The 5 Most Affordable Places to Buy In North Carolina  

Part of the appeal of living in North Carolina is the diversity. We’ve got a thriving financial hub, summertime vacation resorts, and top retirement communities. Want waterfront? Pick between Outer Banks seaside towns, rivers, or lakes. Want a farming community? The coastal plains have you covered. Dream of mountain living? The Blue Ridge Mountains form the western border. Do you prefer big city perks? Pick between Charlotte or Raleigh-Durham. See, North Carolina has you covered!

North Carolina ranks 17th nationally for its housing affordability, but not everywhere in the state is on par with this affordability. Naturally, some cities have more expensive real estate markets because their perks attract more people, increasing the demand for housing. But some are incredibly affordable places to buy a home in North Carolina and the nation.

We dove headfirst into the reported median housing values from the US Census in 2022 and analyzed the median sale prices of single-family homes in the third quarter of 2023. Our list pinpoints the North Carolina metro areas where your budget will do a happy dance.

Lumberton 

If you’re looking for the absolute best deal you can in North Carolina real estate, then the Lumberton micropolitan area is the place to look. The owner-occupied real estate had a median value of $83,500. 

With just 18,000 residents, Lumberton is a small town in North Carolina and proud of its identity. The Lumber River State Park flows through its downtown, whose 115 miles are designated a cultural and scenic waterway. The dark winding waters are prized as a National Wild and Scenic River. Naturally, outdoor recreation is one of the top regional draws. Culturally, the greater Lumber region is home to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Accessing the state is easy, as Lumberton is in the southern coastal plain near the intersection of I-95 and I-74.

Lumberton is the seat for Robeson County, where in October 2023, median home prices were reported at $250,000. 

Roanoke Rapids 

Find Roanoke Rapids close to the North Carolina and Virginia border. What residents prize about living in this more rural area is the peaceful, lakefront living. The town sits beside the dam, namesake lake and river.

Visitors use it as a jumping-off point for their laidback lake vacation. The town is easy to reach thanks to I-95 running through its center. Besides boating and fishing on its pristine lake and rivers, the city prides itself on its historical attractions, primarily the Roanoke Canal and Museum Trail. 

The people who choose to buy a home in Roanoke Rapids are looking for that friendly lifestyle where the neighbors know your name and the servers at your favorite diner learn your order. Its housing median value was $98,400, which incorporated the nearby small towns of Belmont, Gaston, and Weldon. Roanoke Rapids is a population center for Halifax County, whose numerous small towns fall under its micropolitan umbrella. The median home price in October 2023 was $189,200.

North Wilkesboro 

Welcome to the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains, where waters flow down clear, and the echoes of engines roar through the ages. The town’s location first made it a textile and furniture manufacturing center. Later, Wilkesboro was a center for bootlegging, where putting the pedal to the medal led to the first NASCAR track. The local culture prizes free spirits and entrepreneurship but also cherishes the mom-and-pop business key to the small-town lifestyle.

Two rivers intersect here, the Yadkin and the Reddie. A large network of creeks and runs flows into these iconic waterways, forming the Kerr Scott Reservoir just west of town. Locals have abundant outdoor recreation in the many parks and trails just outside the main town. As a foothills town, North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains are at residents’ doorstep. That means easy access to hiking, mountain biking, fly fishing, and other mountain fun. The ski resorts in Boone are about a 45-minute drive away. 

But Wilkesboro still nurtures its need to speed, with NASCAR returning to the North Wilkesboro Speedway in 2023 for races in the spring and fall.

North Wilkesboro is like a suburb of greater Wilkesboro, the main town immediately to its south. With just over 4,000 residents in 2020, its homes had a median value of $151,300. Find the town in Wilkes County, a micro-region with an October 2023 median sale price of $235,000. 

Rocky Mount 

Rocky Mount has a suburban feel, and that’s just the way the people who live there like it.  The fourth-most affordable place in North Carolina is one of the largest on this list, with 54,000 residents. Nonetheless, Rocky Mount emphasizes small-town values. It’s the kind of place where everyone heads down to the baseball fields on the weekend to cheer on their kids. Where community theater and performance art is prized, as are quiet walks in the woods. 

The town is large enough to be home to a Wesleyan college, a children’s museum and science center, and a planetarium. And the government is working hard to bring more growth through economic development. It has a new entertainment district in the old Mills area, now with an outdoor music stage, picnic space, and craft breweries. It feels very modern but still maintains its friendly roots. 

Affordable living with amenities is one of the reasons Rocky Mount ranked one of the top 5 places to buy a home in the nation for 2022. The median home values here were $166,100. The micro-region covers two counties, Edgecombe and Nash, where the October average median sold price was $177,500.

Goldsboro 

The fifth least expensive place to buy a North Carolina home brings us to Goldsboro. At the end of I-795, this town has 33,000 residents, many of whom are associated with the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. 

Fighter wings grace the skies, while on the ground, the charming downtown has transformed into a unique Streetscape, a series of parks and walkable blocks framed by historic buildings and businesses. It’s a new form of an urban lifestyle center, complete with a landmark theater, art walks, and First Friday community events. 

Here, the median home value was $166,400. Goldsboro is the epicenter of the region, which includes rural Wayne County. The October 2023 median sold price was $250,000. 

Buying a Home In North Carolina

With lower living costs and small-town charm, these regions are an appealing alternative for those seeking a more tranquil and budget-friendly lifestyle. These top affordable North Carolina cities to buy a home are a unique opportunity to embrace the simplicity and natural beauty of rural North Carolina. And these affordable neighborhoods are diverse, with waterfront or foothills options.  

As another perk, you may qualify for a USDA home loan when buying here because of their rural nature. Learn about the program, or more about any of these communities, with a local real estate agent.