Housing data for Kinston, NC
Kinston, NC has an estimated 19,505 residents and 10,599 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Lenoir County.
57.5% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $867 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−4.4%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 19,505 (±26)
- Housing units
- 10,599 (±395)
- Households that rent
- 57.5%
- Median gross rent
- $867
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −4.4%
What stands out in Kinston
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 19.0% (±3.6 points) in Kinston, higher than in Lenoir County (8.5%).
Households without a vehicle: 17.0% (±2.8 points) in Kinston, higher than in Lenoir County (9.1%).
Households that rent: 57.5% (±4.2 points) in Kinston, higher than in Lenoir County (40.8%).
Homes built before 1980: 74.8% (±6.3 points) in Kinston, higher than in Lenoir County (54.3%).
- Types of homes in Kinston
- Commute and cars in Kinston
- Renters and owners in Kinston
- Age of homes in Kinston
Housing in Kinston at a glance
- Median rent: $867 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $903 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 47.4% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 57.5% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $36,878 median household income
- Home values: $119,300 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,403 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $1,258 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 19.0% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 55.7% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 74.8% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 2.4% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 54.7% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 20.7 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 776 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: −4.4% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 23.6% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 4.2% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Kinston against Lenoir County, its state and the nation
| Kinston | Lenoir County | North Carolina | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 19,505 (±26) | 54,919 (exact) | 10,730,404 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 10,599 (±395) | 26,879 (±37) | 4,895,668 (±642) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 57.5% (±4.2 points) | 40.8% (±2.8 points) | 33.4% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $867 (±$39) | $861 (±$28) | $1,228 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $36,878 (±$2,930) | $45,143 (±$2,547) | $72,388 (±$324) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $119,300 (±$16,128) | $120,500 (±$7,092) | $288,900 (±$1,086) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $1,258 (±$109) | $1,015 (±$72) | $1,896 (±$8) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 74.8% (±6.3 points) | 54.3% (±3.3 points) | 33.9% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 20.7 minutes (±2.5) | 24.3 minutes (±1.5) | 25.1 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 77.8% (±3.5 points) | 81.3% (±2.2 points) | 90.1% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 42.9 years (±2.8) | 41.9 years (±0.7) | 39.1 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Kinston covers 18.3 square miles of land, about 1,067 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Kinston has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 20,398 (±35) | 19,505 (±26) | −4.4% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 11,298 (±337) | 10,599 (±395) | −6.2% | Measurable decrease |
| Median gross rent | $703 (±$36) | $867 (±$39) | +23.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $101,800 (±$7,644) | $119,300 (±$16,128) | +17.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $33,066 (±$3,625) | $36,878 (±$2,930) | +11.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,211 (±$105) | $1,403 (±$123) | +15.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,338 (±$113) | $1,258 (±$109) | −6.0% | Down after inflation |
| Households that rent | 57.7% (±3.6 points) | 57.5% (±4.2 points) | −0.2 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 10.9% (±3.0 points) | 2.4% (±2.0 points) | −8.5 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Kinston
In 2025, the Kinston Police Department reported 776 violent and 4,039 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Lenoir County, the departments that report recorded 391 violent and 2,155 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
Places near Kinston
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | 9.9 mi | $929 | $131,800 | 40.3% |
| Hookerton | 10 mi | $717 | $78,400 | 56.6% |
| Grifton | 11 mi | — | $152,700 | 62.4% |
| La Grange | 11 mi | $735 | $83,800 | 53.9% |
| Snow Hill | 13 mi | $696 | $135,700 | 54.4% |
| Maury | 14 mi | $934 | — | 48.7% |
| Seven Springs | 15 mi | — | — | 0.0% |
| Walnut Creek | 16 mi | $1,788 | $468,700 | 12.6% |
Places in North Carolina most like Kinston
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henderson | $848 | $123,800 | $39,969 | 61.1% |
| Laurinburg | $774 | $134,200 | $42,170 | 53.4% |
| Reidsville | $822 | $138,800 | $42,921 | 47.2% |
| Chocowinity | $794 | $114,300 | $41,382 | 53.5% |
| Spindale | $755 | $167,400 | $41,262 | 56.4% |
| Ramseur | $683 | $155,300 | $35,923 | 55.4% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across North Carolina.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Kinston, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $783 | $788 | $1,012 | $1,273 | $1,508 |
HUD income limits for Kinston, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $16,450 | $27,450 | $43,900 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $31,350 | $50,150 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $35,250 | $56,400 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $39,150 | $62,650 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $42,300 | $67,700 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $45,450 | $72,700 |
| 7 people | $48,550 | $48,550 | $77,700 |
| 8 people | $51,700 | $51,700 | $82,700 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Lenoir County, NC, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $65,100.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Kinston
What is the average rent in Kinston, NC?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Kinston is $867 (±$39) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Kinston?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Kinston, NC is $475 (±$133) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Kinston rent-burdened?
47.4% of renting households in Kinston pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Kinston?
Kinston has an estimated 5,108 (±478) renting households, 57.5% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Kinston?
The median household income in Kinston is $36,878 (±$2,930) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Kinston, NC?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $119,300 (±$16,128) for owner-occupied homes in Kinston (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Kinston growing?
In Kinston, the number of residents went from 20,398 in 2015–2019 to 19,505 in 2020–2024 (−4.4%), a measurable decrease.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Kinston city, North Carolina
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Kinston city, North Carolina
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Kinston city, North Carolina
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Kinston city, North Carolina
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Kinston city, North Carolina
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Kinston city, North Carolina
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Kinston city, North Carolina
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Lenoir County, NC
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Lenoir County, NC
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Kinston Police Department (ORI NC0540100)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Kinston city, North Carolina (place:35920, in state:37).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .