Rents are right about where Winterville's 10-year trend predicts.
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 $1,544 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
Rent in Winterville is 0% below its high of $1,544 in August 2026, at $1,544 as of September 2026.
Rent in Winterville changed +2.2% over the year to September 2026. Across the 94 North Carolina cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +2.9%.
30% of the median household income ($83,193) is $2,080 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 4-bedroom ($1,980).
Kinston, 20 miles away, rents for 24% less ($1,181/mo), about $4,400 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Winterville. 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
Winterville, NC is majority owner-occupied, 41.2% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Winterville, NC has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2023, rent in Winterville, NC has climbed by $119 per month, settling near $1,544 after starting the period at $1,425. Median household income grew from $80,199 to $83,193 between 2021 and 2024, a 3.7% shift. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 4.7 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 10,336 to 10,725 between 2021 and 2024, a 3.8% change. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher slipped from 43.5% to 41.2%. Taken together, the five-year picture in Winterville, 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 Winterville on your salary?
At $1,544/mo, how Winterville rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Winterville rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Winterville. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Winterville
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Winterville is $1,544/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $940/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,170/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $940/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,580/mo.
At 22% of local median household income ($83,193/yr), Winterville ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.2% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
How much income do you need to rent in Winterville?
Is rent going up or down in Winterville?
How does Winterville rent compare to other cities in North Carolina?
Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Winterville?
At $1,544/mo, rent takes ~22% of Winterville's median household income ($83,193/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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