Rent Affordability for A Firefighter in North Carolina
A typical firefighter in North Carolina earns about $59,041 a year, which supports approximately $1,476 a month in rent under the 30% rule. Below, every tracked North Carolina city is ranked by how local rent compares against that affordability ceiling.
As of May 2026. 35 of 142 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 107 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henderson, NC | $1,013/mo | 20.6% | affordable |
| Asheboro, NC | $1,082/mo | 22% | affordable |
| Mount Airy, NC | $1,095/mo | 22.3% | affordable |
| Cherryville, NC | $1,100/mo | 22.4% | affordable |
| Shelby, NC | $1,110/mo | 22.6% | affordable |
| Cullowhee, NC | $1,171/mo | 23.8% | affordable |
| Lumberton, NC | $1,179/mo | 24% | affordable |
| Washington, NC | $1,184/mo | 24.1% | affordable |
| Thomasville, NC | $1,210/mo | 24.6% | affordable |
| Marion, NC | $1,210/mo | 24.6% | affordable |
| Newton, NC | $1,236/mo | 25.1% | affordable |
| Lenoir, NC | $1,245/mo | 25.3% | affordable |
| Nashville, NC | $1,260/mo | 25.6% | affordable |
| Salisbury, NC | $1,278/mo | 26% | affordable |
| Kinston, NC | $1,281/mo | 26% | affordable |
| Lincolnton, NC | $1,288/mo | 26.2% | affordable |
| Graham, NC | $1,295/mo | 26.3% | affordable |
| Rocky Mount, NC | $1,300/mo | 26.4% | affordable |
| Browns Summit, NC | $1,305/mo | 26.5% | affordable |
| Burlington, NC | $1,321/mo | 26.8% | affordable |
| Archdale, NC | $1,356/mo | 27.6% | affordable |
| Fayetteville, NC | $1,368/mo | 27.8% | affordable |
| Bessemer City, NC | $1,366/mo | 27.8% | affordable |
| Greenville, NC | $1,373/mo | 27.9% | affordable |
| Wilson, NC | $1,381/mo | 28.1% | affordable |
| Havelock, NC | $1,384/mo | 28.1% | affordable |
| Greensboro, NC | $1,391/mo | 28.3% | affordable |
| High Point, NC | $1,402/mo | 28.5% | affordable |
| Jacksonville, NC | $1,407/mo | 28.6% | affordable |
| Goldsboro, NC | $1,411/mo | 28.7% | affordable |
| Spring Lake, NC | $1,425/mo | 29% | affordable |
| Albemarle, NC | $1,444/mo | 29.3% | affordable |
| Mebane, NC | $1,464/mo | 29.8% | affordable |
| Hillsborough, NC | $1,467/mo | 29.8% | affordable |
| Midway Park, NC | $1,469/mo | 29.9% | affordable |
| Carrboro, NC | $1,479/mo | 30.1% | stretched |
| Morganton, NC | $1,483/mo | 30.1% | stretched |
| Hickory, NC | $1,492/mo | 30.3% | stretched |
| Gastonia, NC | $1,501/mo | 30.5% | stretched |
| Elon, NC | $1,522/mo | 30.9% | stretched |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $1,525/mo | 31% | stretched |
| Elizabeth City, NC | $1,524/mo | 31% | stretched |
| Sylva, NC | $1,544/mo | 31.4% | stretched |
| Arden, NC | $1,569/mo | 31.9% | stretched |
| Raleigh, NC | $1,575/mo | 32% | stretched |
| Hubert, NC | $1,576/mo | 32% | stretched |
| Waynesville, NC | $1,583/mo | 32.2% | stretched |
| Lexington, NC | $1,609/mo | 32.7% | stretched |
| Mooresville, NC | $1,616/mo | 32.8% | stretched |
| Winterville, NC | $1,616/mo | 32.8% | stretched |
| New Bern, NC | $1,623/mo | 33% | stretched |
| Pikeville, NC | $1,625/mo | 33% | stretched |
| Dallas, NC | $1,643/mo | 33.4% | stretched |
| Kannapolis, NC | $1,646/mo | 33.5% | stretched |
| Creedmoor, NC | $1,650/mo | 33.5% | stretched |
| Murphy, NC | $1,650/mo | 33.5% | stretched |
| Durham, NC | $1,675/mo | 34% | stretched |
| Asheville, NC | $1,679/mo | 34.1% | stretched |
| Lillington, NC | $1,679/mo | 34.1% | stretched |
| China Grove, NC | $1,678/mo | 34.1% | stretched |
| Morehead City, NC | $1,682/mo | 34.2% | stretched |
| Wilmington, NC | $1,690/mo | 34.3% | stretched |
| Morrisville, NC | $1,689/mo | 34.3% | stretched |
| Hope Mills, NC | $1,687/mo | 34.3% | stretched |
| Leland, NC | $1,691/mo | 34.4% | stretched |
| Chapel Hill, NC | $1,698/mo | 34.5% | stretched |
| Cornelius, NC | $1,704/mo | 34.6% | stretched |
