Washington County, North Carolina Housing Market Prices
Washington 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.
-
Median home price 60% below the North Carolina median Cheaper than 79% of counties in North Carolina$112,321
-
Median rent 40% below the North Carolina median Cheaper than 92% of counties in North Carolina$742
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Washington County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $112,321 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | -1.4% | 9.3% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $742 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 1.5% | 5.3% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Washington County is about 60% lower than in North Carolina. Rent is about 40% 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 Washington County: home prices fell about 1.4% a year while rent rose about 1.5% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
Median rent in Washington County rose about 17.0% between 2015 and 2024, from $634 to $742. Over the same span, rent in North Carolina rose about 54.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 2.6 yearly household incomes in Washington County.
Buying the median-priced home in Washington County costs roughly 12.6 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 Washington County. The price-to-rent ratio in North Carolina is about 18.9.
| Metric | Washington County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $112,321 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $43,154 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 2.6 | 3.8 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Washington County fell about 19.9%, while median household income rose about 18.5% 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 | Washington County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 53.4% | 58.3% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 25.1% | 29.2% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 21.5% | 12.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 21.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2005 | 2011 | 2011 |
Washington County has a homeownership rate of 53.4%, lower than the North Carolina average of 58.3%. Its housing vacancy rate is 21.5%, compared with 12.5% in North Carolina.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Washington County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.25 people | 2.44 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1978 | 1989 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Washington County was built around 1978. On average, 2.2 people live in a home with about 5.6 rooms, staying for about 21.0 years on average.
Washington County, NC Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Washington County, NC is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 10,812 residents against a local median of 13,836. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Washington County, NC an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is median home price, 14% above the local median at $112,321 against $98,928. Washington County, NC has the 3rd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, NC | 10,812 | $112,321 #3/6 | $742 #4/6 | 68.0% #6/6 |
| Chowan County, NC | 13,836 | $445,528 | $681 | 70.5% |
| Perquimans County, NC | 13,244 | $431,928 | $1,008 | 76.5% |
| Tyrrell County, NC | 3,423 | $98,928 | $643 | 77.8% |
| Beaufort County, NC | 44,493 | $92,916 | $870 | 69.5% |
| Bertie County, NC | 17,166 | $92,000 | $838 | 72.7% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Washington County, North Carolina.
What is the median home price in Washington County, North Carolina?
The median home price in Washington County, North Carolina is $112,321, lower than the North Carolina average of $278,288.
What is the average home price in Washington County, North Carolina?
The typical home price in Washington County, North Carolina, reported as the median sale price, is $112,321. 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 Washington County, North Carolina?
The median gross rent in Washington County, North Carolina is $742 per month, lower than the North Carolina average of $1,227.
What was the median gross rent in Washington County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Washington County, North Carolina was $621 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Washington County, North Carolina?
The price-to-rent ratio in Washington County, North Carolina is about 12.6, meaning it would take roughly 12.6 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 Washington County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Washington County, North Carolina?
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Washington County: home prices fell about 1.4% a year while rent rose about 1.5% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
What is the homeownership rate in Washington County, North Carolina?
53.4% of households in Washington County, North Carolina own their home, lower than the North Carolina average of 58.3%.
What is the vacancy rate in Washington County, North Carolina?
The housing vacancy rate in Washington County, North Carolina is 21.5%, higher than the North Carolina average of 12.5%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →