Rent Affordability for A Paramedic in North Carolina

A typical paramedic in North Carolina earns about $49,989 a year, which supports approximately $1,250 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. 12 of 142 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 130 are rent-burdened on this salary.

CityMedian rent% of incomeAffordability
Henderson, NC$1,013/mo24.3%affordable
Asheboro, NC$1,082/mo26%affordable
Mount Airy, NC$1,095/mo26.3%affordable
Cherryville, NC$1,100/mo26.4%affordable
Shelby, NC$1,110/mo26.6%affordable
Cullowhee, NC$1,171/mo28.1%affordable
Lumberton, NC$1,179/mo28.3%affordable
Washington, NC$1,184/mo28.4%affordable
Thomasville, NC$1,210/mo29%affordable
Marion, NC$1,210/mo29%affordable
Newton, NC$1,236/mo29.7%affordable
Lenoir, NC$1,245/mo29.9%affordable
Nashville, NC$1,260/mo30.2%stretched
Salisbury, NC$1,278/mo30.7%stretched
Kinston, NC$1,281/mo30.8%stretched
Lincolnton, NC$1,288/mo30.9%stretched
Graham, NC$1,295/mo31.1%stretched
Rocky Mount, NC$1,300/mo31.2%stretched
Browns Summit, NC$1,305/mo31.3%stretched
Burlington, NC$1,321/mo31.7%stretched
Archdale, NC$1,356/mo32.6%stretched
Fayetteville, NC$1,368/mo32.8%stretched
Bessemer City, NC$1,366/mo32.8%stretched
Greenville, NC$1,373/mo33%stretched
Wilson, NC$1,381/mo33.2%stretched
Havelock, NC$1,384/mo33.2%stretched
Greensboro, NC$1,391/mo33.4%stretched
High Point, NC$1,402/mo33.7%stretched
Jacksonville, NC$1,407/mo33.8%stretched
Goldsboro, NC$1,411/mo33.9%stretched
Spring Lake, NC$1,425/mo34.2%stretched
Albemarle, NC$1,444/mo34.7%stretched
Mebane, NC$1,464/mo35.1%stretched
Hillsborough, NC$1,467/mo35.2%stretched
Midway Park, NC$1,469/mo35.3%stretched
Carrboro, NC$1,479/mo35.5%stretched
Morganton, NC$1,483/mo35.6%stretched
Hickory, NC$1,492/mo35.8%stretched
Gastonia, NC$1,501/mo36%stretched
Elon, NC$1,522/mo36.5%stretched
Winston-Salem, NC$1,525/mo36.6%stretched
Elizabeth City, NC$1,524/mo36.6%stretched
Sylva, NC$1,544/mo37.1%stretched
Arden, NC$1,569/mo37.7%stretched
Raleigh, NC$1,575/mo37.8%stretched
Hubert, NC$1,576/mo37.8%stretched
Waynesville, NC$1,583/mo38%stretched
Lexington, NC$1,609/mo38.6%stretched
Mooresville, NC$1,616/mo38.8%stretched
Winterville, NC$1,616/mo38.8%stretched
New Bern, NC$1,623/mo39%stretched
Pikeville, NC$1,625/mo39%stretched
Dallas, NC$1,643/mo39.4%stretched
Kannapolis, NC$1,646/mo39.5%stretched
Creedmoor, NC$1,650/mo39.6%stretched
Murphy, NC$1,650/mo39.6%stretched
Durham, NC$1,675/mo40.2%rent-burdened
Asheville, NC$1,679/mo40.3%rent-burdened
Lillington, NC$1,679/mo40.3%rent-burdened
China Grove, NC$1,678/mo40.3%rent-burdened
Morehead City, NC$1,682/mo40.4%rent-burdened
Morrisville, NC$1,689/mo40.5%rent-burdened
Hope Mills, NC$1,687/mo40.5%rent-burdened
Wilmington, NC$1,690/mo40.6%rent-burdened
Leland, NC$1,691/mo40.6%rent-burdened
Chapel Hill, NC$1,698/mo40.8%rent-burdened
Cornelius, NC$1,704/mo40.9%rent-burdened
Statesville, NC$1,704/mo40.9%rent-burdened
Rural Hall, NC$1,702/mo40.9%rent-burdened
Shallotte, NC$1,709/mo41%rent-burdened
Weaverville, NC$1,716/mo41.2%rent-burdened
