North Carolina

As rents climb, where are the most expensive, least expensive locations in NC?

Published

1 year ago

March 18, 2024

As rents climb, where are the most expensive, least expensive locations in NC?

In the past five years, Fair Market Rent for Asheville has skyrocketed. The estimated rent for a one-bedroom apartment has increased by 78% and has made the mountainous metropolitan area’s cost of housing as the highest in North Carolina.

Yet, Asheville is not the only North Carolina city facing steep rent increases, as well as the rapidly rising cost of homeownership. The Raleigh and Charlotte metros both saw increases of 54% in Fair Market Rent for a one-bedroom apartment, according to estimates from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Here’s a breakdown of where some of the most and least expensive areas to rent in North Carolina are.

Most expensive areas to live in? Metros and tourist towns.

Perhaps a no-brainer, North Carolina metros and tourist towns are the most expensive to live in. Asheville’s Metropolitan Statistical Area tops that list in every metric — meaning the area is estimated to be the most expensive from those looking for efficiency apartments to those looking to rent a four-bedroom house.

Yet, there are other areas which are just as expensive in certain metrics. Here are the most expensive metros North Carolina if you are looking for a two-bedroom apartment:

Asheville (Asheville, Henderson, Madison counties): $1,680 a month.
Raleigh (Franklin, Johnston, Wake counties): $1,646 a month.
Durham-Chapel Hill (Chatham, Durham, Orange counties): $1,631 a month.
Charlotte (Cabarrus, Gaston, Mecklenburg, Union counties): $1,554 a month.
Wilmington (New Hanover County): $1,515

Least expensive counties for families?

As for those looking for a place that is more affordable, you may have to look outside of population centers — in some cases, a fair distance away from one. Of North Carolina’s 100 counties, 26 of them have the lowest estimate of $856 a month for a two bedroom.

For North Carolina families, a few counties halve the cost of Asheville’s FMR for three-bedroom units. Here are the 10 least expensive counties for those looking to rent three-bedrooms in North Carolina:

Columbus County: $1,035
Washington County: $1,035
Alleghany County: $1,041
Surry County: $1,053
Mitchell County: $1,053
McDowell County: $1,059
Halifax County: $1,070
Sampson County: $1,074
Robeson County: $1,081
Warren County: $1,089

Families moving to a new city? What do zip codes say?

Especially if you are moving for a new job or looking to relocate to work at one of the several major UNC System universities, you are likely to wind up searching for housing in a metro area.

During that search, there is a high chance you may stumble across certain areas of major cities that are more expensive than others — you might even be able to tell a difference based on where you look.

A few of these areas include a major tourist beach town and an area just outside of Asheville that has some of Western North Carolina’s most expensive mountaintop mansions. According to HUD, the homes and apartments in the following areas are the most expensive to rent out in North Carolina:

28480, near Wrightsville Beach: $3,000
28075, near Harrisburg and just outside of Charlotte: $2,900
28203, or in Charlotte’s South End Neighborhood: $2,900
28803, or Biltmore Forest: $2,760
28202, or Downtown Charlotte: $2,730

What is ‘Fair Market Rent?’

All of this data was sourced from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development website estimates for FMR for 2024.

Fair Market Rent, or FMR, estimates are produced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and local public housing authorities. The number indicates how much it costs to rent a moderately-priced dwelling unit and determine payment standards for the Housing Choice Voucher program.

The number is calculated by taking the 40th percentile of gross rents for typical, non-substandard rental units occupied by recent movers, according to HUD. That means an area’s Fair Market Rent reflects that 40% of rental units cost as much or less than the estimated Fair Market Rent.

You can learn more about how Fair Market Rent is calculated at: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr.html.

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Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at WHofmann@citizentimes.com.

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North Carolina

One dead and 11 injured after 80 shots fired at North Carolina house party

Published

3 hours ago

June 1, 2025

Press Room

One dead and 11 injured after 80 shots fired at North Carolina house party

At least 80 shots were fired in a North Carolina neighborhood, killing one person and injuring 11 others, authorities said Sunday.

The shooting early Sunday took place in Hickory, the Catawba county sheriff’s office said. No arrests have been made, but authorities said there was more than one shooter.

The shooting took place at about 12:45am during a party in Hickory, the Catawba county sheriff’s office said.

One victim was in critical condition and 10 others were hospitalized in serious condition, the sheriff’s office said.

The North Carolina state bureau of investigation and the Hickory police department are investigating the shooting. The FBI is also assisting in the case. No arrests have been made and the total number of shots fired is not yet known.

