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Buying a home in Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina

The typical owner-occupied home in Lake Waccamaw is worth about $305,900, 6% above the North Carolina median of $288,900 and 8% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,213 a year in property taxes, about 0.72% of their home's value, higher than the North Carolina rate of 0.66%. The median household earns $72,500 a year, so the median home costs 4.2 times the median income (4.0 times for North Carolina). 70% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 52% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Lake Waccamaw at a glance

Lake Waccamaw North Carolina U.S.
Median home value $305,900 $288,900 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $2,213 $1,896 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.72% 0.66% 0.94%
Median household income $72,500 $72,388 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 70% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 52% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,792 $1,631 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 25.8% 19.4% 21.0%
Median rent $928 $1,228 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 28.3% 29.5% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1977 1991 1980
Vacant homes 34.4% 12.5% 10.1%
Population 1,770 10,730,404 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Lake Waccamaw

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Lake Waccamaw home of $305,900 with 20% down costs about $1,957 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $2,467, 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 $83,882 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 32% of the median Lake Waccamaw household income of $72,500; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $264,000.

The median rent here is $928 a month, so owning the median home costs about $1,029 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$61,180
Loan amount$244,720
Principal and interest$1,646
Property taxes (0.72% a year)$184
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$127
PMI$0
Total per month$1,957

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$10,706
Loan amount$300,359
Principal and interest$2,021
Property taxes (0.72% a year)$184
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$127
FHA mortgage insurance$135
Total per month$2,467

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Questions about home buying in Lake Waccamaw

What is the median home value in Lake Waccamaw?

About $305,900 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Lake Waccamaw?

Homeowners pay a median $2,213 a year, which is about 0.72% 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 Lake Waccamaw?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,957 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $83,882 a year.

More about Lake Waccamaw

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