Columbus County, North Carolina Housing Market Prices
Columbus 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 71% below the North Carolina median Cheaper than 92% of counties in North Carolina$81,071
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Median rent 33% below the North Carolina median$824
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Columbus County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $81,071 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | -1.8% | 9.3% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $824 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 4.2% | 5.3% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Columbus County is about 71% lower than in North Carolina. Rent is about 33% lower than the North Carolina average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Columbus County: home prices fell about 1.8% a year while rent rose about 4.2% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
Median rent in Columbus County rose about 38.4% between 2015 and 2024, from $595 to $824. Over the same span, rent in North Carolina rose about 54.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 1.6 yearly household incomes in Columbus County.
Buying the median-priced home in Columbus County costs roughly 8.2 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 Columbus County. The price-to-rent ratio in North Carolina is about 18.9.
| Metric | Columbus County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $81,071 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $49,633 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 1.6 | 3.8 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Columbus County fell about 30.0%, while median household income rose about 40.6% 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 | Columbus County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 60.5% | 58.3% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 24.6% | 29.2% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 14.9% | 12.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 20.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2006 | 2011 | 2011 |
Columbus County has a homeownership rate of 60.5%, higher than the North Carolina average of 58.3%. Its housing vacancy rate is 14.9%, compared with 12.5% in North Carolina.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Columbus County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.39 people | 2.44 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1986 | 1989 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.7 | 5.6 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Columbus County was built around 1986. On average, 2.4 people live in a home with about 5.7 rooms, staying for about 20.0 years on average.
Columbus County, NC Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Columbus County, NC is the 4th largest of the 5 counties compared here, 50,166 residents against a local median of 134,704. Columbus County, NC's median home price, at $81,071, runs 59% below the $196,189 typical of the counties around it.
Median rent tells the same story from another angle: $824 against a local median of $1,030, 20% below it. The counties themselves spread $191,479 on median home price, so Columbus County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Columbus County, NC has the 5th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus County, NC | 50,166 | $81,071 #5/5 | $824 #3/5 | 71.1% #3/5 |
| Horry County, SC | 382,931 | $259,566 | $1,255 | 77.3% |
| Brunswick County, NC | 152,554 | $286,445 | $1,351 | 84.6% |
| Robeson County, NC | 116,854 | $94,967 | $805 | 65.8% |
| Marion County, SC | 28,664 | $132,812 | $668 | 62.6% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Columbus County, North Carolina.
What is the median home price in Columbus County, North Carolina?
The median home price in Columbus County, North Carolina is $81,071, lower than the North Carolina average of $278,288.
What is the average home price in Columbus County, North Carolina?
The typical home price in Columbus County, North Carolina, reported as the median sale price, is $81,071. 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 Columbus County, North Carolina?
The median gross rent in Columbus County, North Carolina is $824 per month, lower than the North Carolina average of $1,227.
What was the median gross rent in Columbus County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Columbus County, North Carolina was $642 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Columbus County, North Carolina?
The price-to-rent ratio in Columbus County, North Carolina is about 8.2, meaning it would take roughly 8.2 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 Columbus County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Columbus County, North Carolina?
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Columbus County: home prices fell about 1.8% a year while rent rose about 4.2% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
What is the homeownership rate in Columbus County, North Carolina?
60.5% of households in Columbus County, North Carolina own their home, higher than the North Carolina average of 58.3%.
What is the vacancy rate in Columbus County, North Carolina?
The housing vacancy rate in Columbus County, North Carolina is 14.9%, higher than the North Carolina average of 12.5%.
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