Rent Affordability for A HVAC Technician in North Carolina

A typical hvac technician in North Carolina earns about $53,862 a year, which supports approximately $1,347 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. 19 of 142 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 123 are rent-burdened on this salary.

CityMedian rent% of incomeAffordability
Henderson, NC$972/mo21.7%affordable
Asheboro, NC$1,069/mo23.8%affordable
Kinston, NC$1,076/mo24%affordable
Cherryville, NC$1,100/mo24.5%affordable
Shelby, NC$1,108/mo24.7%affordable
Cullowhee, NC$1,171/mo26.1%affordable
Thomasville, NC$1,180/mo26.3%affordable
Lumberton, NC$1,181/mo26.3%affordable
Salisbury, NC$1,206/mo26.9%affordable
Lenoir, NC$1,218/mo27.1%affordable
Washington, NC$1,225/mo27.3%affordable
Nashville, NC$1,260/mo28.1%affordable
Havelock, NC$1,289/mo28.7%affordable
Burlington, NC$1,298/mo28.9%affordable
Rocky Mount, NC$1,300/mo29%affordable
Lincolnton, NC$1,305/mo29.1%affordable
Marion, NC$1,310/mo29.2%affordable
Morganton, NC$1,341/mo29.9%affordable
Greenville, NC$1,346/mo30%affordable
Bessemer City, NC$1,375/mo30.6%stretched
Graham, NC$1,382/mo30.8%stretched
Goldsboro, NC$1,388/mo30.9%stretched
Archdale, NC$1,391/mo31%stretched
Jacksonville, NC$1,395/mo31.1%stretched
Fayetteville, NC$1,401/mo31.2%stretched
High Point, NC$1,401/mo31.2%stretched
Greensboro, NC$1,415/mo31.5%stretched
Spring Lake, NC$1,420/mo31.6%stretched
Newton, NC$1,421/mo31.7%stretched
Mount Airy, NC$1,430/mo31.9%stretched
Hillsborough, NC$1,454/mo32.4%stretched
Wilson, NC$1,458/mo32.5%stretched
Hickory, NC$1,463/mo32.6%stretched
Midway Park, NC$1,469/mo32.7%stretched
Carrboro, NC$1,480/mo33%stretched
Albemarle, NC$1,501/mo33.4%stretched
Fairfield Harbour, NC$1,500/mo33.4%stretched
Elon, NC$1,522/mo33.9%stretched
Gastonia, NC$1,524/mo34%stretched
Winston-Salem, NC$1,537/mo34.2%stretched
Sylva, NC$1,544/mo34.4%stretched
Arden, NC$1,547/mo34.5%stretched
Hubert, NC$1,554/mo34.6%stretched
Waynesville, NC$1,559/mo34.7%stretched
Browns Summit, NC$1,566/mo34.9%stretched
Raleigh, NC$1,579/mo35.2%stretched
New Bern, NC$1,605/mo35.8%stretched
Elizabeth City, NC$1,607/mo35.8%stretched
Mooresville, NC$1,621/mo36.1%stretched
Advance, NC$1,623/mo36.2%stretched
Pikeville, NC$1,625/mo36.2%stretched
Mebane, NC$1,635/mo36.4%stretched
Lexington, NC$1,638/mo36.5%stretched
Winterville, NC$1,638/mo36.5%stretched
Morehead City, NC$1,638/mo36.5%stretched
China Grove, NC$1,640/mo36.5%stretched
Lillington, NC$1,648/mo36.7%stretched
Creedmoor, NC$1,650/mo36.8%stretched
Murphy, NC$1,650/mo36.8%stretched
Kannapolis, NC$1,667/mo37.1%stretched
Statesville, NC$1,670/mo37.2%stretched
Leland, NC$1,671/mo37.2%stretched
Weaverville, NC$1,685/mo37.5%stretched
Asheville, NC$1,688/mo37.6%stretched
Wilmington, NC$1,694/mo37.7%stretched
Durham, NC$1,700/mo37.9%stretched
Dallas, NC$1,705/mo38%stretched
Shallotte, NC$1,704/mo38%stretched
Morrisville, NC$1,714/mo38.2%stretched
Hope Mills, NC$1,716/mo38.2%stretched
Hendersonville, NC$1,730/mo38.5%stretched
Charlotte, NC$1,746/mo38.9%stretched
