Photo: DiscoA340 · CC BY-SA 4.0283 homes sold in Surf City in the last year, at a typical $572K
About one sale in 3 is a condo. 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 Surf City homes are listed.
Every place Surf City 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 Surf City.
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.
6% of Surf City’s sales are condos, at $271K less than a house
175 houses and 16 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster.
typical sale · 175 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $330NC $207
- Days to sell
- 61
- Sold over asking
- 11%
- Listings with a price cut
- 22%
typical sale · 16 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $400NC $275
- Days to sell
- 116
- Sold over asking
- 12%
- Listings with a price cut
- 30%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 3 sold, typical $776K
Townhouses: 89 sold, typical $475K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at 2.2 times the 2016 price
283 sales in the last year, against 508 in 2021 and a low of 241 in 2019. The typical sale went from $259K in 2016 to $572K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $550K buys in Surf City
Check a listing against what Surf City 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 Surf City are back to pre-pandemic levels, with about as many homes for sale
We read every month of Surf City’s home sales since 2015 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, 283 sales.
If you’re buying in Surf City
- Shop in March. It brings about 45 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (16% over asking).
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 98.1% of the list price on average; 11% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 18% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 83 days.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
March has the most new listings (about 45 a month), but May is the most competitive: 23% of May sales close over asking. February has the least competition (13%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and calmer than North Carolina
| Surf City now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | NC now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 11% | 13% | 36% | 17% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 18% | 1% | 2% | 30% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 23% | — | — | 27% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 98.1% | 97.2% | 99.9% | 97.8% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 83 | 126 | 77 | 62 |
124 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.8 times the 2023 low (70), about the 2017–19 level and well under 2015’s 211.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
23% in the last year, against — in 2017–19 and 27% across North Carolina.
Since 2019, houses are up 73%, condos 99%
A house typically sold for $644K in the last year (175 sales), a condo for $373K (16).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Surf City ranks 164th 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. Surf City is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2015 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Surf City home costs about $3,286 a month
Price: Surf City’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Surf City’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 Surf City 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 $572K home, about $3,620 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Surf City, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Surf CityTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Surf City.
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.
Holly Ridge, Sneads Ferry, Hampstead and Porters Neck sell for less a square foot; North Topsail Beach and Topsail Beach for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Surf City, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surf City | 283 | $572K | $310 | 11% | 83 |
| North Topsail Beach | 186 | $643K | $425 | 5% | 106 |
| Hampstead | 178 | $496K | $225 | 14% | 67 |
| Porters Neck | 168 | $749K | $271 | 11% | 54 |
| Holly Ridge | 159 | $413K | $215 | 17% | 65 |
| Sneads Ferry | 45 | $341K | $213 | 16% | 41 |
| Topsail Beach | 42 | $1.1M | $636 | 0% | 80 |
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 Surf City, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Surf City. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Surf City with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Surf City
What do homes sell for in Surf City, NC?
283 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $572K, $310 a square foot. Houses sold for about $644K, condos for about $373K.
Is Surf City a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A balanced market: 134 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 24 sold, about 5.6 months of supply. Buyers paid 98.1% of asking on average, and 23% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Surf City?
March brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Surf City?
About 0.6% of a home’s value a year. On a $572K home that’s near $3,620.
Where can I see homes for sale in Surf City?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Surf City’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Surf City.
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).