Cleveland County, North Carolina Housing Market Prices
Cleveland 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 62% below the North Carolina median Cheaper than 82% of counties in North Carolina$104,677
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Median rent 26% below the North Carolina median$913
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Cleveland County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $104,677 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 1.7% | 9.3% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $913 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 4.2% | 5.3% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Cleveland County is about 62% lower than in North Carolina. Rent is about 26% 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 Cleveland County, up about 1.7% and 4.2% a year respectively. Rent is changing faster.
Median rent in Cleveland County rose about 36.9% between 2015 and 2024, from $667 to $913. Over the same span, rent in North Carolina rose about 54.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 1.8 yearly household incomes in Cleveland County.
Buying the median-priced home in Cleveland County costs roughly 9.5 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Cleveland County. The price-to-rent ratio in North Carolina is about 18.9.
| Metric | Cleveland County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $104,677 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $58,567 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 1.8 | 3.8 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Cleveland County rose about 19.3%, while median household income rose about 40.4% between 2009 and 2025 — income grew faster than the home price.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Cleveland County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 62.2% | 58.3% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 25.5% | 29.2% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 12.3% | 12.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 18.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2008 | 2011 | 2011 |
Cleveland County has a homeownership rate of 62.2%, higher than the North Carolina average of 58.3%. Its housing vacancy rate is 12.3%, compared with 12.5% in North Carolina.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Cleveland County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.55 people | 2.44 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1980 | 1989 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.7 | 5.6 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Cleveland County was built around 1980. On average, 2.6 people live in a home with about 5.7 rooms, staying for about 18.0 years on average.
Cleveland County, NC Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Cleveland County, NC is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 100,962 residents against a local median of 87,684. Cleveland County, NC's median home price, at $104,677, runs 50% below the $208,491 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $349,105 on median home price, so Cleveland County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Cleveland County, NC has the 5th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland County, NC | 100,962 | $104,677 #5/6 | $913 #3/6 | 70.9% #5/6 |
| Cherokee County, SC | 56,649 | $429,025 | $868 | 73.8% |
| Lincoln County, NC | 92,729 | $165,739 | $1,015 | 78.9% |
| Rutherford County, NC | 64,922 | $290,943 | $783 | 73.9% |
| Gaston County, NC | 234,809 | $208,491 | $1,152 | 66.9% |
| Burke County, NC | 87,684 | $79,920 | $883 | 74.5% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Cleveland County, North Carolina.
What is the median home price in Cleveland County, North Carolina?
The median home price in Cleveland County, North Carolina is $104,677, lower than the North Carolina average of $278,288.
What is the average home price in Cleveland County, North Carolina?
The typical home price in Cleveland County, North Carolina, reported as the median sale price, is $104,677. 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 Cleveland County, North Carolina?
The median gross rent in Cleveland County, North Carolina is $913 per month, lower than the North Carolina average of $1,227.
What was the median gross rent in Cleveland County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Cleveland County, North Carolina was $693 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Cleveland County, North Carolina?
The price-to-rent ratio in Cleveland County, North Carolina is about 9.5, meaning it would take roughly 9.5 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Cleveland County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Cleveland County, North Carolina?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Cleveland County, up about 1.7% and 4.2% a year respectively. Rent is changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Cleveland County, North Carolina?
62.2% of households in Cleveland County, North Carolina own their home, higher than the North Carolina average of 58.3%.
What is the vacancy rate in Cleveland County, North Carolina?
The housing vacancy rate in Cleveland County, North Carolina is 12.3%, lower than the North Carolina average of 12.5%.
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