Catawba County, North Carolina Housing Market Prices
Catawba County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 19% below the North Carolina median$224,804
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Median rent 21% below the North Carolina median$965
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Catawba County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $224,804 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 14.5% | 9.3% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $965 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 4.5% | 5.3% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Catawba County is about 19% lower than in North Carolina. Rent is about 21% lower than the North Carolina average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Catawba County, up about 14.5% and 4.5% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Catawba County rose about 43.6% between 2015 and 2024, from $672 to $965. Over the same span, rent in North Carolina rose about 54.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 3.3 yearly household incomes in Catawba County.
Buying the median-priced home in Catawba County costs roughly 19.4 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Catawba County. The price-to-rent ratio in North Carolina is about 18.9.
| Metric | Catawba County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $224,804 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $67,947 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 3.3 | 3.8 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Catawba County rose about 94.1%, while median household income rose about 50.5% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Catawba County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 65.4% | 58.3% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 25.2% | 29.2% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 9.4% | 12.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 16.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2010 | 2011 | 2011 |
Catawba County has a homeownership rate of 65.4%, higher than the North Carolina average of 58.3%. Its housing vacancy rate is 9.4%, compared with 12.5% in North Carolina.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Catawba County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.43 people | 2.44 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1985 | 1989 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Catawba County was built around 1985. On average, 2.4 people live in a home with about 5.6 rooms, staying for about 16.0 years on average.
Catawba County, NC Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Catawba County, NC is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 163,556 residents against a local median of 92,729. Nothing separates Catawba County, NC sharply from the counties around it. Each measure below lands within 15% of the local median, close enough that the differences are within what survey sampling alone would produce.
The largest of those small differences is median home price, 7% above the local median at $224,804 against $210,260. Catawba County, NC has the 3rd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catawba County, NC | 163,556 | $224,804 #3/6 | $965 #4/6 | 72.2% #4/6 |
| Lincoln County, NC | 92,729 | $165,739 | $1,015 | 78.9% |
| Alexander County, NC | 36,412 | $270,833 | $764 | 80.7% |
| Gaston County, NC | 234,809 | $208,491 | $1,152 | 66.9% |
| Iredell County, NC | 196,543 | $210,260 | $1,252 | 71.9% |
| Caldwell County, NC | 80,517 | $269,620 | $743 | 73.5% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Catawba County, North Carolina.
What is the median home price in Catawba County, North Carolina?
The median home price in Catawba County, North Carolina is $224,804, lower than the North Carolina average of $278,288.
What is the average home price in Catawba County, North Carolina?
The typical home price in Catawba County, North Carolina, reported as the median sale price, is $224,804. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Catawba County, North Carolina?
The median gross rent in Catawba County, North Carolina is $965 per month, lower than the North Carolina average of $1,227.
What was the median gross rent in Catawba County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Catawba County, North Carolina was $754 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Catawba County, North Carolina?
The price-to-rent ratio in Catawba County, North Carolina is about 19.4, meaning it would take roughly 19.4 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Catawba County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Catawba County, North Carolina?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Catawba County, up about 14.5% and 4.5% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Catawba County, North Carolina?
65.4% of households in Catawba County, North Carolina own their home, higher than the North Carolina average of 58.3%.
What is the vacancy rate in Catawba County, North Carolina?
The housing vacancy rate in Catawba County, North Carolina is 9.4%, lower than the North Carolina average of 12.5%.
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