Wayne County, North Carolina Housing Market Prices
Wayne 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 88% below the North Carolina median Among the top 5 cheapest counties in North Carolina$34,399
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Median rent 21% below the North Carolina median$964
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Wayne County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $34,399 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | -4.4% | 9.3% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $964 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.6% | 5.3% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Wayne County is about 88% 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
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Wayne County: home prices fell about 4.4% a year while rent rose about 3.6% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
Median rent in Wayne County rose about 34.8% between 2015 and 2024, from $716 to $964. Over the same span, rent in North Carolina rose about 54.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 0.6 yearly household incomes in Wayne County.
Buying the median-priced home in Wayne County costs roughly 3.0 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 Wayne County. The price-to-rent ratio in North Carolina is about 18.9.
| Metric | Wayne County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $34,399 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $59,780 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 0.6 | 3.8 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Wayne County fell about 54.8%, while median household income rose about 38.2% 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 | Wayne County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 54.6% | 58.3% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 34.2% | 29.2% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 11.2% | 12.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 16.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2010 | 2011 | 2011 |
Wayne County has a homeownership rate of 54.6%, lower than the North Carolina average of 58.3%. Its housing vacancy rate is 11.2%, compared with 12.5% in North Carolina.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Wayne County | North Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.44 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 Wayne 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.
Wayne County, NC Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Wayne County, NC is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 118,630 residents against a local median of 54,882. Where Wayne County, NC breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 77% below the local median of $149,725 at $34,399.
The counties themselves spread $146,597 on median home price, so Wayne County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Wayne County, NC has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County, NC | 118,630 | $34,399 #6/6 | $964 #2/6 | 61.5% #4/6 |
| Greene County, NC | 20,465 | $180,242 | $852 | 66.5% |
| Wilson County, NC | 79,278 | $149,725 | $952 | 60.0% |
| Lenoir County, NC | 54,882 | $142,404 | $860 | 59.2% |
| Johnston County, NC | 234,262 | $243,547 | $1,145 | 76.0% |
| Duplin County, NC | 49,292 | $96,951 | $864 | 70.3% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Wayne County, North Carolina.
What is the median home price in Wayne County, North Carolina?
The median home price in Wayne County, North Carolina is $34,399, lower than the North Carolina average of $278,288.
What is the average home price in Wayne County, North Carolina?
The typical home price in Wayne County, North Carolina, reported as the median sale price, is $34,399. 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 Wayne County, North Carolina?
The median gross rent in Wayne County, North Carolina is $964 per month, lower than the North Carolina average of $1,227.
What was the median gross rent in Wayne County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Wayne County, North Carolina was $783 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Wayne County, North Carolina?
The price-to-rent ratio in Wayne County, North Carolina is about 3.0, meaning it would take roughly 3.0 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 Wayne County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Wayne County, North Carolina?
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Wayne County: home prices fell about 4.4% a year while rent rose about 3.6% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
What is the homeownership rate in Wayne County, North Carolina?
54.6% of households in Wayne County, North Carolina own their home, lower than the North Carolina average of 58.3%.
What is the vacancy rate in Wayne County, North Carolina?
The housing vacancy rate in Wayne County, North Carolina is 11.2%, lower than the North Carolina average of 12.5%.
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