| Statesville, NC | $1,704/mo | 34.6% | stretched |
| Rural Hall, NC | $1,702/mo | 34.6% | stretched |
| Shallotte, NC | $1,709/mo | 34.7% | stretched |
| Weaverville, NC | $1,716/mo | 34.9% | stretched |
| Stanley, NC | $1,721/mo | 35% | stretched |
| Knightdale, NC | $1,726/mo | 35.1% | stretched |
| Newport, NC | $1,728/mo | 35.1% | stretched |
| Hendersonville, NC | $1,739/mo | 35.3% | stretched |
| Charlotte, NC | $1,752/mo | 35.6% | stretched |
| Matthews, NC | $1,752/mo | 35.6% | stretched |
| Belville, NC | $1,750/mo | 35.6% | stretched |
| Advance, NC | $1,751/mo | 35.6% | stretched |
| Clemmons, NC | $1,758/mo | 35.7% | stretched |
| Raeford, NC | $1,756/mo | 35.7% | stretched |
| Holly Ridge, NC | $1,763/mo | 35.8% | stretched |
| Denver, NC | $1,778/mo | 36.1% | stretched |
| Fairfield Harbour, NC | $1,788/mo | 36.3% | stretched |
| Richlands, NC | $1,788/mo | 36.3% | stretched |
| Cary, NC | $1,791/mo | 36.4% | stretched |
| Kernersville, NC | $1,793/mo | 36.4% | stretched |
| Smithfield, NC | $1,793/mo | 36.4% | stretched |
| Aberdeen, NC | $1,803/mo | 36.6% | stretched |
| Mount Holly, NC | $1,808/mo | 36.7% | stretched |
| Wake Forest, NC | $1,812/mo | 36.8% | stretched |
| Kings Mountain, NC | $1,814/mo | 36.9% | stretched |
| Sanford, NC | $1,821/mo | 37% | stretched |
| Concord, NC | $1,824/mo | 37.1% | stretched |
| Candler, NC | $1,827/mo | 37.1% | stretched |
| Whitsett, NC | $1,832/mo | 37.2% | stretched |
| Clayton, NC | $1,835/mo | 37.3% | stretched |
| Troutman, NC | $1,854/mo | 37.7% | stretched |
| Mint Hill, NC | $1,860/mo | 37.8% | stretched |
| Bolivia, NC | $1,868/mo | 38% | stretched |
| Southern Pines, NC | $1,879/mo | 38.2% | stretched |
| Black Mountain, NC | $1,879/mo | 38.2% | stretched |
| Garner, NC | $1,884/mo | 38.3% | stretched |
| Holly Springs, NC | $1,893/mo | 38.5% | stretched |
| Wendell, NC | $1,898/mo | 38.6% | stretched |
| Angier, NC | $1,902/mo | 38.7% | stretched |
| Youngsville, NC | $1,911/mo | 38.8% | stretched |
| Huntersville, NC | $1,915/mo | 38.9% | stretched |
| Davidson, NC | $1,921/mo | 39% | stretched |
| Carthage, NC | $1,920/mo | 39% | stretched |
| Sneads Ferry, NC | $1,918/mo | 39% | stretched |
| Ranlo, NC | $1,922/mo | 39.1% | stretched |
| Gibsonville, NC | $1,936/mo | 39.3% | stretched |
| Belmont, NC | $1,945/mo | 39.5% | stretched |
| Conover, NC | $1,950/mo | 39.6% | stretched |
| Swannanoa, NC | $1,947/mo | 39.6% | stretched |
| Calabash, NC | $1,950/mo | 39.6% | stretched |
| Fuquay Varina, NC | $1,951/mo | 39.7% | stretched |
| Zebulon, NC | $1,968/mo | 40% | stretched |
| Brevard, NC | $1,976/mo | 40.2% | rent-burdened |
| Monroe, NC | $1,995/mo | 40.5% | rent-burdened |
| Hampstead, NC | $1,995/mo | 40.5% | rent-burdened |
| Pittsboro, NC | $2,018/mo | 41% | rent-burdened |
| Apex, NC | $2,026/mo | 41.2% | rent-burdened |
| Boone, NC | $2,026/mo | 41.2% | rent-burdened |
| Indian Trail, NC | $2,032/mo | 41.3% | rent-burdened |
| Sherrills Ford, NC | $2,033/mo | 41.3% | rent-burdened |
| Pineville, NC | $2,069/mo | 42.1% | rent-burdened |
| Pinehurst, NC | $2,095/mo | 42.6% | rent-burdened |
| Beaufort, NC | $2,098/mo | 42.6% | rent-burdened |
| Navassa, NC | $2,103/mo | 42.7% | rent-burdened |
| Vass, NC | $2,100/mo | 42.7% | rent-burdened |
| Cameron, NC | $2,123/mo | 43.1% | rent-burdened |
| Midland, NC | $2,213/mo | 45% | rent-burdened |
| Fletcher, NC | $2,269/mo | 46.1% | rent-burdened |
| Mc Leansville, NC | $2,293/mo | 46.6% | rent-burdened |
| Kill Devil Hills, NC | $2,300/mo | 46.7% | rent-burdened |
| Surf City, NC | $2,296/mo | 46.7% | rent-burdened |
| Emerald Isle, NC | $2,300/mo | 46.7% | rent-burdened |
| Harrisburg, NC | $2,392/mo | 48.6% | rent-burdened |
| Carolina Beach, NC | $2,580/mo | 52.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Waxhaw, NC | $2,607/mo | 53% | severely rent-burdened |