Photo: DiscoA340 · CC BY-SA 4.0Measured against area pay, Mount Gilead costs less to live in than 56% of U.S. towns
Up 4.7% in a year, 37% below the North Carolina typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Montgomery County, NC ($58K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across Montgomery County earn ($58K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.7 years of area income, and 41% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $211Ktypical home, 37% below the North Carolina typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $980a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 2.7 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$58K, Montgomery County income
- 22%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 25%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
Housing in Mount Gilead, in brief
Still rising while North Carolina slips
Over the past year the typical Mount Gilead home gained 4.7%, while the North Carolina typical home lost 0.2%. Price trend ↓
An older housing stock
Half of Mount Gilead’s homes were built before 1970, against 1991 for North Carolina as a whole. Older homes can mean character, and also bigger heating and repair bills, so an inspection matters. Property taxes ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Mount Gilead’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Mount Gilead is more affordable than 56% of U.S. towns. Rent pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Values have outpaced North Carolina: the typical Mount Gilead home is up 32.3% in five years, against 22.0% statewide (Zillow).
Up 32.3% in five years
Faster than North Carolina (22%).
Show as a table
| January | Mount Gilead | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $98,000 | $178,000 |
| 2018 | $105,000 | $189,000 |
| 2019 | $111,000 | $201,000 |
| 2020 | $117,000 | $214,000 |
| 2021 | $143,000 | $240,000 |
| 2022 | $166,000 | $285,000 |
| 2023 | $183,000 | $318,000 |
| 2024 | $193,000 | $330,000 |
| 2025 | $197,000 | $336,000 |
| 2026 | $205,000 | $334,000 |
| September 2026 | $211,000 | $332,000 |
A typical Mount Gilead home worth $97K in October 2016 is worth about $211K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A year’s rent takes 22% of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Mount Gilead’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Mount Gilead home, with $20K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $980 a month here, $260 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Mount Gilead’s typical property tax (0.74% 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 $980
Renters already here pay a median of $1,061.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Montgomery 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 $1,159, under the North Carolina median of $1,896, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.74% 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+”.
Mount Gilead 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Gilead | B | $211K | $157K | 0.74% | $980 |
Questions about the cost of living in Mount Gilead
Is Mount Gilead expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Mount Gilead costs less than 56% of U.S. towns: a B for cost of living. The typical home costs 2.7 years of the median household income of Montgomery County, NC ($58K).
How much does a house cost in Mount Gilead?
About $211K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 4.7% in a year. The North Carolina typical home is $332K.
What salary do you need to live in Mount Gilead?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $53,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,240 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $39,000.
How much is rent in Mount Gilead?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $980 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,061 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Mount Gilead?
The median bill is $1,159 a year, 0.74% of the median home value (North Carolina: $1,896, 0.66%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Mount Gilead going up?
Yes: up 4.7% in the past year and 32.3% in five years, against 22.0% across North Carolina (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Mount Gilead 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. 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.