States › North Carolina › Albemarle

Is Albemarle, NC expensive to live in?

OKRent takes 27 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$1,12236% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$50,561about $4,213/month · 42% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$204,80038% lower than U.S. average

Rent is lower than in 81% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs about 4.1 years of household income.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $44,880 a year. That is $22 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other North Carolina cities?

Yes. Rent here is cheaper than in most of North Carolina. It is number 41 of 164 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Albemarle
$1,122
Stallings
$1,980
Southern Pines
$2,142
Murraysville
$1,923
Morganton
$1,281
Havelock
$1,368
Hope Mills
$1,692

How much do households earn in Albemarle?

Under $25k
22.6%
$25k–50k
25.6%
$50k–100k
23.7%
$100k–150k
13.4%
$150k+
3.9%

Share of households by yearly income. 17.3% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Albemarle

SizeAlbemarleU.S. average
1 bedroom$599$1,324
2 bedrooms$916$1,509
3 bedrooms$1,360$1,698
4 bedrooms$1,005$2,098

Median monthly rent plus utilities for all renters, by number of bedrooms.

How expensive is Albemarle overall?

Everyday prices in North Carolina overall are 6% below the U.S. average (index 94.3, U.S. = 100).

Housing
81
Goods (food, clothes…)
97
Utilities
89
Other services
98
U.S. average
100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024. City-level data is not published for Albemarle, so the North Carolina figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Albemarle

🏛️ Property tax$1,396a year · 0.68% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$189a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Albemarle

Commute to work24.1 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree20.4%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home56.3%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line24.9%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment5.6%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Albemarle?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $299 a month less.

Renting
$1,122
Owning
$1,421

Owning assumes a typical $204,800 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $20,480 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Albemarle, NC?

Renting in Albemarle costs a median of about $1,122 a month in 2026, including utilities. The North Carolina median is $1,496.

How much do I need to make to live in Albemarle?

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $44,880 a year, or $22 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Albemarle cheap or expensive?

Albemarle is rated OK: rent takes 26.6% of the typical household income of $50,561. It ranks 41st cheapest of 164 North Carolina cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Albemarle?

The median homeowner in Albemarle pays $1,396 a year in property taxes, about 0.68% of the median home value.

Is Albemarle more expensive than the national average?

Overall prices in North Carolina are 6% below the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

How much does a house cost in Albemarle?

The median home value in Albemarle is $204,800, about 4.1 times the typical yearly household income.

16,762 people live in Albemarle. Numbers are typical (middle) values.