Rents are 10% below what Raleigh's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
Bedroom figures are derived from HUD Fair Market Rents and scaled to match Raleigh's market median, because the published HUD values all ran above it. They are gross rents that include essential utilities (electricity, water, gas, sewer, trash).
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
December. Asking rents in Raleigh usually run 0.9% below trend in December and 1% above it in July, about $30 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Raleigh is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Raleigh changed +1.6% 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 Raleigh rose 31.7% while median household income rose 27% ($67,266 to $85,395). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Raleigh is 28.5% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 7 months in a row, and rose in 8 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($85,395) is $2,135 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($1,815); a 3-bedroom is $2,257.
The priciest of 15 ZIP codes in Raleigh, 27608 ($2,009/mo), costs 1.5 times the cheapest, 27613 ($1,373/mo).
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Raleigh. 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
Raleigh, NC is roughly split between renters and owners, skews toward younger working-age adults, 54% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Raleigh, NC has changed in 5 years
Rent in Raleigh, NC has climbed 23.4% since 2021, going from about $1,274 per month to roughly $1,572 today. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $72,996 in 2021 to $85,395 more recently. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 6.4 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 462,219 to 481,031 between 2021 and 2024, a 4.1% change. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the Raleigh, NC market of 2021.
Discussions about Raleigh
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Can you afford rent in Raleigh on your salary?
At $1,572/mo, how Raleigh rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Raleigh rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Raleigh. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Raleigh
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Raleigh is $1,572/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,247/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,434/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,295/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,783/mo.
At 22% of local median household income ($85,395/yr), Raleigh ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 1.6% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does Raleigh rent compare to other cities in North Carolina?
At $1,572/mo, rent takes ~22% of Raleigh's median household income ($85,395/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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