Ranked from official statistics; every city opens its own guide.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Among the 100 largest places in North Carolina, Rolesville has the lowest share of income going to rent (8.7%), followed by Lake Norman of Iredell and Summerfield. Click any column to sort; click a city for its guide.
Across the 100 places in North Carolina that we cover, the median is 21.6% and the average 21.1%; the figure runs from 8.7% (Rolesville) to 44.3% (Boone). That is a spread of 5.1 times between the two ends.
The first five are Rolesville, Lake Norman of Iredell, Summerfield, Davidson, Weddington. A high or low position is not good or bad on its own: read it together with the other measures on the city pages. Use the Compare tab on each city page to see how two places differ across income, rent, commute and education, and check the county page for the local job market.
| # ⇅ | City ⇅ | County ⇅ | Yearly rent as share of income ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rolesville | Wake County | 8.7% | 10,766 | $149,565 | $1,085 |
| 2 | Lake Norman of Iredell (unincorporated) | Iredell County | 9.2% | 12,494 | $173,542 | $1,327 |
| 3 | Summerfield | Guilford County | 11.4% | 11,116 | $160,275 | $1,521 |
| 4 | Davidson | Mecklenburg County | 11.9% | 15,660 | $166,556 | $1,652 |
| 5 | Weddington | Union County | 12.1% | 13,805 | $190,766 | $1,927 |
| 6 | Lewisville | Forsyth County | 13.0% | 13,828 | $100,917 | $1,095 |
| 7 | Lake Norman of Catawba (unincorporated) | Catawba County | 14.0% | 9,906 | $112,656 | $1,319 |
| 8 | Cary | Wake County | 15.5% | 179,306 | $134,905 | $1,738 |
| 9 | Wake Forest | Wake County | 15.5% | 52,844 | $123,802 | $1,596 |
| 10 | Myrtle Grove (unincorporated) | New Hanover County | 15.5% | 12,637 | $113,463 | $1,463 |
| 11 | Apex | Wake County | 15.8% | 70,630 | $144,135 | $1,902 |
| 12 | Lenoir | Caldwell County | 16.0% | 18,299 | $49,910 | $664 |
| 13 | Hillsborough | Orange County | 16.7% | 9,724 | $98,163 | $1,368 |
| 14 | Waxhaw | Union County | 16.7% | 22,275 | $131,894 | $1,840 |
| 15 | Anderson Creek (unincorporated) | Harnett County | 17.2% | 13,927 | $87,287 | $1,251 |
| 16 | Belmont | Gaston County | 17.3% | 15,546 | $94,883 | $1,365 |
| 17 | Thomasville | Davidson County | 17.3% | 27,321 | $60,935 | $879 |
| 18 | Clemmons | Forsyth County | 17.4% | 21,871 | $87,655 | $1,269 |
| 19 | Morrisville | Wake County | 17.8% | 31,422 | $125,396 | $1,858 |
| 20 | Fuquay-Varina | Wake County | 17.9% | 40,485 | $115,497 | $1,720 |
| 21 | Holly Springs | Wake County | 17.9% | 45,248 | $135,578 | $2,021 |
| 22 | Kernersville | Forsyth County | 18.1% | 27,830 | $71,918 | $1,082 |
| 23 | Cornelius | Mecklenburg County | 18.2% | 32,783 | $113,767 | $1,722 |
| 24 | Mint Hill | Mecklenburg County | 18.2% | 27,556 | $100,860 | $1,528 |
| 25 | Pinehurst | Moore County | 18.2% | 18,256 | $109,802 | $1,664 |
| 26 | Smithfield | Johnston County | 18.2% | 12,116 | $43,270 | $658 |
