474 Apartments for rent in Raleigh, NC
📍North Carolina has a lot to offer, and this humble guide is here to help you take a peek at all your options, from hipster night-life and artsy districts, to family-rearing suburban dwellings, to wide-open country land.
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The Drive.
This is the kind of city where, if you got around on foot, someone would pull over and ask if your car broke down. While that speaks to this city’s southern hospitality, it’s more important to note that you will need a car to get by around here. With that in mind, you can shorten your commute by living near work, or settling into an apartment near the Belt Line (I-440) or the newly constructed parts of I-540. Traffic never gets too congested, and parking is plentiful, even downtown.
Carolina ‘Skeeters.
Mosquitoes, ‘skeeters, call them what you will, these pesky little blood suckers like to hang out in pines and ponds all summer long. So, if you’re one of those people with particularly delicious blood that always gets eaten up, beware of beautiful pond views in woodsy apartments.
Pet Lovers.
It may be hard to find an apartment that doesn’t allow pets. Many places will charge a pet rent, but it should only be an extra 20 – 30 dollars a month.
Outdoors Enthusiasts.
There is an unbelievable amount of parks, greenways, and lakes located in this city, even in the more urban areas. North Carolina has near perfect weather, and you will want to be outside most of the year, so make sure you’ll have an easy, go-to neighborhood spot.
Fridays.
First Fridays, Second Fridays, and Final Fridays are celebrated all around Raleigh and neighboring suburban towns with artists markets, outdoor concerts, and general artistic awesomeness. Be sure to check out what’s going on in your neighborhood on a Friday night.
Raleigh is split into two main areas: inside the Belt Line and outside the Belt Line. Inside the Belt Line, you will find artsy urban hubs, sky scrapers, and, of course, the capital. There are also quaint suburban-style areas with small duplexes and house rentals. The area outside the belt line goes from suburban to rural, with many tight-knit, individual communities chock-full of Carolina character.
Inside the Belt Line
Capital. This district is where business gets done, where history evolves, and where the people of North Carolina rub shoulders with state lawmakers. There are great apartments for both swanky young hipsters and old timer urbanites. Unassuming buildings hold surprisingly spacious rooms of modern design and awesome skyline views.
Fayetteville Street. Also known within North Carolina as Main Street, this area has undergone a renaissance resulting in quite the enjoyable downtown ecosystem. In 2006, the pedestrian mall was replaced by a traditional street lined with wide sidewalks, public art, & outdoor cafes. Residents can enjoy the Fayetteville Street Farmers Market for their homegrown, straight-from-the-farm fix.
Glenwood South. Live here if you enjoy dancing, live music, shopping, and an all around eclectic atmosphere. Shopaholics can delight in the Designer’s Downtown Market, and those seeking a sleek, modern home will be able to choose from luxury lofts and apartments, as well as newly built condos located above restaurants, shopping, and even dance clubs. There are also a couple of luxury apartment projects currently under construction, which will include central open-air courtyards that provide the beauty of a protected urban park.
Moore Square. Cobblestone streets, old lampposts, art galleries, an urban park, and a giant copper acorn make this district downright adorable during the day. At night, local pubs teeming with live music and good old beer-swilling soul create a distinct nightlife character that you should be so lucky to enjoy. The perks of living here would be the obvious: it’s scenic, fun, walkable, & in a convenient location. But, on top of that, this district hosts a First Friday, as well as the Artsplosure Festival, and the World Beer Festival. Naturally, a young and energetic crowd has invaded this popular entertainment district, so be prepared to battle for these highly sought-after rentals.
Warehouse District. Old warehouses and historic buildings, dance clubs, BBQ at the Pit, and the Cuegrass Festival are the main attractions here. If you like pure urban living, then these rows of massive warehouses and brick buildings will make a hipster feel at home.
Other popular neighborhoods inside the Belt Line include Boylan Heights, Cameron Park, Mordecai, Glenwood-Brooklyn, Coley Forest, Five Points, and Historic Oakwood.
Outside the Belt Line
Midtown. Located just north of the Belt Line, this is a sprawling area of parks and greenways, shopping, and convenient suburban living.
Uptown. This is an enclave of rural country land a bit farther north. The popular New Hope and Wilder’s Grove neighborhoods are located here.
West. Home to North Carolina State University and Meredith College, this area attracts a large student and intellectual population. It also features many scenic parks and old churches.
North. Far north, you will find an expansive suburban area full of both historic homes and newer architecture. There are plenty of large shopping areas for work or pleasure, as well as many scenic neighborhoods, such as Bier Creek, Wakefield, and Stonehenge.
South. South of the Belt Line, you will find the least populated area of Raleigh. This area is easy on the eyes, with those wide-open spaces that many people so often crave. Apartments here are simply adorable, with single-story ranch house settings, cottage communities, and townhomes that match the charm of these southern neighborhoods. The eastern section features many historical communities that date back to the civil war. It is bordered to the west by the popular suburban city of Cary, worth checking out for their monthly art crawl.
Take a deep breath, there’s something in the air that keeps people coming this way. Take a ride around the country-side under Carolina blue skies and then head on to downtown entertainment. It’s time to celebrate your new home in the City of Oaks.
April 2020 Raleigh Rent Report
Welcome to the April 2020 Raleigh Rent Report. Raleigh rents increased over the past month. In this report, we'll evaluate trends in the Raleigh rental market, including comparisons to cities throughout the state and nation.
April 2020 Raleigh Rent Report
Welcome to the April 2020 Raleigh Rent Report. Raleigh rents increased over the past month. In this report, we'll evaluate trends in the Raleigh rental market, including comparisons to cities throughout the state and nation.
