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Cost of living, pay and housing

35.33° N · 77.92° W · GEOID 3721130

Elroy

Wayne County, North Carolina · part of the Goldsboro, NC metro

Limited data population under 5,000

North CarolinaElroy, NCElroyElroy

The short answer

Elroy is home to 3,251 people. Median household income is $63,238 a year and median rent is $1,005 a month, 19.1% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $133,100, about 2.1x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,005
26% below the median place
Median household income
$63,238
21% below the median place
Median home value
$133,100
58% below the median place
Unemployment
5.2%
7% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Elroy

  • The median home is worth 2.1 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 93% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 161 North Carolina places.
  • Owning with a mortgage costs only about $103 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 89% of places its size.
  • 65% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 88% of places its size.
  • 16% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a smaller share than in 85% of places its size.
01

Moving to Elroy

Wayne County gains about 3.1 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in6,378
Moved out6,089
Net+289

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Lenoir County, NC293417−124
Duplin County, NC285243+42
Pitt County, NC173183−10
Greene County, NC145136+9

Within North Carolina, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within North CarolinaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$48K
Leavers$50K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Wayne County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
7.1% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.9% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Wayne County report $47,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $50,300, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$40,200 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,005 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,108 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $133,100.
Getting to work
23 minutes each way on average; 5.4% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
South Monroe, MI matches it on character. Compare the two
Income of households moving in7
$47,563
33% below the median place
Income of households moving out7
$50,282
28% below the median place
Moved from another state1
2.9%
44% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureElroyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure7.1%24% above
Moved from another state1County figure2.9%44% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure3.1above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$47,56333% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$50,28228% below
02

What it costs to live here

Home price to income is 2.1x, 45% below the median place.

Elroy19.1%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$40,200
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
19.1%
6% below the median place
Home price to income
2.1x
45% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
19%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$53,800
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Elroy, $1,005 a month, and local prices for everything else (94.8 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Elroy, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Plaquemine, LA15.2% vs 19.1%$8,400Compare
Jerseyville, IL14.2% vs 19.1%$10,100Compare
San Leon, TX15.7% vs 19.1%$11,300Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Elroy.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Elroy? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,108
41% below the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$911
72% below the median place
Median home value1
$133,100
58% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureElroyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,00526% below
Rent to income119.1%6% below
Property tax rate10.7%25% below
Home price to income12.1x45% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure88.512% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,26122% below
HUD area median income4County figure$70,30034% below
Property tax paid (median)1$91172% below
Median home value1$133,10058% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure3.3%5% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure61.0%18% above
Homeownership173.6%11% above
Renters paying 30%+165.3%29% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,10841% below
Vacant homes17.9%12% above
Median year built119760% below
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Income per person1
$31,013
23% below the median place
Median household income1
$63,238
21% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureElroyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$63,23821% below
Income per person1$31,01323% below
Unemployment1County figure5.2%7% above
Average annual pay6County figure$50,21624% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure2.3%38% below
Jobs6County figure41,05373% below
Poverty rate114.0%30% above
Mean commute123 min8% below
Works from home1County figure5.4%57% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 18.1%, 183% above the median place.

No health insurance1
18.1%
183% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
15.8%
51% below the median place
Median age1
45.0
15% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

High school or higher84.1% −9%
Homes with broadband96.2% +4%
Born abroad12.6% +43%
Household size2.5 −2%
All 8 people measures
MeasureElroyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population13,2516646th largest
Median age145.015% above
Bachelor's or higher115.8%51% below
High school or higher184.1%9% below
Household size12.52% below
Born abroad112.6%43% above
No health insurance118.1%183% above
Homes with broadband196.2%4% above
05

Life in Elroy

19 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents0.0 −100%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars18.0 −13%
Shops37.2 +23%
Arts, recreation and fitness2.0 −51%
Doctors' offices and clinics13.2 −35%
Child care centers2.8 +22%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8
2.0
51% below the median place
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8
13.2
35% below the median place
Shops per 10k8
37.2
23% above the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureElroyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11County figure36300% above
Public school students11County figure18,481277% above
Students per teacher11County figure18.319% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure18.013% below
Shops per 10k8County figure37.223% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure2.051% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure13.235% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.822% above
Parks per 10k90.0below (median 10.2)
Playgrounds per 10k90.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k90.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings10County figure1946% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Hurricane risk is 96.5, 37% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Elroy. Larger places are fetched first.

Hurricane risk13
96.5
37% above the median place
Annual precipitation12
50.7 in
16% above the median place
Average temperature12
62°F
12% above the median place
All 9 weather and risk measures
MeasureElroyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure90°F4% above
January average low12County figure32°F28% above
Average temperature12County figure62°F12% above
Annual precipitation12County figure50.7 in16% above
Natural hazard risk13County figure90.42% below
Hurricane risk13County figure96.537% above
Tornado risk13County figure89.910% above
Wildfire risk13County figure55.410% below
Heat wave risk13County figure87.82% below
08

Elroy in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 19% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 19% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,005/mo (2024)$1,290/mo$1,060 to $1,580/mo+4.3%
Median household income$63,238 (2024)$80,500$68,000 to $95,500+4.1%
Median home value$133,100 (2024)$189,000$137,000 to $260,000+6.0%

The median home would be worth 2.3 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.1 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Elroy

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
South Monroe, MI$987$61,982Compare
Burton, MI$1,009$60,052Compare
Gas City, IN$901$55,982Compare
Hudson Falls, NY$927$62,969Compare
Hudson Falls, NYGas City, INBurton, MISouth Monroe, MIElroy, NCElroySouth MonroeBurtonGas CityHudson FallsElroySouth MonroeBurtonGas CityHudson Falls

Common questions

Is Elroy a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. The median home is worth 2.1 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 93% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 161 North Carolina places. Owning with a mortgage costs only about $103 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 89% of places its size. On cost, space and class size it scores 73 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Elroy expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 19.1% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $133,100.

What salary do you need to live in Elroy?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $40,200 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Elroy?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are South Monroe, MI, Burton, MI, Gas City, IN and Hudson Falls, NY.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  13. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Elroy with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Elroy itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/elroy-north-carolina

Citytistics. “Elroy, North Carolina.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/elroy-north-carolina/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.