39 homes sold in Oriental in the last year, at a typical $452K
Almost every sale is a house. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Oriental homes are listed.
Every place Oriental homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Oriental.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
Houses are 77% of Oriental’s sales, at a typical $510K
39 homes sold in the year to May 2026.
typical sale · 30 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $255NC $207
- Days to sell
- 126
- Sold over asking
- 7%
- Listings with a price cut
- 21%
Townhouses: 2 sold, typical $383K
Condos: 7 sold, typical $380K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
More homes sell than most years, at 1.9 times the 2016 price
39 sales in the last year, against 55 in 2021 and a low of 13 in 2012. The typical sale went from $240K in 2016 to $452K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $450K buys in Oriental
Check a listing against what Oriental homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Oriental are back to pre-pandemic levels, with about as many homes for sale
We read every month of Oriental’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 39 sales.
If you’re buying in Oriental
- Shop in May. It brings about 7 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (4% over asking).
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 96% of the list price on average; 5% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 5% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 163 days.
Spring brings the homes; summer brings the bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 7 a month), but August is the most competitive: 11% of August sales close over asking. November has the least competition (3%) but only about 3 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Nearly as heated as 2021, and calmer than North Carolina
| Oriental now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | NC now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 5% | 6% | 11% | 17% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 5% | 5% | 0% | 30% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 18% | — | — | 27% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 96% | 93.3% | 96.2% | 97.8% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 163 | 207 | 110 | 62 |
27 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 2.6 times the 2022 low (10) and about the 2017–19 level.
1 in 5 listings has cut its price
18% in the last year, against — in 2017–19 and 27% across North Carolina.
Since 2019, houses are up 102%, condos 109%
A house typically sold for $510K in the last year (30 sales), a condo for $380K (7).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Oriental home costs about $2,582 a month
Price: Oriental’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Oriental’s 0.6% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Oriental is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Five things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 2.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $452K home, about $2,680 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Oriental.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Havelock, Neuse Forest, Fairfield Harbour and James City sell for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Oriental, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Havelock | 183 | $235K | $164 | 21% | 39 |
| Beaufort | 156 | $492K | $270 | 12% | 89 |
| Fairfield Harbour | 148 | $329K | $176 | 8% | 95 |
| James City | 141 | $330K | $170 | 29% | 57 |
| Oriental | 39 | $452K | $253 | 5% | 163 |
| Neuse Forest | 38 | $309K | $173 | 24% | 48 |
| Minnesott Beach | 28 | $458K | $265 | 0% | 109 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Oriental, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Oriental. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Oriental with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Oriental
What do homes sell for in Oriental, NC?
39 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $452K, $253 a square foot.
Is Oriental a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A buyer’s market: 27 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 2 sold, about 13.5 months of supply. Buyers paid 96% of asking on average, and 18% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Oriental?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Oriental?
About 0.6% of a home’s value a year. On a $452K home that’s near $2,680.
Where can I see homes for sale in Oriental?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Oriental’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Oriental.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).