States › North Carolina › Tarboro

Is Tarboro, NC expensive to live in?

OKRent takes 22 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$97644% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$53,705about $4,475/month · 38% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$185,50044% lower than U.S. average

Rent is lower than in 89% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs about 3.5 years of household income.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $39,040 a year. That is $19 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 26 of 164 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Tarboro
$976
Rolesville
$1,142
Winterville
$1,863
Mount Airy
$848
Elon
$2,163
Waynesville
$1,800
Pineville
$1,836

How much do households earn in Tarboro?

Under $25k
28.2%
$25k–50k
21.3%
$50k–100k
21.4%
$100k–150k
16.5%
$150k+
6.4%

Share of households by yearly income. 22.9% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Tarboro

SizeTarboroU.S. average
1 bedroom$754$1,324
2 bedrooms$842$1,509
3 bedrooms$1,023$1,698

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

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

Taxes and bills in Tarboro

🏛️ Property tax$1,617a year · 0.87% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$194a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Tarboro

Commute to work20.8 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree26.5%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home57.2%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line18.5%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment4.5%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Tarboro?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $311 a month less.

Renting
$976
Owning
$1,287

Owning assumes a typical $185,500 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $18,550 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Tarboro, NC?

Renting in Tarboro costs a median of about $976 a month in 2026, including utilities. The North Carolina median is $1,496.

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

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $39,040 a year, or $19 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Tarboro cheap or expensive?

Tarboro is rated OK: rent takes 21.8% of the typical household income of $53,705. It ranks 26th cheapest of 164 North Carolina cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Tarboro?

The median homeowner in Tarboro pays $1,617 a year in property taxes, about 0.87% of the median home value.

Is Tarboro 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 Tarboro?

The median home value in Tarboro is $185,500, about 3.5 times the typical yearly household income.

10,770 people live in Tarboro. Numbers are typical (middle) values.