| 27 | Wendell | Wake County | 18.3% | 13,064 | $95,787 | $1,457 |
| 28 | Huntersville | Mecklenburg County | 18.3% | 63,969 | $120,516 | $1,834 |
| 29 | Southern Pines | Moore County | 18.4% | 16,420 | $88,535 | $1,354 |
| 30 | Mebane | Alamance County | 18.5% | 19,538 | $83,174 | $1,283 |
| 31 | Mount Holly | Gaston County | 19.0% | 18,208 | $79,385 | $1,256 |
| 32 | Archdale | Randolph County | 19.2% | 12,087 | $64,757 | $1,034 |
| 33 | Roanoke Rapids | Halifax County | 19.2% | 14,856 | $53,690 | $858 |
| 34 | Knightdale | Wake County | 19.5% | 20,214 | $103,220 | $1,674 |
| 35 | Stallings | Union County | 19.5% | 16,886 | $115,974 | $1,882 |
| 36 | Matthews | Mecklenburg County | 19.5% | 30,577 | $108,611 | $1,764 |
| 37 | Hickory | Catawba County | 19.8% | 44,258 | $64,576 | $1,063 |
| 38 | Piney Green (unincorporated) | Onslow County | 20.0% | 14,078 | $72,177 | $1,202 |
| 39 | Concord | Cabarrus County | 20.0% | 108,719 | $86,921 | $1,451 |
| 40 | Eden | Rockingham County | 20.3% | 15,356 | $47,260 | $799 |
| 41 | Tarboro | Edgecombe County | 20.3% | 10,770 | $49,796 | $843 |
| 42 | Carrboro | Orange County | 20.6% | 21,204 | $85,743 | $1,470 |
| 43 | Monroe | Union County | 20.6% | 36,759 | $72,540 | $1,246 |
| 44 | Rocky Mount | Nash County | 20.7% | 54,297 | $55,534 | $957 |
| 45 | High Point | Guilford County | 20.7% | 116,245 | $64,561 | $1,116 |
| 46 | Hope Mills | Cumberland County | 20.8% | 17,939 | $65,774 | $1,141 |
| 47 | Newton | Catawba County | 21.1% | 13,333 | $62,015 | $1,091 |
| 48 | New Bern | Craven County | 21.3% | 32,734 | $61,031 | $1,081 |
| 49 | Harrisburg | Cabarrus County | 21.4% | 19,633 | $148,254 | $2,640 |
| 50 | Kannapolis | Cabarrus County | 21.4% | 57,890 | $73,836 | $1,319 |
| 51 | Mount Airy | Surry County | 21.6% | 10,633 | $40,275 | $725 |
| 52 | Mooresville | Iredell County | 21.8% | 52,381 | $89,647 | $1,626 |
| 53 | Sanford | Lee County | 21.9% | 31,478 | $57,586 | $1,052 |
| 54 | Winston-Salem | Forsyth County | 22.0% | 252,037 | $59,268 | $1,087 |
| 55 | Laurinburg | Scotland County | 22.0% | 15,087 | $42,170 | $774 |
| 56 | Morganton | Burke County | 22.1% | 17,646 | $51,355 | $944 |
| 57 | Raleigh | Wake County | 22.1% | 481,031 | $85,395 | $1,572 |
| 58 | Winterville | Pitt County | 22.1% | 10,725 | $83,193 | $1,534 |
| 59 | Durham | Durham County | 22.2% | 291,467 | $81,619 | $1,508 |
| 60 | Burlington | Alamance County | 22.2% | 59,610 | $56,880 | $1,051 |
| 61 | Wilson | Wilson County | 22.2% | 48,370 | $52,485 | $971 |
| 62 | Chapel Hill | Orange County | 22.5% | 61,607 | $85,989 | $1,613 |
| 63 | Albemarle | Stanly County | 22.5% | 16,762 | $46,881 | $880 |
| 64 | Gastonia | Gaston County | 22.6% | 82,884 | $64,059 | $1,204 |
| 65 | Leland | Brunswick County | 22.6% | 29,607 | $91,977 | $1,735 |
| 66 | Statesville | Iredell County | 22.7% | 29,894 | $52,880 | $1,000 |
| 67 | Graham | Alamance County | 22.9% | 18,048 | $56,239 | $1,071 |
