States › North Carolina › Graham

Is Graham, NC expensive to live in?

ExpensiveRent takes 33 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$1,6625% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$60,654about $5,055/month · 30% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$233,80030% lower than U.S. average

Rent is higher than in 50% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs about 3.9 years of household income.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $66,480 a year. That is $32 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other North Carolina cities?

No. Rent here is more expensive than in most of North Carolina. It is number 101 of 164 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Graham
$1,662
Hope Mills
$1,692
Mount Holly
$1,798
Pinehurst
$2,234
Lenoir
$767
Havelock
$1,368
Morganton
$1,281

How much do households earn in Graham?

Under $25k
17.1%
$25k–50k
31.4%
$50k–100k
32.4%
$100k–150k
10.1%
$150k+
3.5%

Share of households by yearly income. 13.6% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Graham

SizeGrahamU.S. average
Studio$1,279$1,338
1 bedroom$884$1,324
2 bedrooms$1,226$1,509
3 bedrooms$1,114$1,698

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

How expensive is Graham 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 Graham, so the North Carolina figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Graham

🏛️ Property tax$1,570a year · 0.67% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$125a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Graham

Commute to work25.6 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree24.7%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home53.2%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line16.8%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment6.8%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Graham?

About the same. Renting and owning cost within $40 of each other each month.

Renting
$1,662
Owning
$1,622

Owning assumes a typical $233,800 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $23,380 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Graham, NC?

Renting in Graham costs a median of about $1,662 a month in 2026, including utilities. The North Carolina median is $1,496.

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

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $66,480 a year, or $32 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Graham cheap or expensive?

Graham is rated Expensive: rent takes 32.9% of the typical household income of $60,654. It ranks 101st cheapest of 164 North Carolina cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Graham?

The median homeowner in Graham pays $1,570 a year in property taxes, about 0.67% of the median home value.

Is Graham 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 Graham?

The median home value in Graham is $233,800, about 3.9 times the typical yearly household income.

18,048 people live in Graham. Numbers are typical (middle) values.