carolina is Hamlet's 28345 zip code.
🔎 Key data about Hamlet
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 299 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 98.3 | No. 8 | N/A |
| Median home value | $112,766[50] | No. 6 | -$239,371.94 |
| Home affordability ratio | 3.088892225 | No. 13 | -1.8 |
| Home value five-year change | 0.4139371682[51] | No. 12 | -16.4% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -0.2%[52] | No. 4 | -2.1% |
| Rental costs | $1,702[53] | No. 107 | $0 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.36% | No. 90 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | 36507[54] | No. 293 | -$35,510 |
| Property taxes | $1,022[55] | No. 19 | -$1,123 |
| Energy costs | 0.1217795165 kWh[56] | No. 193 | $0.01 |
The 6th-cheapest housing market in North Carolina is Hamlet's 28345 zip code, with a median home value of $112,766. Renters pay an average of $1,702 per month, the No. 107 rental market in the state.
The median property tax for households in Hamlet is $1,022, which makes it the 19th-cheapest place in North Carolina. The average household income of 36507 ranks 293rd.
9. Eden
Eden's 27288 zip code sneaks into the top ten of North Carolina's most affordable places to live.
🔎 Key data about Eden
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 299 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 97.8 | No. 9 | N/A |
| Median home value | $140,950[57] | No. 17 | -$211,188.51 |
| Home affordability ratio | 2.863723719 | No. 9 | -2.0 |
| Home value five-year change | 0.4011724501[58] | No. 7 | -17.7% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 1.7%[59] | No. 135 | -0.2% |
| Rental costs | $1,702[60] | No. 107 | $0 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.36% | No. 90 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | 49219[61] | No. 253 | -$22,798 |
| Property taxes | $1,125[62] | No. 31 | -$1,020 |
| Energy costs | 0.104417067 kWh[63] | No. 1 | -$0.01 |
The 17th-cheapest housing market in North Carolina is Eden's 27288 zip code, where the median home value is $140,950. Renters pay an average of $1,702 per month. It's the state's 107th-cheapest rental market.
The median property tax for households within the zip code is $1,125, which makes it the 31st-cheapest property tax rate in North Carolina.
10. Gibsonville
The final spot on our list of the most affordable places to live in North Carolina goes to the 27249 zip code in Gibsonville.
🔎 Key data about Gibsonville
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 299 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 96.6 | No. 10 | N/A |
| Median home value | $271,403[64] | No. 116 | -$80,735.42 |
| Home affordability ratio | 3.517720799 | No. 26 | -1.4 |
| Home value five-year change | 0.5240660752[65] | No. 75 | -5.4% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 1.6%[66] | No. 113 | -0.3% |
| Rental costs | $1,313[67] | No. 18 | -$389 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.70% | No. 29 | -0.7% |
| Median household income | 77153[68] | No. 88 | $5,136 |
| Property taxes | $1,463[69] | No. 115 | -$682 |
| Energy costs | 0.104417067 kWh[70] | No. 1 | -$0.01 |
The 116th-most affordable market in North Carolina is Gibsonville's 27249 zip code. The median home value is $271,403. Rent in the market costs $1,313 per month on average, making it the 18th-most affordable rental market in North Carolina.
The median property tax for households in Gibsonville is $1,463, which is the 115th-cheapest property tax rate in the state.
Gibsonville ranks No. 1 among North Carolina markets by energy costs, with households paying 0.104417067 per kWh of electricity.
How we ranked the most affordable places in North Carolina
We evaluated 299 zip codes in North Carolina with a population over 10,000 on nine metrics. We then assigned each market an Affordability Score based on its weighted and combined rankings.
Our proprietary Affordability Score is a score on a scale of 0 (worst in state) to 100 (best in state) that estimates the affordability of a particular zip code. It takes into account these key data points for each zip code.
- Median home value: The median home value for each zip code comes from the Zillow Home Value Index. The lower the median home value relative to the median value in North Carolina, the higher our score on this component. We assign a weight of 23.8% to median home value.
- Home affordability ratio. The home affordability ratio is the typical median home value divided by the median household income in the zip code, which reveals the number of years of household income needed to afford a home in that zip code. A lower ratio is better because it means more households can afford a home. The data comes from the Zillow Observed Rent Index and the U.S. Census American Community Survey. We assign a weight of 23.8% to the home affordability ratio.
- Home value five-year change: The home value five-year change is the amount that the median home value in the zip code has risen or fallen during the last five years. Our data comes from the Zillow Home Value Index. We assign a weight of 4.8% to the home value five-year change.
- Home value one-year forecast: The home value one-year forecast comes from Zillow Forecast data. It projects how much home values in the zip code are forecasted to change in the next year. We assign a weight of 4.8% to the home value one-year forecast.
- Rental costs. The rental costs are the observed rents in the zip code, sourced from the Zillow Observed Rent Index. The index includes "listed rents that fall into the 40th to 60th percentile range for all homes and apartments in a given region." We assign a weight of 11.9% to rental costs.
- Median household income: The inflation-adjusted median household income figures for the zip code comes from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. We assign a weight of 4.8% to median household income.
- Rent affordability ratio. The rent affordability ratio is the ratio of rental costs divided by median household income, which provides the percentage of household income needed to pay a typical month’s rent in the zip code. The data comes from the Zillow Observed Rent Index and the U.S. Census American Community Survey. We assign a weight of 11.9% to the rent affordability ratio.
- Property taxes: The property tax figures are the median real estate taxes paid in the zip code, sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. The lower the property tax rate relative to the North Carolina average, the higher our score on this component. We assign a weight of 7.1% to property taxes.
- Energy costs: The energy costs are the costs of a kilowatt hour (kWh) of residential electricity in the zip code, sourced from the U.S. Department of Energy. The lower the cost of electricity relative to the North Carolina average, the higher our score on this component. We assign a weight of 7.1% to energy costs.
✍️ Editor’s note: Our Affordability Score identifies the most affordable places in a state by zip code. Often the zip code we identify will represent an entire city or portion of a city.
Occasionally the zip code we identify will encompass an area that includes one or more small towns. In these cases, the data we’ve gathered applies to the entire zip code, not just the single town we’re using to help identify the zip code's location.
If you’re looking to move to one of these affordable places, we recommend doing additional research to make sure the costs in the area — and the quality of life it offers — meet your specific needs.
