Rents are 9% below what Holly Springs'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 $1,890 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
May. Asking rents in Holly Springs usually run 0.6% below trend in May and 0.5% above it in February, about $21 a month apart at today's median. Based on 7 years of data.
Rent in Holly Springs is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in December 2018.
Rent in Holly Springs changed +2.8% 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 Holly Springs rose 32.3% while median household income rose 21% ($112,029 to $135,578). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Holly Springs is 37.7% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 8 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($135,578) is $3,389 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 3-bedroom ($2,690); a 4-bedroom is $3,630.
Lillington, 16 miles away, rents for 12% less ($1,663/mo), about $2,700 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Holly Springs. 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
Holly Springs, NC is majority owner-occupied, has a large share of families with children, has a median income above the national average, 67.3% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Holly Springs, NC has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in Holly Springs, NC has shifted from $1,480 to $1,890, up 27.7% since 2021. Median household income climbed from $120,229 to $135,578 between 2021 and 2024, a 12.8% shift. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Census counts show Holly Springs, NC adding about 5,050 residents over the five-year window, up 12.6% on net. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 61.1% to 67.3% across the same window. Taken together, the five-year picture in Holly Springs, 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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Can you afford rent in Holly Springs on your salary?
At $1,890/mo, how Holly Springs rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Holly Springs rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Holly Springs. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Holly Springs
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Holly Springs is $1,890/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,870/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,160/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,950/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,690/mo.
At 17% of local median household income ($135,578/yr), Holly Springs ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.8% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Is rent going up or down in Holly Springs?
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Holly Springs?
At $1,890/mo, rent takes ~17% of Holly Springs's median household income ($135,578/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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