| 68 | Greensboro | Guilford County | 22.9% | 301,198 | $61,515 | $1,172 |
| 69 | Indian Trail | Union County | 23.0% | 42,036 | $108,483 | $2,077 |
| 70 | Reidsville | Rockingham County | 23.0% | 14,585 | $42,921 | $822 |
| 71 | Asheboro | Randolph County | 23.0% | 27,580 | $47,197 | $906 |
| 72 | Kings Mountain | Cleveland County | 23.2% | 12,039 | $49,564 | $959 |
| 73 | Waynesville | Haywood County | 23.4% | 10,502 | $54,923 | $1,070 |
| 74 | Shelby | Cleveland County | 23.4% | 22,100 | $48,376 | $945 |
| 75 | Charlotte | Mecklenburg County | 23.6% | 903,844 | $82,068 | $1,612 |
| 76 | Garner | Wake County | 23.6% | 34,473 | $78,756 | $1,549 |
| 77 | Asheville | Buncombe County | 23.7% | 94,535 | $71,102 | $1,402 |
| 78 | Salisbury | Rowan County | 23.9% | 35,825 | $53,716 | $1,071 |
| 79 | Goldsboro | Wayne County | 24.0% | 34,383 | $48,540 | $971 |
| 80 | Morehead City | Carteret County | 24.2% | 9,806 | $56,233 | $1,134 |
| 81 | Lumberton | Robeson County | 24.2% | 18,859 | $42,877 | $866 |
| 82 | Greenville | Pitt County | 24.3% | 92,857 | $49,748 | $1,007 |
| 83 | Lexington | Davidson County | 24.8% | 19,690 | $43,128 | $893 |
| 84 | Lincolnton | Lincoln County | 25.0% | 11,783 | $46,320 | $965 |
| 85 | Wilmington | New Hanover County | 25.1% | 120,805 | $66,738 | $1,395 |
| 86 | Clayton | Johnston County | 25.3% | 29,320 | $78,822 | $1,661 |
| 87 | Henderson | Vance County | 25.5% | 14,885 | $39,969 | $848 |
| 88 | Washington | Beaufort County | 25.6% | 9,726 | $40,186 | $856 |
| 89 | Fayetteville | Cumberland County | 25.7% | 210,815 | $58,407 | $1,250 |
| 90 | Elizabeth City | Pasquotank County | 25.7% | 18,871 | $52,141 | $1,117 |
| 91 | Spout Springs (unincorporated) | Harnett County | 26.1% | 11,242 | $92,402 | $2,010 |
| 92 | Murraysville (unincorporated) | New Hanover County | 26.3% | 16,339 | $81,167 | $1,777 |
| 93 | Havelock | Craven County | 26.3% | 17,691 | $58,408 | $1,280 |
| 94 | Pineville | Mecklenburg County | 26.9% | 11,055 | $69,354 | $1,552 |
| 95 | Jacksonville | Onslow County | 27.5% | 71,279 | $57,697 | $1,321 |
| 96 | Kinston | Lenoir County | 28.2% | 19,505 | $36,878 | $867 |
| 97 | Elon | Alamance County | 29.4% | 11,032 | $84,773 | $2,080 |
| 98 | Hendersonville | Henderson County | 29.9% | 15,408 | $53,449 | $1,332 |
| 99 | Spring Lake | Cumberland County | 31.2% | 11,573 | $51,958 | $1,351 |
| 100 | Boone | Watauga County | 44.3% | 20,032 | $30,065 | $1,111 |
Largest Cities · Cities With the Cheapest Rent · Cities With the Highest Household Income · Cities With the Lowest Unemployment · Cities in the Highest-Paying Counties · Most College-Educated Cities · Cities With the Most Homeowners · Cities With the Most Remote Work · Cities With the Shortest Commutes
Unincorporated places are census-designated places: they have no city government but are counted as communities. Figures describe the city itself.
Rolesville, with 8.7% (among the 100 largest places; ACS 2020–2024).
The 100 largest places in North Carolina by population.