Department of Numbers

Guilford County North Carolina Residential Rent and Rental Statistics

The median monthly gross residential rent in Guilford County NC was $911 in 2019 according to the Census ACS survey.1 Average gross rent in Guilford County was $919 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 Guilford County median and average rent data will be released in September of 2021.

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

Show dollars as: Nominal Real

Real Gross Rent in Guilford County 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%
Guilford County NC Median Gross Rent $911 +2.59% +8.07%

Guilford County NC Real Gross Rent Trends

At $911, real median gross rent in Guilford County was at its highest level in 2019 since the series began in 2005. At $919, real average gross rent in Guilford County was at its highest level in 2019 since the series began in 2005.

Real Gross Rent: Guilford County NC Median, Guilford County NC Average, North Carolina Median, US Median

Lower quartile, median and upper quartile real gross rent

Real Gross Rent History for Guilford County

Date US
Median
North Carolina
Median
Guilford County NC
Median
Guilford County NC
Average
2019 $1,097 $931 $911 $919
2018 $1,077 $916 $888 $900
2017 $1,043 $888 $859 $890
2016 $1,027 $879 $843 $838
2015 $1,017 $877 $849 $869
2014 $986 $848 $831 $833
2013 $953 $819 $780 $795
2012 $940 $804 $773 $796
2011 $941 $805 $787 $800
2010 $955 $817 $784 $799
2009 $960 $821 $814 $829

more history ...

Guilford County 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 Guilford County North Carolina was 5.98% according to Census ACS data.

Rental Vacancy Rate in Guilford County North Carolina

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 5.97% -0.18% +0.08%
North Carolina 6.60% -0.43% -0.39%
Guilford County NC 5.98% +1.30% -2.79%

Trends in Guilford County NC Rental Vacancy Rate

The rental vacancy rate in Guilford County peaked in 2008 at 15.21%. Since then it has fallen by 9.23% to 5.98%. Data records for this series originated in 2005. From a 2018 post peak low of 4.68%, the rental vacancy rate has increased by 1.30%.

Rental Vacancy Rate: Guilford County NC, North Carolina, US

Rental vacancy rate in North Carolina

Historical Rental Vacancy Rate data for Guilford County

Date US North Carolina Guilford County NC
2019 5.97% 6.60% 5.98%
2018 6.15% 7.03% 4.68%
2017 6.18% 6.77% 6.90%
2016 5.89% 6.99% 8.77%
2015 5.85% 7.02% 10.51%
2014 6.32% 7.29% 9.41%
2013 6.49% 7.46% 8.61%
2012 6.77% 8.00% 9.11%
2011 7.40% 9.31% 9.62%
2010 8.17% 9.97% 11.92%
2009 8.43% 10.10% 15.05%

more history ...

Rent as a Fraction of Income

Using median household income data for Guilford County, we can calculate the fraction of income the median household would use to pay rent at the median monthly gross rent rate. For Guilford County, median monthly gross rent as a fraction of median household income was 19.76% in 2019 according to the ACS.

Guilford County 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%
Guilford County NC 19.76% -0.44% -0.68%

Trends in Guilford County NC Rent as a Fraction of Income

The fraction of median Guilford County household income required to pay median monthly gross rent peaked in 2014 (relative to the 2005 series origin) at 21.43%. Since then it has fallen by 1.67% to 19.76%.

Fraction of Income towards Rent: Guilford County NC, North Carolina, US

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

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

Date US North Carolina Guilford County NC
2019 20.03% 19.48% 19.76%
2018 20.50% 20.05% 20.20%
2017 20.13% 19.59% 19.19%
2016 20.43% 19.90% 20.44%
2015 20.63% 20.75% 20.09%
2014 20.89% 20.70% 21.43%
2013 20.78% 20.34% 19.45%
2012 20.65% 20.09% 20.43%
2011 20.70% 20.36% 20.15%
2010 20.50% 20.25% 20.01%
2009 20.12% 19.78% 19.40%

more history ...

Renter Fraction in Guilford County North Carolina

You can calculate the renter fraction in Guilford County 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 Guilford County as a fraction of total Guilford County households. In 2019 42.19% of households were renters according to Census ACS data.

Guilford County 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%
Guilford County NC 42.19% -0.53% -0.53%

Trends in the Guilford County NC Renter Fraction

The Guilford County household renter fraction peaked in in 2016 at 42.72% and is now 0.53% below that level. The origin year for the series is 2005.

Fraction of Renting Households: Guilford County NC, North Carolina, US

Fraction of renters in Guilford County

History of Guilford County Renter Fraction

Date US North Carolina Guilford County NC
2019 35.89% 34.69% 42.19%
2018 36.05% 34.86% 42.72%
2017 36.13% 34.60% 41.35%
2016 36.88% 35.78% 42.72%
2015 36.97% 36.13% 41.70%
2014 36.90% 35.75% 42.47%
2013 36.50% 35.74% 42.08%
2012 36.09% 34.56% 40.00%
2011 35.42% 33.49% 37.43%
2010 34.65% 32.83% 38.85%
2009 34.13% 32.81% 36.71%

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.