Rents are 11% below what Garner's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,853 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
January. Asking rents in Garner usually run 1.3% below trend in January and 0.9% above it in August, about $41 a month apart at today's median. Based on 9 years of data.
Rent in Garner is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in November 2016.
Rent in Garner changed +0.9% over the year to September 2026. Across the 94 North Carolina cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +2.9%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Garner rose 37.8% while median household income rose 21% ($65,064 to $78,756). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Garner is 39.3% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 2 months in a row, and rose in 6 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($78,756) is $1,969 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($1,690); a 3-bedroom is $2,100.
Raleigh, 12 miles away, rents for 15% less ($1,572/mo), about $3,400 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Garner. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Garner, NC is majority owner-occupied, 46.5% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Garner, NC has changed in 5 years
Since 2021, the typical rent in Garner, NC has climbed from $1,497 to $1,853, a 23.8% change over five years. Median household income rose from $70,007 to $78,756 between 2021 and 2024, a 12.5% shift. That spread, with rent up faster than earnings, points to a tougher affordability environment than five years ago. The population has grown by 11.7% since 2021, moving from about 30,859 residents to roughly 34,473. Renters now make up 36.8% of households, compared with 34.8% five years ago. College-educated residents now make up 46.5% of adults here, versus 43.6% in 2021. Taken together, the five-year picture in Garner, NC reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
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At $1,853/mo, how Garner rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Garner rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Garner. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Garner
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Garner is $1,853/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,470/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,690/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,530/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,100/mo.
At 28% of local median household income ($78,756/yr), Garner ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 0.9% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Garner?
At $1,853/mo, rent takes ~28% of Garner's median household income ($78,756/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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