Housing data for Waynesville, NC
Waynesville, NC has an estimated 10,502 residents and 6,057 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a town in Haywood County.
42.7% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,070 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+5.4%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 10,502 (±22)
- Housing units
- 6,057 (±313)
- Households that rent
- 42.7%
- Median gross rent
- $1,070
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +5.4%
What stands out in Waynesville
Households that rent: 42.7% (±4.9 points) in Waynesville, higher than in Haywood County (25.1%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 10.2% (±2.7 points) in Waynesville, higher than in Haywood County (3.5%).
Households without a vehicle: 7.8% (±2.5 points) in Waynesville, higher than in Haywood County (4.0%).
Households that moved in since 2020: 27.1% (±4.9 points) in Waynesville, higher than in Haywood County (20.1%).
- Renters and owners in Waynesville
- Types of homes in Waynesville
- Commute and cars in Waynesville
- How long people stay in Waynesville
Housing in Waynesville at a glance
- Median rent: $1,070 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $991 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 52.3% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 42.7% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $54,923 median household income
- Home values: $281,700 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,660 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $1,706 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 10.2% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 56.7% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 60.4% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 3.1% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 66.9% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 19.7 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 425 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +5.4% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 27.1% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.1% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Waynesville against Haywood County, its state and the nation
| Waynesville | Haywood County | North Carolina | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 10,502 (±22) | 62,662 (exact) | 10,730,404 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 6,057 (±313) | 35,560 (±41) | 4,895,668 (±642) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 42.7% (±4.9 points) | 25.1% (±2.1 points) | 33.4% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,070 (±$120) | $1,067 (±$50) | $1,228 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $54,923 (±$7,816) | $61,912 (±$2,423) | $72,388 (±$324) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $281,700 (±$21,301) | $279,200 (±$9,537) | $288,900 (±$1,086) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $1,706 (±$176) | $1,583 (±$56) | $1,896 (±$8) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 60.4% (±7.4 points) | 45.6% (±2.7 points) | 33.9% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 19.7 minutes (±1.7) | 23.8 minutes (±1.2) | 25.1 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 84.5% (±4.6 points) | 84.4% (±2.1 points) | 90.1% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 46.0 years (±3.3) | 47.8 years (±0.3) | 39.1 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Waynesville covers 9.0 square miles of land, about 1,171 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Waynesville has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 9,965 (±36) | 10,502 (±22) | +5.4% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 5,539 (±305) | 6,057 (±313) | +9.4% | Measurable increase |
| Median gross rent | $814 (±$117) | $1,070 (±$120) | +31.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $161,800 (±$14,194) | $281,700 (±$21,301) | +74.1% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $42,796 (±$7,269) | $54,923 (±$7,816) | +28.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,152 (±$53) | $1,660 (±$203) | +44.1% | Up after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,316 (±$96) | $1,706 (±$176) | +29.6% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 44.4% (±5.0 points) | 42.7% (±4.9 points) | −1.7 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.4% (±4.4 points) | 3.1% (±5.1 points) | −2.3 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
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 Waynesville
In 2025, the Waynesville Police Department reported 425 violent and 3,084 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Haywood County, the departments that report recorded 209 violent and 1,507 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
ZIP codes in Waynesville
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28786 | 12% | 22,056 | $1,081 | $297,800 | $59,371 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Waynesville
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Junaluska | 3.4 mi | $1,137 | $389,200 | 25.1% |
| Maggie Valley | 4.5 mi | $1,067 | $320,500 | 25.7% |
| Clyde | 6.0 mi | $1,033 | $200,000 | 33.2% |
| West Canton | 8.4 mi | $1,223 | $197,000 | 29.4% |
| Canton | 9.8 mi | $790 | $246,700 | 29.4% |
| Sylva | 15 mi | $797 | $201,200 | 54.7% |
| Webster | 16 mi | $733 | $375,000 | 32.7% |
| Cullowhee | 16 mi | $869 | $382,300 | 89.1% |
Places in North Carolina most like Waynesville
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morganton | $944 | $221,700 | $51,355 | 45.3% |
| Newland | $792 | $241,700 | $46,006 | 41.9% |
| Rutherfordton | $860 | $288,400 | $59,375 | 35.7% |
| Columbus | $788 | $265,700 | $60,169 | 36.6% |
| Raeford | $833 | $201,800 | $46,494 | 42.9% |
| Shelby | $945 | $197,200 | $48,376 | 40.1% |
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 Waynesville, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,008 | $1,113 | $1,250 | $1,489 | $2,089 |
HUD income limits for Waynesville, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $18,200 | $30,350 | $48,550 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $34,700 | $55,500 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $39,050 | $62,450 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $43,350 | $69,350 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $46,850 | $74,900 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $50,300 | $80,450 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $53,800 | $86,000 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $57,250 | $91,550 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Haywood County, NC, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $86,700.
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 Waynesville
What is the average rent in Waynesville, NC?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Waynesville is $1,070 (±$120) 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 Waynesville?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Waynesville, NC is $1,059 (±$103) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Waynesville rent-burdened?
52.3% of renting households in Waynesville 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 Waynesville?
Waynesville has an estimated 2,151 (±275) renting households, 42.7% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Waynesville?
The median household income in Waynesville is $54,923 (±$7,816) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Waynesville, NC?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $281,700 (±$21,301) for owner-occupied homes in Waynesville (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Waynesville growing?
In Waynesville, the number of residents went from 9,965 in 2015–2019 to 10,502 in 2020–2024 (+5.4%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in Waynesville?
The ZIP code that covers Waynesville is 28786.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 28786?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 28786 is $1,081 (±$89) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Waynesville town, North Carolina
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Waynesville town, North Carolina
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Waynesville town, North Carolina
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Waynesville town, North Carolina
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Waynesville town, North Carolina
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Waynesville town, North Carolina
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Waynesville town, North Carolina
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Haywood County, NC
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Haywood County, NC
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Waynesville Police Department (ORI NC0440200)
- 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 Waynesville town, North Carolina (place:71500, 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 .