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Buying a home in Salisbury, North Carolina

The typical owner-occupied home in Salisbury is worth about $242,500, 16% below the North Carolina median of $288,900 and 27% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,082 a year in property taxes, about 0.86% of their home's value, higher than the North Carolina rate of 0.66%. The median household earns $53,716 a year, so the median home costs 4.5 times the median income (4.0 times for North Carolina). 52% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 65% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Salisbury at a glance

Salisbury North Carolina U.S.
Median home value $242,500 $288,900 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $2,082 $1,896 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.86% 0.66% 0.94%
Median household income $53,716 $72,388 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 52% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 65% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,500 $1,631 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 21.6% 19.4% 21.0%
Median rent $1,071 $1,228 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 32.1% 29.5% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1976 1991 1980
Vacant homes 10.2% 12.5% 10.1%
Population 35,825 10,730,404 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Salisbury

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Salisbury home of $242,500 with 20% down costs about $1,580 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,984, 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 $67,709 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 35% of the median Salisbury household income of $53,716; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $192,000.

The median rent here is $1,071 a month, so owning the median home costs about $509 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$48,500
Loan amount$194,000
Principal and interest$1,305
Property taxes (0.86% a year)$174
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$101
PMI$0
Total per month$1,580

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$8,488
Loan amount$238,108
Principal and interest$1,602
Property taxes (0.86% a year)$174
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$101
FHA mortgage insurance$107
Total per month$1,984

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Questions about home buying in Salisbury

What is the median home value in Salisbury?

About $242,500 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Salisbury?

Homeowners pay a median $2,082 a year, which is about 0.86% 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 Salisbury?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,580 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $67,709 a year.

More about Salisbury

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