Onslow County, North Carolina Housing Market Prices
Onslow 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 18% above the North Carolina median More expensive than 83% of counties in North Carolina$327,237
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Median rent 3% above the North Carolina median More expensive than 90% of counties in North Carolina$1,265
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Onslow County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $327,237 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 10.5% | 9.3% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,265 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.7% | 5.3% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Onslow County is about 18% higher than in North Carolina. Rent is about 3% higher 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 Onslow County, up about 10.5% and 3.7% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Onslow County rose about 34.1% between 2015 and 2024, from $943 to $1,265. Over the same span, rent in North Carolina rose about 54.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 4.8 yearly household incomes in Onslow County.
Buying the median-priced home in Onslow County costs roughly 21.6 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Onslow County. The price-to-rent ratio in North Carolina is about 18.9.
| Metric | Onslow County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $327,237 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $68,395 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 4.8 | 3.8 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Onslow County rose about 102.8%, while median household income rose about 53.7% 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 | Onslow County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 54.9% | 58.3% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 31.2% | 29.2% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 13.8% | 12.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 11.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2015 | 2011 | 2011 |
Onslow County has a homeownership rate of 54.9%, lower than the North Carolina average of 58.3%. Its housing vacancy rate is 13.8%, compared with 12.5% in North Carolina.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Onslow County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.48 people | 2.44 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1995 | 1989 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Onslow County was built around 1995. On average, 2.5 people live in a home with about 5.6 rooms, staying for about 11.0 years on average.
Onslow County, NC Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Onslow County, NC is the largest of the 5 counties compared here, 207,702 residents against a local median of 60,206. Where Onslow County, NC breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 173% above the local median of $119,677 at $327,237.
Median rent tells the same story from another angle: $1,265 against a local median of $985, 28% above it. The counties themselves spread $133,442 on median home price, so Onslow County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Onslow County, NC has the highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onslow County, NC | 207,702 | $327,237 #1/5 | $1,265 #1/5 | 63.7% #4/5 |
| Pender County, NC | 65,530 | $211,539 | $1,106 | 82.7% |
| Craven County, NC | 102,613 | $78,096 | $1,110 | 68.4% |
| Duplin County, NC | 49,292 | $96,951 | $864 | 70.3% |
| Lenoir County, NC | 54,882 | $142,404 | $860 | 59.2% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Onslow County, North Carolina.
What is the median home price in Onslow County, North Carolina?
The median home price in Onslow County, North Carolina is $327,237, higher than the North Carolina average of $278,288.
What is the average home price in Onslow County, North Carolina?
The typical home price in Onslow County, North Carolina, reported as the median sale price, is $327,237. 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 Onslow County, North Carolina?
The median gross rent in Onslow County, North Carolina is $1,265 per month, higher than the North Carolina average of $1,227.
What was the median gross rent in Onslow County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Onslow County, North Carolina was $1,029 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Onslow County, North Carolina?
The price-to-rent ratio in Onslow County, North Carolina is about 21.6, meaning it would take roughly 21.6 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Onslow County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Onslow County, North Carolina?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Onslow County, up about 10.5% and 3.7% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Onslow County, North Carolina?
54.9% of households in Onslow County, North Carolina own their home, lower than the North Carolina average of 58.3%.
What is the vacancy rate in Onslow County, North Carolina?
The housing vacancy rate in Onslow County, North Carolina is 13.8%, higher than the North Carolina average of 12.5%.
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