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. 33 of 142 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 109 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henderson, NC | $984/mo | 20% | very comfortable |
| Asheboro, NC | $1,038/mo | 21.1% | affordable |
| Cherryville, NC | $1,075/mo | 21.8% | affordable |
| Mount Airy, NC | $1,134/mo | 23% | affordable |
| Lumberton, NC | $1,147/mo | 23.3% | affordable |
| Shelby, NC | $1,160/mo | 23.6% | affordable |
| Cullowhee, NC | $1,171/mo | 23.8% | affordable |
| Kinston, NC | $1,181/mo | 24% | affordable |
| Rocky Mount, NC | $1,259/mo | 25.6% | affordable |
| Albemarle, NC | $1,260/mo | 25.6% | affordable |
| Sylva, NC | $1,275/mo | 25.9% | affordable |
| Washington, NC | $1,285/mo | 26.1% | affordable |
| Burlington, NC | $1,310/mo | 26.6% | affordable |
| Thomasville, NC | $1,314/mo | 26.7% | affordable |
| Marion, NC | $1,317/mo | 26.8% | affordable |
| Lenoir, NC | $1,329/mo | 27% | affordable |
| Archdale, NC | $1,343/mo | 27.3% | affordable |
| Newton, NC | $1,348/mo | 27.4% | affordable |
| Fayetteville, NC | $1,362/mo | 27.7% | affordable |
| Lincolnton, NC | $1,376/mo | 28% | affordable |
| Browns Summit, NC | $1,389/mo | 28.2% | affordable |
| Salisbury, NC | $1,393/mo | 28.3% | affordable |
| Greensboro, NC | $1,395/mo | 28.4% | affordable |
| Midway Park, NC | $1,396/mo | 28.4% | affordable |
| High Point, NC | $1,418/mo | 28.8% | affordable |
| Bessemer City, NC | $1,415/mo | 28.8% | affordable |
| Jacksonville, NC | $1,421/mo | 28.9% | affordable |
| Spring Lake, NC | $1,430/mo | 29.1% | affordable |
| Morganton, NC | $1,436/mo | 29.2% | affordable |
| Nashville, NC | $1,448/mo | 29.4% | affordable |
| Elizabeth City, NC | $1,457/mo | 29.6% | affordable |
| Greenville, NC | $1,460/mo | 29.7% | affordable |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $1,478/mo | 30% | stretched |
| Graham, NC | $1,476/mo | 30% | affordable |
| Gastonia, NC | $1,483/mo | 30.1% | stretched |
| Lexington, NC | $1,480/mo | 30.1% | stretched |
| Mebane, NC | $1,493/mo | 30.3% | stretched |
| Wilson, NC | $1,494/mo | 30.4% | stretched |
| Goldsboro, NC | $1,503/mo | 30.5% | stretched |
| Hubert, NC | $1,499/mo | 30.5% | stretched |
| Hillsborough, NC | $1,509/mo | 30.7% | stretched |
| China Grove, NC | $1,510/mo | 30.7% | stretched |
| Hickory, NC | $1,522/mo | 30.9% | stretched |
| Elon, NC | $1,522/mo | 30.9% | stretched |
| Arden, NC | $1,527/mo | 31% | stretched |
| Pineville, NC | $1,534/mo | 31.2% | stretched |
| Havelock, NC | $1,542/mo | 31.3% | stretched |
| Winterville, NC | $1,544/mo | 31.4% | stretched |
| New Bern, NC | $1,555/mo | 31.6% | stretched |
| Carrboro, NC | $1,564/mo | 31.8% | stretched |
| Raleigh, NC | $1,572/mo | 32% | stretched |
| Kannapolis, NC | $1,578/mo | 32.1% | stretched |
| Murphy, NC | $1,583/mo | 32.2% | stretched |
| Durham, NC | $1,626/mo | 33% | stretched |
| Pikeville, NC | $1,625/mo | 33% | stretched |
| Waynesville, NC | $1,628/mo | 33.1% | stretched |
| Smithfield, NC | $1,640/mo | 33.3% | stretched |
| Morrisville, NC | $1,650/mo | 33.5% | stretched |
| Mint Hill, NC | $1,650/mo | 33.5% | stretched |
| Lillington, NC | $1,663/mo | 33.8% | stretched |
| Richlands, NC | $1,663/mo | 33.8% | stretched |
| Weaverville, NC | $1,668/mo | 33.9% | stretched |
| Mooresville, NC | $1,675/mo | 34% | stretched |
| Hope Mills, NC | $1,673/mo | 34% | stretched |
| Hendersonville, NC | $1,674/mo | 34% | stretched |
| Leland, NC | $1,697/mo | 34.5% | stretched |
| Knightdale, NC | $1,698/mo | 34.5% | stretched |
| Kings Mountain, NC | $1,695/mo | 34.5% | stretched |
| Newport, NC | $1,696/mo | 34.5% | stretched |
| Creedmoor, NC | $1,700/mo | 34.6% | stretched |
