North Carolina ranks #25 of 51 for home affordability in 2026.
Home Affordability (Price-to-Income) by State
Low → High
Source: Census ACS + Zillow (ACS 2023 × ZHVI 2026)
Updated 2026-04-25. Click any state for the full breakdown.
North Carolina home affordability is 4.751 as of ACS 2023 × ZHVI 2026, according to Census ACS + Zillow. That puts North Carolina at rank #25 of 50 US states, below the national average of 4.823.
Among North Carolina's neighbors, Virginia shows 4.586, Tennessee shows 4.933, Georgia shows 4.449. Use the CalcFi compare view to line all of them up: /maps/compare?cat=affordability&states=nc,va,tn,ga. Nearby states share labor markets and housing corridors, so the comparison is usually the most relevant one.
Top North Carolina metros include Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro. City-level home affordability data drops in Q3 2026 once BLS releases its metro-area tables for the year. Raleigh is the state capital. Until then, the state-level number is the best available read.
9 cities ranked by home affordability (price-to-income) by state. Lower is better.
Note: Median home price divided by median household income. State map uses Zillow ZHVI ÷ ACS B19013; city uses Census/Zillow seed — same formula, different vintage.
Price-to-income ratio computed as Zillow ZHVI (state median home value, all homes, smoothed seasonally adjusted) divided by Census ACS 1-year median household income (B19013). Higher ratio = harder to afford. Both inputs are state aggregates — county and metro variance can be substantial.