The sheriff’s department has not released the victims’ names or ages.

Investigators said there were as many as 100 people attending a house party at a home on the street when one or more people discharged firearms, WSOC-TV reported.

Eyewitnesses told local reporters that many people attending the party were from nearby high schools and people began scattering, ducking for cover and running toward safety when shots erupted.

Major Aaron Turk with the sheriff’s office said at a news conference that the street was usually quiet.

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North Carolina

NC leaders announce changes to shorten DMV lines

Published

21 hours ago

May 31, 2025

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NC leaders announce changes to shorten DMV lines

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North Carolina leaders announced changes at the NC Division of Motor Vehicles during a press conference on Friday.

Gov. Josh Stein, Secretary of Transportation Joey Hopkins, and NCDMV Commissioner Paul Tine spoke at the Raleigh East Drivers License Office to address long waits and difficulty booking appointments at the DMV, WRAL News reported.

Hopkins said the newly elected Tine brings a “wealth of experience” to help with the work the state plans to do.

READ: NC leaders want changes to cut long DMV lines

Tine said he planned to improve career benefits for examiners, update the DMV website and social media, reorganize the internal department, and reopen 20 locations to walk-ins on Saturdays.

“We have new core principles to promote problem-solving: service, efficiency, agility and accountability,” Tine said.

Twenty locations will be open to walk-ins from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays starting on May 31, WRAL News reported.

The following locations will be open to walk-ins on Saturdays:

Asheville, 1624 Patton Ave.
Charlotte North, 9711 David Taylor Dr.
Charlotte South, 201 W. Arrowood Rd., Suite H
Clayton, 1665 Old U.S. Hwy. 70 W. (Shotwell Station)
Durham, 101 S. Miami Blvd.
Elizabeth City, 1164 U.S. Hwy. 17 S.
Fayetteville, 831 Elm St. (Eutaw Village)
Graham, 111 E. Crescent Square
Greensboro, 2391 Coliseum Blvd.
Greenville, 4651 N. Creek Dr.
Huntersville, 12101 Mount Holly-Huntersville Rd.
Jacksonville, 299 Wilmington Hwy.
Kernersville, 810-A N. Main St.
Monroe, 3122 U.S. Hwy. 74 W.
Raleigh East, 4121 New Bern Ave. (Wilder’s Grove)
Raleigh West, 3231 Avent Ferry Rd.
Salisbury, US 29 S, 5780 South Main St.
Wilmington, 2390 Carolina Beach Rd., Suite 104 (South Square Plaza)
Winston-Salem, 2001 Silas Creek Pkwy

The DMV is also now offering several online services. Residents can now renew driver’s licenses and ID cards, order duplicate licenses and ID cards, change their address, and apply for voter registration online.

WATCH: NC leaders want changes to cut long DMV lines

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North Carolina

NC Made: Schiemann Guitars handcrafts custom pieces of history

Published

2 days ago

May 31, 2025

Press Room

NC Made: Schiemann Guitars handcrafts custom pieces of history

FUQUAY-VARINA, N.C. (WTVD) — Tucked away in his small two-car garage turned workshop, you can hear the hum of the saw, dust wafting into the air, and then the twang of a guitar string.

About four years ago, Matt Schiemann realized his talent wasn’t exactly in playing guitars but making them.

“I still enjoy playing guitar, but it was clear that wasn’t going to be the thing I was really going to be doing. So I started tinkering with things, and one thing led to another, where I just started building my own,” said Schiemann.

He made about 100 completely customized guitars and shipped them all over the world.

“This one I’m working on for a father as a commemoration for his daughter who loved butterflies,” Schiemann said.

Each design is unique to its owner, and some even pay homage to North Carolina’s history.

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“This wood came from a combination of two different barns here in Fuquay. One came from a little area called Kipling, and the other one came from just up the road in Fuquay,” he said.

The knots and original nail holes in the wood were gathered from tobacco barns within a few miles of Schiemann’s home.

“Our area in Fuquay is really starting to develop a lot, so all the farms that are there that had barns on them have been bought by developers. So they go in and tear everything down. I’m trying to save a little bit of the history that we have around here,” Matt said.

As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

“It’s pretty amazing to see this thing you’ve taken from start to finish. It’s almost like this barn that has a retirement as a musician now. It’s giving it a second life,” Schiemann said.

For more information about Matt and Schiemann guitars, visit here.

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