Department of Numbers

Winston North Carolina Residential Rent and Rental Statistics

The median monthly gross residential rent in Winston, NC (the Winston-Salem metro area) was $792 in 2019 according to the Census ACS survey.1 Average gross rent in Winston was $780 in 2019. The median rent more accurately depicts rental rates in the middle of the distribution of rents and is thus preferred in the analysis below. 2020 Winston median and average rent data will be released in September of 2021.

Data is also available below for Winston rental vacancy rates, Winston rent as a percent of median income and the fraction of renters in Winston.

Show dollars as: Nominal Real

Real Gross Rent in Winston North Carolina (2019 dollars)2

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US Median Gross Rent $1,097 +1.86% +6.82%
North Carolina Median Gross Rent $931 +1.64% +5.92%
Winston, NC Median Gross Rent $792 +3.12% +5.60%

Winston, NC Real Gross Rent Trends

At $792, real median gross rent in Winston was at its highest level in 2019 since the series began in 2005. At $780, real average gross rent in Winston was at its highest level in 2019 since the series began in 2005.

Real Gross Rent in Winston: Winston NC Median, Winston NC Average, North Carolina Median, US Median

Lower quartile, median and upper quartile real gross rent

Real Gross Rent History for Winston

Date US
Median
North Carolina
Median
Winston, NC
Median
Winston, NC
Average
2019 $1,097 $931 $792 $780
2018 $1,077 $916 $768 $756
2017 $1,043 $888 $753 $744
2016 $1,027 $879 $750 $759
2015 $1,017 $877 $769 $778
2014 $986 $848 $740 $733
2013 $953 $819 $726 $708
2012 $940 $804 $712 $718
2011 $941 $805 $733 $756
2010 $955 $817 $744 $754
2009 $960 $821 $739 $737

more history ...

Winston Rental Vacancy Rate

The rental vacancy rate is the fraction of homes for rent that are not occupied.3 In 2019 the rental vacancy rate for Winston North Carolina was 7.13% according to Census ACS data.

Rental Vacancy Rate in Winston North Carolina

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 5.97% -0.18% +0.08%
North Carolina 6.60% -0.43% -0.39%
Winston, NC 7.13% -0.83% -3.79%

Trends in Winston, NC Rental Vacancy Rate

The rental vacancy rate in Winston peaked in 2008 at 16.05%. Since then it has fallen by 8.92% to 7.13%. Data records for this series originated in 2005.

Rental Vacancy Rate: Winston NC, North Carolina, US

Rental vacancy rate in North Carolina

Historical Rental Vacancy Rate data for Winston

Date US North Carolina Winston, NC
2019 5.97% 6.60% 7.13%
2018 6.15% 7.03% 7.96%
2017 6.18% 6.77% 9.45%
2016 5.89% 6.99% 10.92%
2015 5.85% 7.02% 8.19%
2014 6.32% 7.29% 7.37%
2013 6.49% 7.46% 9.44%
2012 6.77% 8.00% 8.74%
2011 7.40% 9.31% 14.08%
2010 8.17% 9.97% 15.77%
2009 8.43% 10.10% 14.49%

more history ...

Rent as a Fraction of Income

Using median household income data for Winston, we can calculate the fraction of income the median household would use to pay rent at the median monthly gross rent rate. For Winston, median monthly gross rent as a fraction of median household income was 18.16% in 2019 according to the ACS.

Winston North Carolina Median Annual Rent as a Fraction of Median Household Income

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 20.03% -0.47% -0.40%
North Carolina 19.48% -0.57% -0.42%
Winston, NC 18.16% -0.41% +0.16%

Trends in Winston, NC Rent as a Fraction of Income

The fraction of median Winston household income required to pay median monthly gross rent peaked in 2013 (relative to the 2005 series origin) at 19.43%. Since then it has fallen by 1.26% to 18.16%.

Fraction of Income towards Rent: Winston NC, North Carolina, US

Percent of median household income going towards median monthly gross rent in Winston North Carolina

Historical Data for Annual Rent as a Fraction of Income in Winston North Carolina

Date US North Carolina Winston, NC
2019 20.03% 19.48% 18.16%
2018 20.50% 20.05% 18.58%
2017 20.13% 19.59% 17.82%
2016 20.43% 19.90% 18.01%
2015 20.63% 20.75% 19.29%
2014 20.89% 20.70% 19.26%
2013 20.78% 20.34% 19.43%
2012 20.65% 20.09% 19.00%
2011 20.70% 20.36% 19.23%
2010 20.50% 20.25% 18.74%
2009 20.12% 19.78% 17.01%

more history ...

Renter Fraction in Winston North Carolina

You can calculate the renter fraction in Winston in at least two ways: by housing units or by population. I've gone with the housing units measure here. This measure looks at the number of renting households in Winston as a fraction of total Winston households. In 2019 32.28% of households were renters according to Census ACS data.

Winston Fraction of Renters by Household Units

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 35.89% -0.16% -0.99%
North Carolina 34.69% -0.17% -1.09%
Winston, NC 32.28% -3.39% -1.13%

Trends in the Winston, NC Renter Fraction

The Winston household renter fraction peaked in in 2018 at 35.67% and is now 3.39% below that level. The origin year for the series is 2005.

Fraction of Renting Households: Winston NC, North Carolina, US

Fraction of renters in Winston

History of Winston Renter Fraction

Date US North Carolina Winston, NC
2019 35.89% 34.69% 32.28%
2018 36.05% 34.86% 35.67%
2017 36.13% 34.60% 32.21%
2016 36.88% 35.78% 33.41%
2015 36.97% 36.13% 34.99%
2014 36.90% 35.75% 33.88%
2013 36.50% 35.74% 32.05%
2012 36.09% 34.56% 34.75%
2011 35.42% 33.49% 31.82%
2010 34.65% 32.83% 30.58%
2009 34.13% 32.81% 29.73%

more history ...

1. Gross rent is defined as contract rent plus the estimated average monthly cost of utilities (electricity, gas, water, and sewer) and fuel (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.). Because some rentals include utilities and others don't, gross rent is a way of normalizing the variability.

2. Real dollars are calculated using the CPI-U less shelter series.

3. The rental vacancy rate is computed by dividing the number of vacant units for rent by the sum of the renter-occupied units, vacant units that are for rent, and vacant units that have been rented but not yet occupied.