CostBy County

Cost of Living in Pender County, North Carolina

$1,106/mo
Median Monthly Rent
$299,000
Median Home Value

At a Glance

Median Monthly Rent
$1,106/mo
13% above state average
Median Home Value
$299,000
10% below national
Census GRAPI
30.1%
Median gross rent as % of renter income

Rent burden measured as median gross rent as a percentage of renter household income (Census ACS B25071)

Affordability Rating
Stretched
Median gross rent is 30–50% of renter household income

These figures are county medians, not a personal budget. Use them to frame rent, ownership, and income tradeoffs, then account for household size, commute, financing, insurance, taxes, debt, and local availability before making a decision.

How Pender County Compares

Median monthly rent comparison

Pender County$1,106/mo
North Carolina Average$977/mo
National Median$1,413/mo

Detailed Housing Stats

$1,106/mo
Median Gross Rent
$299,000
Median Home Value
$1,241/mo
Monthly Owner Cost
30.1%
Census GRAPI

National Ranking

Affordability Rank

Pender County ranks #2,539 of 3,142 counties for affordability (bottom 19%)

Most AffordableLeast Affordable

Sourced county brief

Median Home Value in Pender County Estimated at $299,000

The median home value in Pender County was estimated at $299,000, which is $63,688 above the North Carolina unweighted county mean of $235,312. Median gross rent in the county is $1,106 per month, exceeding the state unweighted county mean of $977. The official ACS B25071 median gross rent as a percentage of household income (GRAPI) is 30.1%. This figure is 1.2 percentage points higher than the state unweighted county mean of 28.9%. For owner-occupied housing, the median selected monthly owner cost is $1,241, while the state unweighted county mean for this metric is $927. The median renter-household income was reported as $48,925. These data are derived from the 2020-2024 ACS 5-year estimates and provide a specific snapshot of the county’s housing finances at that time. See ACS table B25071 for the underlying estimate.

Cost of Living Advisory: Pender County

Affordability Verdict

ACS B25071 estimates median gross rent at 30.1% of renter household income in Pender County, which is between the 30% and 50% rent-burden benchmarks. This is a median percentage among renter-occupied units, not the share of households above a threshold.

Rent vs. Own

Median gross rent is $1,106 per month; median selected monthly owner costs are $1,241. These ACS medians describe different tenure groups and are not a personalized rent-versus-buy calculation.

Income Needed

Using the common 30% budgeting benchmark, $44,240 in annual gross income would allocate 30% to the county's median gross rent. This is a reproducible illustration, not evidence that a particular household can afford housing.

Regional Context

The North Carolina unweighted mean of county median rents is $977 per month. Pender County's $1,106 median is 13.2% above that comparison value.

Data version acs5-2020-2024 · Method cost-advisory-v2

Affordability Calculator

See how your income compares to housing costs in Pender County

$

Rent Burden

16.5%

of gross income

Max Housing (28% Rule)

$1,876

per month

Owner Cost Burden

18.5%

of gross income

The median home in Pender County may be a stretch

Median home value is $299,000. Estimated monthly cost: $2,387 vs. your max of $1,876.

Rent Affordability Guide

Your entered rent as a share of entered income16.5%
Recommended max30.0%

Income Needed Calculator

See how much you need to earn to comfortably afford housing

$
Rent Affordability

$0/yr

Needed to stay within recommended threshold

Median income:$0/yr
Can you afford it? Yes
Your income: $80,396Needed: $44,240
Owner Cost Affordability

$0/yr

Needed to stay within recommended threshold

Median income:$0/yr
Can you afford it? Yes
Your income: $80,396Needed: $53,186
Mortgage Affordability

$0/yr

Needed to stay within recommended threshold

Median income:$0/yr
Can you afford it? Yes
Your income: $80,396Needed: $69,585

Based on the 30% rule for rent and 28% rule for housing costs (mortgage + owner costs). Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 7.2% interest, 30-year fixed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in Pender County, North Carolina?
Pender County, North Carolina has a median monthly rent of $1,106/mo and a median home value of $299,000. The affordability rating is Stretched, with median gross rent equal to approximately 30.1% of renter household income.
What is the median rent in Pender County?
The median gross rent in Pender County is $1,106/mo. This is 13% above state average for North Carolina.
Is Pender County affordable?
Pender County is rated Stretched using the Census median gross-rent-as-a-percentage-of-income measure of 30.1%. Median gross rent is 30–50% of renter household income.
How does Pender County's rent compare to the state average?
Pender County's median rent of $1,106/mo is 13% above state average of $977/mo for North Carolina.
What is the median home value in Pender County?
The median home value in Pender County, North Carolina is $299,000. This is 10% below the national median home value of $332,700.

Counties with Similar Housing Costs

Sponsored

Planning a Move?

Researching the cost of living in Pender County, North Carolina? Compare moving quotes from top providers and save on your relocation.

Compare Moving Quotes
Sponsored

Compare Mortgage Rates in Pender County

Whether you're buying in Pender County, North Carolina, or refinancing, compare rates from top lenders using the terms each lender provides.

See Today's Rates
Published by the CostByCounty Editorial Team. See our methodology and corrections policy.Data build reviewed 2026-07-09; first published 2026-03-10.

Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2020-2024). Data is informational only and is not personalized financial advice.

CostByCounty participates in affiliate programs. We may earn a commission when you use our links, at no extra cost to you.