Photo: Chris Currivan · CC BY-SA 3.0331 homes sold in Sunset Beach in the last year, at a typical $449K
Houses and condos split the market almost evenly. 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 Sunset Beach homes are listed.
Every place Sunset Beach 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 Sunset Beach.
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.
A quarter of Sunset Beach’s sales are condos, at $340K less than a house
195 houses and 88 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Condos sell faster.
typical sale · 195 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $256NC $207
- Days to sell
- 98
- Sold over asking
- 7%
- Listings with a price cut
- 24%
typical sale · 88 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $226NC $275
- Days to sell
- 86
- Sold over asking
- 6%
- Listings with a price cut
- 26%
Townhouses: 48 sold, typical $294K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
More homes sell than most years, at twice the 2016 price
331 sales in the last year, against 398 in 2020 and a low of 165 in 2012. The typical sale went from $210K in 2016 to $449K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $450K buys in Sunset Beach
Check a listing against what Sunset Beach 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 Sunset Beach are back to pre-pandemic levels, with about as many homes for sale
We read every month of Sunset Beach’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, 331 sales.
If you’re buying in Sunset Beach
- Shop in February. It brings about 31 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (13% over asking).
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 97.4% of the list price on average; 6% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 22% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 95 days.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
March has the most new listings (about 37 a month), but April is the most competitive: 20% of April sales close over asking. December has the least competition (11%) but only about 20 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and calmer than North Carolina
| Sunset Beach now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | NC now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 6% | 6% | 33% | 17% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 22% | 1% | 1% | 30% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 26% | — | — | 27% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 97.4% | 95.8% | 99% | 97.8% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 95 | 125 | 63 | 62 |
139 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s twice the 2022 low (70), about the 2017–19 level and well under 2014’s 186.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
26% in the last year, against — in 2017–19 and 27% across North Carolina.
Since 2019, houses are up 76%, condos 72%
A house typically sold for $601K in the last year (195 sales), a condo for $262K (88).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Sunset Beach ranks 210th of 224 busy North Carolina markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Sunset Beach is one of the state’s calmer markets.
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 Sunset Beach home costs about $2,540 a month
Price: Sunset Beach’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Sunset Beach’s 0.5% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Sunset Beach is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in March
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 20.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $449K home, about $2,370 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Sunset Beach, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Sunset BeachTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Sunset Beach.
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.
Carolina Shores, Little River and Shallotte sell for less a square foot; Ocean Isle Beach and Holden Beach for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Sunset Beach, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little River | 597 | $314K | $192 | 3% | 128 |
| Sunset Beach | 331 | $449K | $240 | 6% | 95 |
| Carolina Shores | 256 | $325K | $177 | 7% | 88 |
| Shallotte | 196 | $295K | $172 | 7% | 99 |
| Ocean Isle Beach | 157 | $989K | $553 | 6% | 84 |
| Holden Beach | 111 | $1.1M | $579 | 6% | 69 |
| Calabash | 105 | $409K | $241 | 7% | 91 |
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 Sunset Beach, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Sunset Beach. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Sunset Beach with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Sunset Beach
What do homes sell for in Sunset Beach, NC?
331 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $449K, $240 a square foot. Houses sold for about $601K, condos for about $262K.
Is Sunset Beach a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 139 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 38 sold, about 3.7 months of supply. Buyers paid 97.4% of asking on average, and 26% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Sunset Beach?
March brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Sunset Beach?
About 0.5% of a home’s value a year. On a $449K home that’s near $2,370.
Where can I see homes for sale in Sunset Beach?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Sunset Beach’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Sunset Beach.
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).