Rents are 5% below what Winston Salem'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 $1,478 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
December. Asking rents in Winston Salem usually run 1.3% below trend in December and 1.1% above it in July, about $35 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Winston Salem is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Winston Salem changed +5.0% 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 Winston Salem rose 47.5% while median household income rose 29.5% ($45,750 to $59,268). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Winston Salem is 54.4% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 3 months in a row, and rose in 9 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($59,268) is $1,482 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($1,173); a 3-bedroom is $1,540.
The priciest of 7 ZIP codes in Winston Salem, 27127 ($1,715/mo), costs 1.5 times the cheapest, 27105 ($1,122/mo).
Thomasville, 18 miles away, rents for 11% less ($1,314/mo), about $2,000 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Winston Salem. 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
Winston Salem, NC is majority owner-occupied, has a median income below the national average, 39.5% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Winston Salem, NC has changed in 5 years
The median rent in Winston Salem, NC stood at $1,060 in 2021 and currently runs about $1,478, reflecting a 39.4% increase over the period. Median household income rose from $50,204 to $59,268 between 2021 and 2024, a 18.1% shift. That spread, with rent up faster than earnings, points to a tougher affordability environment than five years ago. The population has grown by 1.7% since 2021, moving from about 247,917 residents to roughly 252,037. College-educated residents now make up 39.5% of adults here, versus 34.6% in 2021. Taken together, the five-year picture in Winston Salem, 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 $1,478/mo, how Winston Salem rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Winston Salem rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Winston Salem. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Winston Salem
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Winston Salem is $1,478/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $954/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,173/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,001/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,540/mo.
At 30% of local median household income ($59,268/yr), Winston Salem ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 5.0% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Winston Salem?
At $1,478/mo, rent takes ~30% of Winston Salem's median household income ($59,268/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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