Rockingham, NC Housing Market
AI-powered market intelligence for the Rockingham, NC metro area.
PropertyIQ Scores
Rockingham, NC Market Analysis
Market Overview
Rockingham’s PropertyIQ Score of 23 out of 100 indicates a weak market. The score drivers are mixed: 12-month home value momentum is 6.13%, but 3-month momentum is -1.60%, median days on market is 73 days, and 20.7% of listings have had a price cut. The median home value is $134,283, well below the state average of $338,359. The rent index is $744, compared with $1,162 statewide, and median household income is $43,626, compared with $69,904 statewide. Unemployment is 3.6%, matching the state average. Rockingham is very low-cost relative to the state, but the score and recent price action show limited strength.
The reported year-over-year home value change is only $8, which is essentially flat. With 109 homes for sale, a median 73 days on market, and 20.7% of listings cutting price, conditions lean toward a slow, buyer-friendly market. The income gap against the state average also tempers the affordability advantage. In short, Rockingham is affordable but soft.
Key Trends
Home price momentum is cooling. The 12-month home value momentum is 6.13%, but the 3-month figure is -1.60%, and the year-over-year home value change is only $8. This suggests that recent price movement has stalled after a modest annual gain.
Sales and listing activity point to slow demand. Median days on market is 73 days, and 20.7% of listings have had a price cut. With 109 homes for sale, those figures indicate that inventory is not clearing quickly and buyers have room to negotiate.
Affordability is high on price but paired with lower incomes. The median home value of $134,283 is roughly 60% below the state average of $338,359, and the rent index of $744 is about 36% below the state average of $1,162. Median household income is $43,626, about 38% below the state average of $69,904, so local purchasing power is limited.
Labor market stability is a bright spot. Unemployment is 3.6%, matching the state average. However, no population growth data is available, so there is no clear demographic tailwind in the provided data.
Who Is This Market For
This market suits budget-conscious first-time buyers and buyers seeking a low-cost entry point. The median home value of $134,283 is far below the state average of $338,359, but median household income of $43,626 means affordability is still constrained. Buyers with a longer timeline and less concern about short-term appreciation may find it attractive.
For investors, the profile may appeal to buy-and-hold rental investors focused on lower acquisition costs. The rent index of $744 relative to a $134,283 median home value suggests a lower-cost rental purchase, but the 73 days on market and 20.7% price-cut share caution that sales or rental demand may be soft. Short-term flippers and move-up buyers are less suited because of the flat $8 year-over-year home value change and negative 3-month momentum of -1.60%.
Outlook
The data supports a cautious, largely flat outlook. Negative 3-month home value momentum of -1.60%, combined with a $8 year-over-year home value change, 73 median days on market, and 20.7% of listings with a price cut, suggests sellers may continue to face soft conditions. With 109 homes for sale and no population growth data available, there is no clear demand catalyst in the metrics. The stable 3.6% unemployment rate is a positive, but limited local income relative to the state may keep price growth in check. The near-term outlook is for continued price softness or flatness unless sales activity improves.
AI-generated analysis based on current market data. Last updated August 20, 2026.
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Rockingham, NC market data
Rockingham, NC Housing Market Overview
Rockingham, NC's median home value is $134K, up 6.1% over the past year. Homes here sell in a median 73 days. Its PropertyIQ Score of 23 sits below the state average of 50, marking a market positioned to lag its state over the next three years.
The Rockingham, NC metro area is one of 900+ US metropolitan markets that PropertyIQ scores each month. A single PropertyIQ Score blends Zillow price momentum with Realtor.com market-flow signals to estimate 3-year excess appreciation versus the market's state — showing not just where prices stand today, but how the market is positioned relative to its peers.
The South Atlantic region continues to attract domestic migration with its combination of job growth, favorable tax environments, and year-round climate. Markets range from rapidly appreciating tech corridors to established retirement destinations with strong rental demand. Within the South Atlantic, Rockingham, NC's PropertyIQ Score of 23 runs below the South Atlantic norm.
North Carolina's Research Triangle and Charlotte financial corridor drive two distinct housing economies, with university and healthcare employment providing stability across smaller metro areas.