Raeford, NC$1,745/mo38.9%stretched
Rural Hall, NC$1,748/mo38.9%stretched
Matthews, NC$1,756/mo39.1%stretched
Newport, NC$1,754/mo39.1%stretched
Knightdale, NC$1,759/mo39.2%stretched
Black Mountain, NC$1,761/mo39.2%stretched
Chapel Hill, NC$1,763/mo39.3%stretched
Southern Pines, NC$1,770/mo39.4%stretched
Cary, NC$1,775/mo39.5%stretched
Bolivia, NC$1,774/mo39.5%stretched
Cornelius, NC$1,778/mo39.6%stretched
Richlands, NC$1,779/mo39.6%stretched
Denver, NC$1,788/mo39.8%stretched
Mount Holly, NC$1,789/mo39.9%stretched
Kings Mountain, NC$1,793/mo39.9%stretched
Kernersville, NC$1,797/mo40%rent-burdened
Aberdeen, NC$1,799/mo40.1%rent-burdened
Holly Ridge, NC$1,801/mo40.1%rent-burdened
Belville, NC$1,802/mo40.1%rent-burdened
Concord, NC$1,805/mo40.2%rent-burdened
Wake Forest, NC$1,813/mo40.4%rent-burdened
Sanford, NC$1,812/mo40.4%rent-burdened
Pineville, NC$1,829/mo40.7%rent-burdened
Smithfield, NC$1,832/mo40.8%rent-burdened
Swannanoa, NC$1,830/mo40.8%rent-burdened
Davidson, NC$1,841/mo41%rent-burdened
Clemmons, NC$1,851/mo41.2%rent-burdened
Clayton, NC$1,862/mo41.5%rent-burdened
Mint Hill, NC$1,873/mo41.7%rent-burdened
Huntersville, NC$1,891/mo42.1%rent-burdened
Candler, NC$1,892/mo42.2%rent-burdened
Garner, NC$1,898/mo42.3%rent-burdened
Holly Springs, NC$1,903/mo42.4%rent-burdened
Hampstead, NC$1,904/mo42.4%rent-burdened
Troutman, NC$1,908/mo42.5%rent-burdened
Brevard, NC$1,912/mo42.6%rent-burdened
Wendell, NC$1,919/mo42.8%rent-burdened
Youngsville, NC$1,921/mo42.8%rent-burdened
Whitsett, NC$1,924/mo42.9%rent-burdened
Ranlo, NC$1,930/mo43%rent-burdened
Monroe, NC$1,934/mo43.1%rent-burdened
Angier, NC$1,942/mo43.3%rent-burdened
Gibsonville, NC$1,948/mo43.4%rent-burdened
Conover, NC$1,950/mo43.4%rent-burdened
Belmont, NC$1,959/mo43.6%rent-burdened
Fuquay Varina, NC$1,963/mo43.7%rent-burdened
Sneads Ferry, NC$1,965/mo43.8%rent-burdened
Pittsboro, NC$1,985/mo44.2%rent-burdened
Zebulon, NC$1,989/mo44.3%rent-burdened
Boone, NC$1,997/mo44.5%rent-burdened
Sherrills Ford, NC$2,006/mo44.7%rent-burdened
Apex, NC$2,017/mo44.9%rent-burdened
Indian Trail, NC$2,021/mo45%rent-burdened
Midland, NC$2,030/mo45.2%rent-burdened
Pinehurst, NC$2,040/mo45.4%rent-burdened
Carthage, NC$2,041/mo45.5%rent-burdened
Calabash, NC$2,049/mo45.6%rent-burdened
Fletcher, NC$2,084/mo46.4%rent-burdened
Beaufort, NC$2,098/mo46.7%rent-burdened
Navassa, NC$2,103/mo46.9%rent-burdened
Vass, NC$2,133/mo47.5%rent-burdened
Cameron, NC$2,137/mo47.6%rent-burdened
Surf City, NC$2,265/mo50.5%severely rent-burdened
Stanley, NC$2,285/mo50.9%severely rent-burdened
Mc Leansville, NC$2,293/mo51.1%severely rent-burdened
Emerald Isle, NC$2,300/mo51.2%severely rent-burdened
Harrisburg, NC$2,399/mo53.4%severely rent-burdened
Waxhaw, NC$2,438/mo54.3%severely rent-burdened
Kill Devil Hills, NC$2,499/mo55.7%severely rent-burdened
Carolina Beach, NC$2,691/mo60%severely rent-burdened
Methodology: Salary is the BLS-derived state estimate for North Carolina. Rent is the latest ZORI monthly value for each city. Affordability uses the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income).