| Kernersville, NC | $1,706/mo | 34.7% | stretched |
| Rural Hall, NC | $1,708/mo | 34.7% | stretched |
| Wilmington, NC | $1,713/mo | 34.8% | stretched |
| Belville, NC | $1,714/mo | 34.8% | stretched |
| Chapel Hill, NC | $1,723/mo | 35% | stretched |
| Charlotte, NC | $1,729/mo | 35.1% | stretched |
| Asheville, NC | $1,726/mo | 35.1% | stretched |
| Raeford, NC | $1,725/mo | 35.1% | stretched |
| Sanford, NC | $1,734/mo | 35.2% | stretched |
| Matthews, NC | $1,736/mo | 35.3% | stretched |
| Shallotte, NC | $1,748/mo | 35.5% | stretched |
| Southern Pines, NC | $1,753/mo | 35.6% | stretched |
| Dallas, NC | $1,752/mo | 35.6% | stretched |
| Aberdeen, NC | $1,760/mo | 35.8% | stretched |
| Cary, NC | $1,768/mo | 35.9% | stretched |
| Statesville, NC | $1,765/mo | 35.9% | stretched |
| Mount Holly, NC | $1,772/mo | 36% | stretched |
| Whitsett, NC | $1,769/mo | 36% | stretched |
| Concord, NC | $1,784/mo | 36.3% | stretched |
| Clemmons, NC | $1,785/mo | 36.3% | stretched |
| Fairfield Harbour, NC | $1,788/mo | 36.3% | stretched |
| Wake Forest, NC | $1,798/mo | 36.5% | stretched |
| Cornelius, NC | $1,796/mo | 36.5% | stretched |
| Clayton, NC | $1,797/mo | 36.5% | stretched |
| Wendell, NC | $1,802/mo | 36.6% | stretched |
| Beaufort, NC | $1,800/mo | 36.6% | stretched |
| Stanley, NC | $1,807/mo | 36.7% | stretched |
| Carthage, NC | $1,812/mo | 36.8% | stretched |
| Candler, NC | $1,817/mo | 36.9% | stretched |
| Belmont, NC | $1,819/mo | 37% | stretched |
| Holly Ridge, NC | $1,826/mo | 37.1% | stretched |
| Angier, NC | $1,830/mo | 37.2% | stretched |
| Garner, NC | $1,853/mo | 37.7% | stretched |
| Morehead City, NC | $1,858/mo | 37.8% | stretched |
| Pittsboro, NC | $1,872/mo | 38% | stretched |
| Sneads Ferry, NC | $1,868/mo | 38% | stretched |
| Fuquay Varina, NC | $1,875/mo | 38.1% | stretched |
| Black Mountain, NC | $1,873/mo | 38.1% | stretched |
| Gibsonville, NC | $1,882/mo | 38.3% | stretched |
| Youngsville, NC | $1,884/mo | 38.3% | stretched |
| Holly Springs, NC | $1,890/mo | 38.4% | stretched |
| Monroe, NC | $1,896/mo | 38.5% | stretched |
| Huntersville, NC | $1,903/mo | 38.7% | stretched |
| Swannanoa, NC | $1,917/mo | 39% | stretched |
| Sherrills Ford, NC | $1,927/mo | 39.2% | stretched |
| Apex, NC | $1,947/mo | 39.6% | stretched |
| Conover, NC | $1,950/mo | 39.6% | stretched |
| Zebulon, NC | $1,951/mo | 39.7% | stretched |
| Denver, NC | $1,956/mo | 39.8% | stretched |
| Calabash, NC | $1,969/mo | 40% | rent-burdened |
| Hampstead, NC | $1,985/mo | 40.3% | rent-burdened |
| Advance, NC | $1,986/mo | 40.4% | rent-burdened |
| Bolivia, NC | $1,991/mo | 40.5% | rent-burdened |
| Brevard, NC | $1,998/mo | 40.6% | rent-burdened |
| Indian Trail, NC | $2,004/mo | 40.7% | rent-burdened |
| Ranlo, NC | $2,006/mo | 40.8% | rent-burdened |
| Surf City, NC | $2,005/mo | 40.8% | rent-burdened |
| Troutman, NC | $2,005/mo | 40.8% | rent-burdened |
| Cameron, NC | $2,008/mo | 40.8% | rent-burdened |
| Pinehurst, NC | $2,012/mo | 40.9% | rent-burdened |
| Vass, NC | $2,092/mo | 42.5% | rent-burdened |
| Navassa, NC | $2,103/mo | 42.7% | rent-burdened |
| Davidson, NC | $2,107/mo | 42.8% | rent-burdened |
| Fletcher, NC | $2,110/mo | 42.9% | rent-burdened |
| Kill Devil Hills, NC | $2,113/mo | 42.9% | rent-burdened |
| Midland, NC | $2,232/mo | 45.4% | rent-burdened |
| Boone, NC | $2,259/mo | 45.9% | rent-burdened |
| Emerald Isle, NC | $2,300/mo | 46.7% | rent-burdened |
| Carolina Beach, NC | $2,347/mo | 47.7% | rent-burdened |
| Mc Leansville, NC | $2,399/mo | 48.8% | rent-burdened |
| Harrisburg, NC | $2,520/mo | 51.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Waxhaw, NC | $2,626/mo | 53.4% | severely rent-burdened |