North Carolina · 86th largest metro area

Buying a home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

In Winston-Salem, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $233,800, Forsyth County's effective property tax rate is 0.79%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $5,359 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $1,087 a month.

Data as of : Census ACS 2020-2024, Census Vintage 2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

Winston-Salem home costs, fact by fact

About Winston-Salem

Owners occupy 55.6% of homes. Median gross rent is $1,087 per month, and HUD's Fair Market Rent is $1,332.

Reading the Winston-Salem figures

Winston-Salem has the lowest owner-estimated value among the North Carolina cities covered on Payotte: $233,800, against $342,800 for the state and $415,800 in Raleigh. High Point ($235,800) and Greensboro ($244,800) come closest, both a little higher.

Owning is the usual choice here. The owner share reaches 55.6%, ahead of Charlotte (51%) and Raleigh (50.7%), though High Point, at 57.8%, is higher still. Rent is $1,087 a month, lower than anything else in the named group, from Greensboro's $1,172 up to Cary's $1,738. HUD's benchmark for the Winston-Salem metro is $1,332, so the census figure sits under it.

Forsyth County applies a 0.79% effective rate, and the annual bill is $1,984, with county homes holding a median value of $250,400. Set against the home value, that annual amount is a light line in the monthly budget.

The 2025 borrowing picture shows a median cost of $5,359 over 4,094 loans. The central range runs from $3,974 to $8,395.

Calculate for North Carolina

If you buy

North Carolina state transfer tax

Excise stamp tax on conveyances (G.S. 105 Article 8E): $1 for each $500, or fractional part, of consideration or value (0.2%). Change the price: the amount is recalculated instantly.

Price$342,800
State transfer tax$686
Share of the price0.2% of the price
Who paysThe seller

Default price: the North Carolina median value of owner-occupied homes, $342,800 (Census ACS 2025). Rule: Divide the consideration or value by $500, round up to the next whole unit, multiply by $1. Who pays: By law the transferor (seller) pays the Register of Deeds before the deed is recorded. Buyers and sellers can bargain over costs in the contract. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. North Carolina transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: North Carolina state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Questions about buying a home in Winston-Salem

How much is property tax in Winston-Salem?

Homeowners in Forsyth County pay a median $1,984 a year in property tax, 0.79% of the county median home value of $250,400 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Winston-Salem?

Home-purchase mortgages in Forsyth County carried median total loan costs of $5,359 in 2025; half of the 4,094 loans fell between $3,974 and $8,395 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in Winston-Salem?

North Carolina charges a state excise tax on deeds of $1 for each $500, or fraction of $500, of the price or value conveyed, which is $864 on a $431,900 home. The seller owes it and pays the county Register of Deeds before the deed is recorded.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Winston-Salem?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Winston-Salem ($233,800) equals 17.9 years of the median gross rent ($1,087 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in Winston-Salem?

Across North Carolina, the main hazards for home insurance are flood, wind, hail, earthquake and landslide, and the insurer of last resort is North Carolina Insurance Underwriting Association (NCIUA), also called the Coastal Property Insurance Pool. A standard North Carolina homeowners policy usually does not cover flood, earthquake, mudslide or landslide, and may exclude wind and hail in coastal areas; federal flood insurance covers a building up to $250,000 and contents up to $100,000.

Run your own numbers: rent vs buy calculator · closing costs calculator.

North Carolina rules that apply in Winston-Salem

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Sources

North Carolina · All states · Federal guides