ZIP 28204
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12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
December. Asking rents in ZIP 28204 usually run 1.6% below trend in December and 1.4% above it in August, about $50 a month apart at today's median. Based on 9 years of data.
Rent in ZIP 28204 is 4.9% below its high of $1,757 in March 2023, at $1,671 as of September 2026.
Rent in ZIP 28204 changed -0.5% over the year to September 2026. Across the 190 North Carolina ZIP codes Zillow tracks, the typical change was +2.6%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in ZIP 28204 rose 20.1% while median household income rose 46.5% ($62,850 to $92,054). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in ZIP 28204 is 20.3% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 2 months in a row, and rose in 5 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($92,054) is $2,301 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($2,120); a 2-bedroom is $2,320.
11th cheapest of 23 ZIP codes in Charlotte.
ZIP 28212, 5 miles away, rents for 20% less ($1,340/mo), about $4,000 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for ZIP 28204. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
Who lives here
ZIP 28204 (Charlotte, NC) is majority renter-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income above the national average, 77.7% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How ZIP 28204 in Charlotte, NC has changed in 5 years
The median rent in ZIP 28204 in Charlotte, NC stood at $1,366 in 2021 and currently runs about $1,671, reflecting a 22.3% increase over the period. Median household income rose from $72,500 to $92,054 between 2021 and 2024, a 27.0% shift. On paper, paychecks moved up faster than rent, which softens the affordability squeeze versus the 2021 baseline. The population has grown by 7.7% since 2021, moving from about 8,649 residents to roughly 9,314. Renters now make up 71.6% of households, compared with 76.4% five years ago. College-educated residents now make up 77.7% of adults here, versus 72.7% in 2021. Taken together, the five-year picture in ZIP 28204 in Charlotte, 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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Tips for renters in ZIP 28204
Last updated: October 17, 2026
ZIP code 28204 covers Charlotte, NC. The median rent here is $1,671/mo as of October 2026. A 1-bedroom rents for a median of $1,408/mo. A 2-bedroom rents for a median of $1,541/mo.
At 22% of local median household income ($92,054/yr), ZIP 28204 ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have decreased 0.5% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does ZIP 28204 compare to the rest of Charlotte?
At $1,671/mo, rent takes ~22% of ZIP 28204's median household income ($92,054/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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