Photo: Nyttend · Public domainMeasured against area pay, Clinton costs more to live in than 65% of U.S. towns
It ranks #169 of 290 in North Carolina for affordability. Up 1.8% in a year, 53% below the North Carolina typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Sampson County, NC ($52K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across Sampson County earn ($52K, Census 2020–24). Even so, the typical home costs 4.0 years of area income, and 38% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $156Ktypical home, 53% below the North Carolina typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $930a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 4.0 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$52K, Sampson County income
- 17%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 38%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across North Carolina: 49%Census 2020–24
- 27%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What Clinton’s housing numbers say
Buyers have time and room to negotiate
At the pace homes sold in September, it would take about 8.7 months to sell everything listed (North Carolina: 4.8). The typical home took 57 days to sell and sold at 97% of asking. None sold above the asking price. How fast homes sell ↓
About half of Clinton rents
51% of households rent their home, 1,404 in all, against 33% across North Carolina. Renting ↓
Owning can cost less than renting
With 20% down at the calculator’s rate, the typical Clinton home runs about $920 a month with tax and insurance. A two-bedroom rents for about $930. Can I afford it? ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; sales and supply are Redfin’s for September 2026; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Clinton’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Clinton is more affordable than 35% of U.S. towns, #169 of 290 in North Carolina. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with North Carolina: up 26.0% in five years, against 22.0% statewide (Zillow).
Up 26% in five years
Faster than North Carolina (22%).
Show as a table
| January | Clinton | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $92,000 | $178,000 |
| 2018 | $97,000 | $189,000 |
| 2019 | $100,000 | $201,000 |
| 2020 | $106,000 | $214,000 |
| 2021 | $120,000 | $240,000 |
| 2022 | $127,000 | $285,000 |
| 2023 | $148,000 | $318,000 |
| 2024 | $146,000 | $330,000 |
| 2025 | $148,000 | $336,000 |
| 2026 | $153,000 | $334,000 |
| September 2026 | $156,000 | $332,000 |
A typical Clinton home worth $92K in October 2016 is worth about $156K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
Too few sales to read the market
Only 6 homes sold in September 2026, the latest month in Redfin’s figures: too few to describe the market or quote a median sale price.
A typical home costs 4.0 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Clinton’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Clinton home, with $50K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $930 a month here, $10 more than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Clinton’s typical property tax (0.75% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $930
Renters already here pay a median of $759, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Sampson County, NC): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $1,590, under the North Carolina median of $1,896, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.75% a year, against 0.66% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Clinton and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton | C+ | $156K | $212K | 0.75% | $930 |
Questions about the cost of living in Clinton
Is Clinton expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Clinton costs more than 65% of U.S. towns: a C+ for cost of living, #169 of 290 in North Carolina. The typical home costs 4.0 years of the median household income of Sampson County, NC ($52K).
How much does a house cost in Clinton?
About $156K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 1.8% in a year. The North Carolina typical home is $332K.
What salary do you need to live in Clinton?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $39,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $920 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $37,000.
How much is rent in Clinton?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $930 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $759 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Clinton?
The median bill is $1,590 a year, 0.75% of the median home value (North Carolina: $1,896, 0.66%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Clinton going up?
Yes: up 1.8% in the past year and 26.0% in five years, against 22.0% across North Carolina (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Clinton buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.