Stanley, NC$1,721/mo41.3%rent-burdened
Knightdale, NC$1,726/mo41.4%rent-burdened
Newport, NC$1,728/mo41.5%rent-burdened
Hendersonville, NC$1,739/mo41.7%rent-burdened
Belville, NC$1,750/mo42%rent-burdened
Advance, NC$1,751/mo42%rent-burdened
Charlotte, NC$1,752/mo42.1%rent-burdened
Matthews, NC$1,752/mo42.1%rent-burdened
Clemmons, NC$1,758/mo42.2%rent-burdened
Raeford, NC$1,756/mo42.2%rent-burdened
Holly Ridge, NC$1,763/mo42.3%rent-burdened
Denver, NC$1,778/mo42.7%rent-burdened
Fairfield Harbour, NC$1,788/mo42.9%rent-burdened
Richlands, NC$1,788/mo42.9%rent-burdened
Cary, NC$1,791/mo43%rent-burdened
Kernersville, NC$1,793/mo43%rent-burdened
Smithfield, NC$1,793/mo43%rent-burdened
Aberdeen, NC$1,803/mo43.3%rent-burdened
Mount Holly, NC$1,808/mo43.4%rent-burdened
Wake Forest, NC$1,812/mo43.5%rent-burdened
Kings Mountain, NC$1,814/mo43.5%rent-burdened
Sanford, NC$1,821/mo43.7%rent-burdened
Concord, NC$1,824/mo43.8%rent-burdened
Candler, NC$1,827/mo43.9%rent-burdened
Clayton, NC$1,835/mo44%rent-burdened
Whitsett, NC$1,832/mo44%rent-burdened
Troutman, NC$1,854/mo44.5%rent-burdened
Mint Hill, NC$1,860/mo44.6%rent-burdened
Bolivia, NC$1,868/mo44.8%rent-burdened
Southern Pines, NC$1,879/mo45.1%rent-burdened
Black Mountain, NC$1,879/mo45.1%rent-burdened
Garner, NC$1,884/mo45.2%rent-burdened
Holly Springs, NC$1,893/mo45.4%rent-burdened
Wendell, NC$1,898/mo45.6%rent-burdened
Angier, NC$1,902/mo45.7%rent-burdened
Youngsville, NC$1,911/mo45.9%rent-burdened
Huntersville, NC$1,915/mo46%rent-burdened
Sneads Ferry, NC$1,918/mo46%rent-burdened
Davidson, NC$1,921/mo46.1%rent-burdened
Ranlo, NC$1,922/mo46.1%rent-burdened
Carthage, NC$1,920/mo46.1%rent-burdened
Gibsonville, NC$1,936/mo46.5%rent-burdened
Belmont, NC$1,945/mo46.7%rent-burdened
Swannanoa, NC$1,947/mo46.7%rent-burdened
Fuquay Varina, NC$1,951/mo46.8%rent-burdened
Conover, NC$1,950/mo46.8%rent-burdened
Calabash, NC$1,950/mo46.8%rent-burdened
Zebulon, NC$1,968/mo47.2%rent-burdened
Brevard, NC$1,976/mo47.4%rent-burdened
Monroe, NC$1,995/mo47.9%rent-burdened
Hampstead, NC$1,995/mo47.9%rent-burdened
Pittsboro, NC$2,018/mo48.4%rent-burdened
Apex, NC$2,026/mo48.6%rent-burdened
Boone, NC$2,026/mo48.6%rent-burdened
Indian Trail, NC$2,032/mo48.8%rent-burdened
Sherrills Ford, NC$2,033/mo48.8%rent-burdened
Pineville, NC$2,069/mo49.7%rent-burdened
Pinehurst, NC$2,095/mo50.3%severely rent-burdened
Beaufort, NC$2,098/mo50.4%severely rent-burdened
Vass, NC$2,100/mo50.4%severely rent-burdened
Navassa, NC$2,103/mo50.5%severely rent-burdened
Cameron, NC$2,123/mo51%severely rent-burdened
Midland, NC$2,213/mo53.1%severely rent-burdened
Fletcher, NC$2,269/mo54.5%severely rent-burdened
Mc Leansville, NC$2,293/mo55%severely rent-burdened
Surf City, NC$2,296/mo55.1%severely rent-burdened
Kill Devil Hills, NC$2,300/mo55.2%severely rent-burdened
Emerald Isle, NC$2,300/mo55.2%severely rent-burdened
Harrisburg, NC$2,392/mo57.4%severely rent-burdened
Carolina Beach, NC$2,580/mo61.9%severely rent-burdened
Waxhaw, NC$2,607/mo62.6%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).