A mixed-income housing project under construction in Durham. (Photo: Greg Childress)
Twenty-eight percent of the state’s homeowners and renters continue to be cost-burdened by their rents and mortgage payments, according to the North Carolina Housing Coalition’s 2025 County Profile that was released Thursday. The classification refers to families that spend more than 30% of income on housing.
The percentage of cost-burdened renters — 48% — remained the same as last year but the number of households grew to 615,581, which is 11,216 more than the 604,365 recorded the previous year. The percentage of cost-burdened homeowners remained at 19% but the number of families having difficulty affording their homes increased to 522,712, which is 8,857 more than the 513,855 reported a year ago.
The Housing Coalition reported that a $22.28 per hour “housing wage” is needed to afford the state’s Fair Market Rent (FMR) of $1,158 a month. An annual income of $46,340 is needed to afford the state’s FMR. By comparison, the average teacher salary is $50,200, the average salary for a childcare worker is $29,100 and the average firefighter salary is $35,650.
FMRs are U.S. Housing and Urban Development estimates of how much a housing unit should cost in a specific market based on rent and the cost of necessary utilities, excluding telephone service.
With rent for two-bedroom apartments at $1,872, Durham-Chapel Hill has supplanted Asheville as the state’s region with the highest FMRs, according to the 2025 report.
The Durham-Chapel Hill Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) was third among the state’s Top 5 in 2024 with FMR at $1,631 for two-bedroom apartments.
A year ago, the Asheville MSA — which encompasses Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson and Madison counties — topped the list with FMR at $1,680 for two-bedroom apartments. The western North Carolina region, ravaged by Hurricane Helene in September, did not make the group’s Top 5 this year.
The Durham-Chapel Hill MSA was followed by the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia MSA where FMRs rents for two-bedroom apartments were $1,824. The region includes Cabarrus, Gaston, Mecklenburg and Union counties.
The Raleigh-Cary MSA was third with FMRs for two-bedroom units at $1,763. Franklin, Johnston and Wake counties makeup the region. The Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News VA-NC MSA (Currituck County) was fourth at $1,696 and the Wilmington MSA (New Hanover County) MSA rounded the Top 5 with FMRs at $1,580.
The County Profiles also found that the cost of living in North Carolina continues to increase. In 2025, the lowest Housing Wage — the amount someone needed to afford a one- or two-bedroom apartment — was $17.88 an hour, which is 2.5 times the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.
“With the lowest housing wage being $17.88, this means no one earning minimum wage, working full time, at only one job, can afford a one- or two-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent,” the report noted.
In 12 counties, according to the report, the housing wage is more than $30, meaning people have to make more than $30 an hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent. There are 58 counties in the state where the housing wage is more than $20 an hour, including the 12 where its $30 or more.
Housing wages across the state are up to five times higher than the minimum wage, the Housing Coalition reported.
The 2025 County Profiles report also looked at foreclosures and evictions and found a mixed news. While 11,494 families faced foreclosure, which was 1,258 fewer than reported in last year, more families, faced an eviction filing in 2024. According to the report, 194,526 families — a big bump of 29,703 over the previous year total of 164,823 families — faced eviction in 2024.
When looking at the rate of eviction filings compare to the total number of renter households, Edgecombe County held on to its No. 1 ranking for evictions. Last year, 2,829 families in the county faced eviction.
Nash County held on to the No. 2 spot for evictions and Vance County replaced Mecklenburg County at the third spot.
The Housing Coalition compiled its County Profiles using data gathered from the following sources:
- The most recent 2019-2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates from the US Census Bureau.
- The most recent 2023 Occupational Employment Statistics data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- FY25 Fair Market Rents from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
- Civil Issue Filings/Order Results FY23-24 from the NC Judicial Branch.
- Hurricane Helene Designated Disaster Areas.