Each year the North Carolina Housing Coalition releases comprehensive county profiles that provide insights into housing conditions across the state’s 100 counties. For Thrive’s Housing Program, these profiles shed light on the housing challenges in Region 2, which includes Henderson, Polk, Rutherford, and Transylvania Counties.
The biggest county we serve in terms of clients is Henderson County. Henderson has a Fair Market Rent of $1,512 for a two-bedroom apartment. This means a full-time worker would need to earn $29.08 per hour to comfortably afford housing.
In contrast, Rutherford County has a lower Fair Market Rent of $930 for a two-bedroom apartment. However, residents would still need to earn $17.88 per hour to make this housing affordable. This rate is 2.5 times the state’s minimum wage, highlighting a critical affordability gap. In practical terms, no full-time minimum wage worker could independently secure a one or two-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent.
The cost burden tells an equally compelling story. In Henderson County, 26% of households spend more than 30% of their income on housing—a significant financial strain. The neighboring counties show similar patterns: Transylvania and Polk report 25% of households as cost-burdened, while Rutherford sits at 23%.
These numbers are more than statistics—they represent real challenges faced by families and individuals in our community.
For a deeper dive into housing conditions, we encourage you to explore the North Carolina County Profiles at https://nchousing.org/county-fact-sheets/