How much rent can you afford in Raleigh, NC?
Run your salary against Raleigh's current rent, or find the income you'd need for a target rent. Powered by live RentDataNow medians.
The 30% rent rule, in Raleigh
At a median rent of $1,579/mo, Raleigh is very affordable when measured against Raleigh median household income of $85,395/yr. Rent would consume roughly 22% of pre-tax income, and a salary of about $63,160 keeps rent at the recommended 30% threshold.
How Raleigh compares nearby
Median rent for the closest cities with data.
Frequently asked
How much rent can I afford in Raleigh?
On a $85,395 salary (the Raleigh median household income), the recommended ceiling is 30% of pre-tax income, or about $2,135/mo. Raleigh's median rent is $1,579/mo. Use the calculator on this page to run your own salary.
What salary do I need to live in Raleigh?
To keep Raleigh's $1,579/mo median rent under 30% of income, you'd need about $63,160/yr. Lower your target share (e.g. 25%) to need more, or raise it (e.g. 40%) to need less.
Is Raleigh affordable on the median North Carolina income?
Raleigh is very affordable on a $85,395 income. Rent would take 22% of pre-tax pay, inside the recommended 30% threshold.
What's the 30% rent rule?
The 30% rule is a long-standing budgeting guideline that keeps rent at or below 30% of gross (pre-tax) income. It leaves enough room for utilities, transit, savings, and debt service. In high-cost markets, many renters exceed 30%, and the Census Bureau classifies households paying more than 30% of income on rent as "cost-burdened".