Near Duke
Student + staff demand, high occupancy.
Durham, NC
Is Durham a good place to buy rental property in 2026?
Short answer: yes — for balanced buy-and-hold. Durham's median cap rate of about 6.5% (North Carolina state median) sits near the ~6.5% national median, with typical rent at $1,711–$2,117/mo and North Carolina property tax near 0.82%.
Durham anchors the Research Triangle alongside Duke — biotech, tech, and university employment drive strong, educated rental demand.
Durham market snapshot
Balanced marketMid-range cap rates — cash flow and appreciation are both realistically on the table.
Typical cap rate
6.5%
North Carolina state median
Typical rent
$1,711–$2,117/mo
HUD FMR · 2–3BR · 2026
Typical price
$330,000–$430,000
est., all-in
Property tax
0.82%
North Carolina effective
Rent is HUD Fair Market Rent where available, otherwise a market estimate; price is a market estimate. Cap-rate and tax are the defaults TrueCap applies — enter a specific address for exact, auto-filled numbers.
Sources & methodology. These are screening defaults and market estimates — not an appraisal, and not financial, tax, or legal advice. Verify rents, taxes, insurance, and local landlord/tenant law against the county assessor and your state's landlord-tenant statute before relying on them.
Data: HUD Fair Market Rent · FRED 30-yr mortgage rate · Tax Foundation (property tax) · Updated July 2026
Metro-level estimates — precision is lower at the neighborhood and parcel level; pull a specific address for exact, auto-filled figures. Reviewed by the TrueCap team. See our full methodology.
Why Durham works for rental investors
Triangle growth and Duke demand support occupancy and appreciation; day-one cash flow is tight at current prices.
See the full North Carolina investing guide — taxes, landlord law & top metros →
Neighborhoods to look at in Durham
South Durham
Family renters, low vacancy.
Neighborhood notes are starting points, not recommendations — always underwrite the specific property.
Run a Durham deal in 60 seconds
Paste a Durham address into TrueCap and get cap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCR, cash flow, and a 10-year projection — auto-filled with North Carolina tax and HUD rent so you start from the right assumptions.
Try TrueCap freeFree calculators
Related reading
Explore other markets