The typical owner-occupied home in Sunset Beach is worth about $410,900, 42% above the North Carolina median of $288,900 and 24% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,167 a year in property taxes, about 0.53% of their home's value, lower than the North Carolina rate of 0.66%. The median household earns $81,976 a year, so the median home costs 5.0 times the median income (4.0 times for North Carolina). 86% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 46% of those owners still have a mortgage.
Sunset Beach at a glance
| Sunset Beach | North Carolina | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $410,900 | $288,900 | $332,700 |
| Median property tax paid per year | $2,167 | $1,896 | $3,119 |
| Property tax as a share of value | 0.53% | 0.66% | 0.94% |
| Median household income | $81,976 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 86% | 67% | 65% |
| Owner homes with a mortgage | 46% | 61% | 61% |
| Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage | $1,474 | $1,631 | $1,963 |
| Those costs as a share of the owners' income | 18.9% | 19.4% | 21.0% |
| Median rent | $537 | $1,228 | $1,413 |
| Rent as a share of renters' income | 18.4% | 29.5% | 30.6% |
| Median year homes were built | 2000 | 1991 | 1980 |
| Vacant homes | 54.5% | 12.5% | 10.1% |
| Population | 4,351 | 10,730,404 | 334,922,499 |
What a typical home costs per month in Sunset Beach
At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Sunset Beach home of $410,900 with 20% down costs about $2,564 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $3,249, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.
Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $109,886 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 38% of the median Sunset Beach household income of $81,976; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $307,000.
The median rent here is $537 a month, so owning the median home costs about $2,027 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.
| Down payment | $82,180 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $328,720 |
| Principal and interest | $2,211 |
| Property taxes (0.53% a year) | $181 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $171 |
| PMI | $0 |
| Total per month | $2,564 |
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| Down payment | $14,382 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $403,458 |
| Principal and interest | $2,714 |
| Property taxes (0.53% a year) | $181 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $171 |
| FHA mortgage insurance | $182 |
| Total per month | $3,249 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
Questions about home buying in Sunset Beach
What is the median home value in Sunset Beach?
About $410,900 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
How much are property taxes in Sunset Beach?
Homeowners pay a median $2,167 a year, which is about 0.53% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.
What income do you need to buy a home in Sunset Beach?
For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $2,564 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $109,886 a year.
More about Sunset Beach
- Mortgage Refinance in Sunset Beach
- Debt Relief in Sunset Beach
- Home Equity Loans in Sunset Beach
- Guides and quotes for mortgage refinance on our sister site, MortgageRefinance.com
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data