Typical Winston-Salem rent hit $1,478 in September, up $68 a month in a year and the fastest rise of eight NC cities we checked. Home values did not move.
The typical asking rent in Winston-Salem was $1,478 a month in September. That is up 4.8% from $1,410 a year earlier, or about $68 a month more. Over 12 months it adds up to about $820 a year.
The typical home value barely moved. It was $260,047 in September, against $260,059 in September 2025.
Both figures come from Zillow Research’s monthly housing data, released Oct. 16. The rent figure is the Zillow Observed Rent Index. The home figure is the Zillow Home Value Index.
Faster than the rest of the Triad
Winston-Salem’s rent rise was the largest of the eight North Carolina cities we compared, using the same Zillow index.
| City | Typical rent, Sept. 2025 | Typical rent, Sept. 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winston-Salem | $1,410 | $1,478 | 4.8% |
| High Point | $1,366 | $1,418 | 3.8% |
| Clemmons | $1,729 | $1,785 | 3.3% |
| Durham | $1,576 | $1,626 | 3.2% |
| Kernersville | $1,657 | $1,706 | 3.0% |
| Greensboro | $1,365 | $1,395 | 2.2% |
| Raleigh | $1,552 | $1,572 | 1.3% |
| Charlotte | $1,711 | $1,729 | 1.0% |
Winston-Salem is still cheaper to rent in than most of that list. Clemmons, about nine miles southwest, and Kernersville, about 10 miles east, both run more than $200 a month higher. Greensboro, about 25 miles east, is $83 a month cheaper. High Point, about 17 miles southeast, is $60 cheaper.
The gap with Greensboro has widened. A year ago the typical rent in the two cities was within $45 of each other.
A year of rent, month by month
Winston-Salem rents dipped through last fall. The index fell to $1,392 in November 2025, its low for the year, then climbed in every month but one since.
| Month | Typical rent |
|---|---|
| September 2025 | $1,410 |
| November 2025 | $1,392 |
| January 2026 | $1,399 |
| March 2026 | $1,427 |
| May 2026 | $1,447 |
| July 2026 | $1,458 |
| August 2026 | $1,465 |
| September 2026 | $1,478 |
The only monthly fall this year came in June, from $1,447 to $1,443.
Home values: up, then back down
The typical Winston-Salem home value rose through the winter. It peaked at $262,817 in March, then slipped back in each of the six months since. September’s $260,047 is about $2,770 below that peak and level with a year ago.
Nearby, the picture was mixed over the same 12 months:
- Walkertown, about six miles northeast: up 1.8% to $267,923
- King, about 13 miles north: up 3.0% to $275,022
- Kernersville: up 0.8% to $319,267
- Clemmons: down 0.1% to $384,402
- Lewisville, about nine miles west: level at $400,537
- Greensboro: down 0.3% to $260,573
Values fell further in North Carolina’s big cities. Charlotte was down 1.2%, Raleigh 1.7% and Durham 3.7%.
New building in the city is almost all houses for sale. Winston-Salem issued permits for 181 new homes in August, all of them single-family, according to the Census Bureau’s Building Permits Survey. The permits carried a construction value of $41,950,167.
How to read these numbers
Neither index is a sale price or a rent anyone signed.
- The rent index is built from asking rents on listings. It covers homes in the middle of the market and is smoothed and seasonally adjusted.
- The home value index is Zillow’s estimate of what a typical home in the middle of the market is worth, not an average of sales.
- Zillow revises past months, so earlier figures can shift from one release to the next. In this release, August’s typical home value is $260,121. Our home prices page still carries August’s figure from the earlier release, which was a few thousand dollars higher.
What it means for you
- If you rent, a renewal at about 5% more than last year is in line with the city market. The index measures asking rents for new listings, so your own renewal can differ.
- If you are buying, prices have been level for a year and have eased since March. Our home prices page has the five-year trend and values by ZIP code.
- If you own a home, a flat value does not change your county tax bill this year. Our property tax guide explains how Forsyth County values homes and when the next revaluation is due.
- To see what homes actually sold for, our real estate transfers page lists recorded sales.
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