Raleigh rents increased moderately over the past month
Raleigh rents have increased 0.3% over the past month, and are up moderately by 2.1% in comparison to the same time last year. Currently, median rents in Raleigh stand at $1,011 for a one-bedroom apartment and $1,168 for a two-bedroom. This is the third straight month that the city has seen rent increases after a decline in December of last year. Raleigh's year-over-year rent growth lags the state average of 2.5%, but exceeds the national average of 1.9%.
Rents rising across cities in North Carolina
Throughout the past year, rent increases have been occurring not just in the city of Raleigh, but across the entire state. Of the largest 10 cities that we have data for in North Carolina, 9 of them have seen prices rise. The state as a whole logged rent growth of 2.5% over the past year. Here's a look at how rents compare across some of the largest cities in the state.
- Looking throughout the state, Cary is the most expensive of all North Carolina's major cities, with a median two-bedroom rent of $1,302; of the 10 largest cities in the state that we have data for, Wilmington, where a two-bedroom goes for $943, is the only major city to see rents fall year-over-year (-2.2%).
- Durham, Cary, and Greenville have all experienced year-over-year growth above the state average (4.6%, 3.5%, and 3.2%, respectively).
Raleigh rents more affordable than many large cities nationwide
As rents have increased moderately in Raleigh, a few large cities nationwide have seen rents grow more modestly, or in some cases, even decline. Raleigh is still more affordable than most large cities across the country.
- Raleigh's median two-bedroom rent of $1,168 is slightly below the national average of $1,197. Nationwide, rents have grown by 1.9% over the past year compared to the 2.1% rise in Raleigh.
- While Raleigh's rents rose moderately over the past year, the city of San Francisco saw a decrease of 0.2%.
- Renters will find more reasonable prices in Raleigh than most large cities. For example, San Francisco has a median 2BR rent of $3,102, which is more than two-and-a-half times the price in Raleigh.
For more information check out our national report. You can also access our full data for cities and counties across the U.S. at this link.
Methodology - Recent Updates:
Data from private listing sites, including our own, tends to skew toward luxury apartments, which introduces sample bias when estimates are calculated directly from these listings. To address these limitations, we’ve recently made major updates to our methodology, which we believe have greatly improved the accuracy and reliability of our estimates.
Read more about our new methodology below, or see a more detailed post here.
Methodology:
Apartment List is committed to making our rent estimates the best and most accurate available. To do this, we start with reliable median rent statistics from the Census Bureau, then extrapolate them forward to the current month using a growth rate calculated from our listing data. In doing so, we use a same-unit analysis similar to Case-Shiller’s approach, comparing only units that are available across both time periods to provide an accurate picture of rent growth in cities across the country.
Our approach corrects for the sample bias inherent in other private sources, producing results that are much closer to statistics published by the Census Bureau and HUD. Our methodology also allows us to construct a picture of rent growth over an extended period of time, with estimates that are updated each month.
Read more about our methodology here.
About Rent Reports:
Apartment List publishes monthly reports on rental trends for hundreds of cities across the U.S. We intend these reports to be a source of reliable information that help renters and policymakers make sound decisions, and we invest significant time and effort in gathering and analyzing rent data. Our work is covered regularly by journalists across the country.
We are continuously working to improve our methodology and data, with the goal of providing renters with the information that they need to make the best decisions.
Renter Confidence Survey
Apartment List has released Raleigh’s results from the third annual Apartment List Renter Satisfaction Survey. This survey, which drew on responses from over 45,000 renters, provides insight on what states and cities must do to meet the needs of 111 million American renters nationwide.
"Raleigh renters expressed general satisfaction with the city overall," according to Apartment List. "Th...
Here’s how Raleigh ranks on:
Apartment List has released Raleigh’s results from the third annual Apartment List Renter Satisfaction Survey. This survey, which drew on responses from over 45,000 renters, provides insight on what states and cities must do to meet the needs of 111 million American renters nationwide.
"Raleigh renters expressed general satisfaction with the city overall," according to Apartment List. "They gave most categories above average scores."
Key findings in Raleigh include the following:
- Raleigh renters gave their city an A overall.
- The highest-rated categories for Raleigh were jobs and career opportunities, safety and crime rate, social life, recreational activities, and pet-friendliness, which all received A+ grades.
- The area of concern to Raleigh renters is public transit (D).
- Millennial renters are very satisfied with their city, giving it an A.
- Raleigh earned similar scores to other cities in North Carolina, including Charlotte (A-), Greensboro (A-) and Asheville (A).
- Raleigh did relatively well compared to similar cities nationwide, including Chicago, IL (B-), Philadelphia, PA (C+) and Seattle, WA (B+).
- The top rated cities nationwide for renter satisfaction include Scottsdale, AZ, Irvine, CA, Boulder, CO and Ann Arbor, MI. The lowest rated cities include Tallahassee, FL, Stockton, CA, Dayton, OH, Detroit, MI and Newark, NJ.
Renters say:
- "All the nice things a big city would have with much less of the bad stuff." – Anon.
- "Such a thriving city! There are so many weekend events going on like the flea market, a great farmers’ market and tons of neat breweries. Very pet-friendly. It is constantly evolving and a really great community to be part of." – Caitlin
- "Still somewhat a small town but now a large city. Raleigh favors the young. More cultural diversity and things to do but also more expense. The lack of affordable housing is bad." – Margaret J.
- "Raleigh is accepting, full of amazing culinary experiences, lots of night life, breweries and pet-friendly activities. But finding an apartment inside the city at a reasonable price can be tough." – Katie S.
For more information on the survey methodology and findings or to speak to one of our researchers, please contact our team at rentonomics@apartmentlist.com.