ZIP Code · NC

ZIP 28217

Part of Charlotte, NC

Pop. 32,064·Mecklenburg County·128th most expensive ZIP in North Carolina

Median rent (all units)

$1,617/mo

Year-over-Year

+2.3%

Month-over-Month

+0.8%

vs US Median

-$315

Reported rents

Rising (Monthly)

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Most AffordableMost Expensive

ZIP 28217 · $1,617

More affordable than 64% of US ZIP codes · National median $1,932/mo

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Compare your rent to the local median.

Medians by bedroom

Rent by unit size

Studio

$1,302

1 BR

$1,362

2 BR

$1,492

3 BR

$1,834

4 BR+

$2,337

Research median

$1,492/mo

Bedroom estimates are gross rents that include essential utilities (electricity, water, gas, sewer, trash).

Rent trends

12-month history

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Last updated: October 17, 2026

From the history

What the numbers show

Cheapest month to sign

March. Asking rents in ZIP 28217 usually run 1.1% below trend in March and 1% above it in July, about $34 a month apart at today's median. Based on 5 years of data.

Compared with the peak

Rent in ZIP 28217 is 2.5% below its high of $1,659 in April 2023, at $1,617 as of September 2026.

Past year vs. the rest of North Carolina

Rent in ZIP 28217 changed +2.3% over the year to September 2026. Across the 190 North Carolina ZIP codes Zillow tracks, the typical change was +2.6%.

Recent direction

Rent has risen 3 months in a row, and rose in 8 of the last 12 months.

What a typical income covers

30% of the median household income ($64,028) is $1,601 a month. That is less than HUD's Fair Market Rent for a studio ($1,710).

Rank in Charlotte

9th cheapest of 23 ZIP codes in Charlotte.

Cheaper nearby

ZIP 28210, 4 miles away, rents for 13% less ($1,406/mo), about $2,500 a year in savings.

From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for ZIP 28217. 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.

Annual cost

$19,404/yr

At $1,617/mo median

Location

CityCharlotte

StateNC

CountyMecklenburg County

Rent Market Meter

Landlord's Market

Renter's MarketBalancedLandlord's Market

Rents are climbing (2.3% YoY), so leverage tilts toward landlords. Act sooner rather than later.

Based on rent-price momentum (+2.3% YoY, +0.8% MoM), not inventory.

Demographics

Who lives here

ZIP 28217 (Charlotte, NC) is majority renter-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income below the national average, 37.6% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Population

32,064

Median income

$64,028

Median age

31.2

Renters

70%

Age distribution

25.4%

32.4%

25.3%

Under 1825.4%

18–3432.4%

35–5425.3%

55–649.4%

65+7.5%

Gender

49.6%

50.4%

Male49.6%

Female50.4%

Race & ethnicity

19.9%

37.3%

33.6%

White19.9%

Black37.3%

Hispanic33.6%

Asian8.7%

Other0.5%

Education (25+)

18.8%

21.8%

37.6%

No HS diploma18.8%

HS diploma21.8%

Some college21.8%

Bachelor's+37.6%

Housing tenure

30%

70%

Owner30%

Renter70%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates

2021 vs 2026

How ZIP 28217 in Charlotte, NC has changed in 5 years

Rent

$1,346 → $1,617

up 20.1%

Income

$55,075 → $64,028

up 16.3%

Population

31,338 → 32,064

up 2.3%

Renter share

67.6% → 70%

+2.4 pts

Bachelor's+

31.4% → 37.6%

+6.2 pts

Rent in ZIP 28217 in Charlotte, NC has increased 20.1% since 2021, going from about $1,346 per month to roughly $1,617 today. Census figures show median household income at $64,028 today, compared with $55,075 five years earlier. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 3.8 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 31,338 to 32,064 between 2021 and 2024, a 2.3% change. About 70% of households rent today, against 67.6% in 2021. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 31.4% to 37.6%. The combined trend lines point to a market that has changed measurably from where it stood in early 2021.

Community

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About renting in ZIP 28217

Last updated: October 17, 2026

ZIP code 28217 covers Charlotte, NC. The median rent here is $1,617/mo as of October 2026. A 1-bedroom rents for a median of $1,362/mo. A 2-bedroom rents for a median of $1,492/mo.

At 30% of local median household income ($64,028/yr), ZIP 28217 ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.3% over the past year.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much income do you need to rent in ZIP 28217?

To keep rent at or below 30% of gross income, you would need to earn at least $65,000/year (about $31/hour full-time) to afford the median rent of $1,617/mo in ZIP 28217. The local median household income is $64,028/yr, so the typical household falls short of that bar.

Is rent going up or down in ZIP 28217?

Rent in ZIP 28217 has risen 2.3% over the past year as of September 2026. It sits 2.5% below its high of $1,659 in April 2023.

When is the cheapest time to rent in ZIP 28217?

Asking rents in ZIP 28217 are usually lowest in March, about 1.1% below their yearly trend, and highest in July, about 1% above it. At today's median that is a gap of roughly $34 a month. This pattern comes from 5 years of Zillow rent data.

How does ZIP 28217 compare to other ZIPs in North Carolina?

ZIP 28217 is in the middle among North Carolina ZIP codes for rent, ranking #128 of 230 at $1,617/mo. Over the year to September 2026, rent in ZIP 28217 changed +2.3%, against a typical +2.6% across the 190 North Carolina ZIP codes Zillow tracks.