The PropertyIQ Score for the Rockingham, NC market is built from four inputs: Zillow home-value momentum over twelve months, Zillow home-value momentum over three months, the median days listings spend on the market (Realtor.com), and the share of listings with a price cut (Realtor.com). The score runs on a 1 to 99 scale computed across all metro markets nationally and calibrated so 50 equals the state average — a score above 50 means this market is positioned to outperform its state, and a score below 50 means it is set to lag. Momentum here has been positive, with home values up 6.1% over the past year.
Explore the interactive map to see how Rockingham, NC compares to neighboring metros, or view the full market dashboard for detailed analytics including time-series trends, score breakdowns, and AI-generated market reports.
Counties in the Rockingham, NC metro area
Market data through July 2026. Sourced from Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, U.S. Census Bureau, FRED, BLS, and BEA. Per-statistic source and date shown above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rockingham, NC a good place to buy real estate in 2026?
PropertyIQ doesn't label markets simply good or bad. Instead, the PropertyIQ Score measures a market's demand momentum against its own state, where 50 marks the state average. Rockingham, NC currently scores 23, a weak-momentum reading that leaves it positioned to lag its state over the next three years. For buyers, cooling demand usually brings more inventory, longer sale times, and real leverage to negotiate on price. Backing that up, the median home value here is $134K, up 6.1% over the past year. So whether Rockingham, NC is right for you comes down to your goals: a rising-momentum market can favor long-term appreciation but offers less room to negotiate, while a cooling one hands buyers more leverage. Treat the score as a timing signal to weigh alongside your budget, holding period, and plans for the property, not a verdict on the market's quality.
What is the PropertyIQ Score for Rockingham, NC?
Rockingham, NC's PropertyIQ Score is 23, indicating weak momentum on a 1-to-99 scale. The score distills four transparent inputs into a single number: Zillow home-value momentum over the past 12 months, Zillow home-value momentum over the past 3 months, the median days homes spend on the market from Realtor.com, and the share of listings with a price cut, also from Realtor.com. Rising values and faster sales push the score up, while slow sales and frequent price cuts pull it down. The scale is calibrated so 50 equals the state average, meaning a score above 50 predicts the market will outperform its state over the next three years and a score below 50 predicts underperformance. PropertyIQ computes the score across every US market nationally, then recenters it against each state, so 23 places Rockingham, NC below its state benchmark.
Are home prices in Rockingham, NC rising or falling?
Home prices in Rockingham, NC are rising. Over the past year, the median home value increased 6.1%, reaching $134K. Over the latest three months, values slipped 1.6%, a sign near-term demand is softening. PropertyIQ derives these figures from Zillow's home-value index, which tracks the typical value across the market rather than only the homes that happened to sell, giving a steadier read than a raw median sale price. Both the 12-month and 3-month momentum readings feed directly into the PropertyIQ Score, so this price trend is one of the core signals behind Rockingham, NC's current score. Keep in mind that appreciation can vary widely by neighborhood and price tier across the metro area, so treat these figures as the market-wide baseline rather than a guarantee for any single property.
How quickly do homes sell in Rockingham, NC?
In Rockingham, NC, homes sell in a median of 73 days from listing to pending sale, based on Realtor.com market data. Median days on market is one of the clearest real-time reads on local demand: when homes move quickly, buyers are competing and sellers hold the advantage, while lengthening timelines signal cooling interest and more room to negotiate. Alongside sale speed, about 21% of active listings here have taken at least one price cut — a complementary demand gauge, since a rising share of reductions often precedes slower sales and softer prices. Both median days on market and the price-cut share feed directly into the PropertyIQ Score, where faster sales and fewer cuts push the score higher. As a general guide, medians under about 30 days indicate a brisk, competitive market, while medians well beyond 60 days point to buyers regaining leverage. Actual time on market still varies by price band, property type, and season, so treat the median as a market-wide baseline.
How current is this metro area data?
This Rockingham, NC market data is refreshed on a monthly cycle, with the latest figures current through July 2026. PropertyIQ ingests fresh data every month from a range of authoritative sources: home values and rents from Zillow, days on market and price-cut activity from Realtor.com, additional housing signals from Redfin, demographic and housing-stock data from the U.S. Census Bureau, mortgage and macroeconomic series from FRED, and employment figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The PropertyIQ Score itself is recomputed every month once the new source data lands, so the score and its four underlying inputs always reflect the most recent complete reporting period rather than a static snapshot. Because official housing data is typically released with a short lag, the current-through date usually trails the present by a few weeks, which is normal across the industry and not a sign the data is out of date.