Real Estate Investing in Thurmond, North Carolina (28683)

Everything the listing leaves out — vacancy, rent trend, cap rate, landlord climate. All free.

Surry County • Population: 1,381 • Data updated: September 2026

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Should you buy in 28683 (Thurmond, NC)? Our answer, based on the numbers below.

🏠 For Homebuyers
CAUTION
Grade D (52/100)

Proceed carefully. Weak appreciation or affordability makes this a harder case for most buyers.

📈 For Investors
MIXED
3.0 / 5 (47/100)

A middle-of-the-road market. Workable, but the best opportunities may be nearby ZIPs rather than this one.

⚠️ Risks to Know
2 flags
  • High vacancy: 23.2% of homes vacant — above national norms.
  • Elevated poverty: 33.1% poverty rate — can affect rent collection.

• Modeled rent — no observed market rent for this ZIP; the figure is estimated from HUD fair-market rent.

What’s happening in Thurmond, NC (28683)?

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3.0/ 5

Investability

Overall investment appeal

3.0/ 5

Appreciation

Long-term value growth

3.0/ 5

Cashflow ROI

Rental yield potential

Avg Home Value $230,978
Avg Monthly Rent $837
1% Rule ✗ Does Not Meet
Median Income $43,771
% Renters 28.6%

Market Analysis: 28683 Thurmond

Stepping back, ZIP 28683 has challenges — vacancy pressure, softer price growth, and tenant stability concerns sit alongside the $231K median. It rewards specialists, not generalists.

The investment case in 28683 is resilient only for operators who understand what they are buying. A $231K median suggests accessibility, but management intensity, vacancy drift, and capex surprises are real.

Regionally, 28683 sits on the difficult end of the NC spectrum. The a strong candidate for read — for disciplined operators — is that pricing reflects the difficulty.

Employment concentration in 28683 leans toward sectors with higher volatility. The demographic consequence is income fluctuation that investors need to factor into their pro forma.

Experienced landlords with local relationships tend to find 28683 workable. Turnkey investors from out of state usually find the numbers do not hold up in practice.

Explore the Data — Click a Tab Below
🏦 Current 30-yr Fixed Mortgage Rate: 6.76% as of Sep 10 Source: Freddie Mac PMMS

Here's what matters if you're considering buying a home in Thurmond:

C+ Average
Buy Confidence Score: 60/100
Affordability
10/25
Appreciation
22/25
Stability
7/20
Timing
6/15
Rental backup
15/15
Affordability
Expensive
Homes cost 5.3× the median income
Value Trend
Rising (+7.2%)
How home values changed in the past year
Rental Backup
Strong
Could rent for $837/mo if you need to move
Market Conditions
WARM
Seller-favorable conditions, steady activity
Bottom Line: Mixed signals in this market. Research specific properties carefully and be prepared to negotiate.
☀️
WARM MARKET
Mount Airy, NC Metro Area
Seller-favorable conditions, steady activity
0 days
Average time to sell
Very Fast
10.2%
Listings with price cuts
Few Cuts
0.0%
Sale price vs asking
Below Ask
0.0%
Income needed for mortgage
Affordable
📅 Market conditions as of August 29, 2026 — updated weekly from Mount Airy, NC metro data
🏠

Property Strategy for 28683

Which property type performs best in this market?

Best for Cash Flow
2BR
3.3% cap rate
Best for Appreciation
2BR
+10.8% 5yr CAGR
Best Overall Value
3BR
$85,818/bedroom
📊 Compare All Property Types →
Type Median Value Est. Rent Cap Rate 5yr CAGR $/Bedroom
2BR $204,803 $930 3.3% +10.8% $102,402
3BR $257,453 $1,160 3.2% +9.4% $85,818

Market Trends

Home Value History (with trend line)

$244K$215K$187K$158K$129K$100KJan 2015Oct 2020Jul 2026

📊 How Does 28683 Compare?

Metric 28683 Thurmond Mount Airy, NC North Carolina
Home Value $230,978 $230,978 N/A $330,565
5-Year CAGR 6.4% 6.4% N/A 7.8%
Avg Rent $837 $837 N/A -
Cap Rate 2.8% 2.8% - -
💡 Why Invest in 28683? Click to expand

With a 3/5 investability rating, this ZIP shows solid fundamentals for buy-and-hold investors.

📊 See where this ZIP ranks in our Best-of lists →
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Landlord Ground Truth

Real numbers from people who own or manage rentals in ZIP 28683 (Thurmond, NC). Anonymous, moderated, never written by AI.

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Investability
Good
Cap Rate
2.8%
Low
5yr Growth
+6.4%
Strong

📉 Market Crash Risk Index

Based on Mount Airy, NC metro

2/10
Low Risk
Price YoY
0/3
N/A
Rent YoY
0/2
N/A
Below List
2/3
71%
Days Pending
0/2
0 days

View all metro crash risk rankings →

📊 Market Snapshot

Home Value $230,978
Monthly Rent $837
Price-to-Rent 23.0:1
1% Rule ✗ Fails

💰 Return Metrics

Gross Yield 4.4%
Cap Rate 2.8%
5-Year IRR 9.2%

📈 Home Appreciation

1-Year +7.2% ▲
3-Year CAGR +4.6% ▲
5-Year CAGR +6.4% ▲
10-Year CAGR +7.0% ▲

🏠 Rent Trends

1-Year N/A
3-Year CAGR N/A
5-Year CAGR N/A
Negative Leverage — IRR / Tax Play Cap Rate: 2.8%  |  30yr Rate: 6.8%
Leverage reduces cash returns at current rates.

The current 30-yr mortgage rate (6.8%) exceeds the estimated cap rate (2.8%). Financing reduces your cash-on-cash return below the cap rate. Markets like this may still make sense as IRR plays — factoring in appreciation, depreciation, and a future refinance when rates drop.

Run an IRR Analysis →

⚠️ Risk Signals

Composite view of factors that can impact a ZIP's stability and your downside risk.

Vacancy
23.2%
Elevated risk
Landlord Climate
4.0/5
Friendly
Value Trend (5yr)
+6.4%
Growing
Eviction process: Moderate Rent control: Favorable

Demographics in 28683

Population: 1,381

💰 Median Household Income
$43,771
This area
$43,771
State
$63,256
USA
$74,580
🏠 Renter Occupied
28.6%
This area
28.6%
State
27.8%
USA
34.0%
💼 Unemployment Rate
1.1%
This area
1.1%
State
-19.3%
USA
3.7%
🎓 College Educated
13.4%
This area
13.4%
State
0.5%
USA
33.7%
👤 Median Age
40.6 years
This area
40.6 years
State
6.5 years
USA
38.9 years
🏚️ Vacancy Rate
23.2%
This area
23.2%
State
19.4%
USA
10.5%
👥 Population by Ethnicity
White 97.4%
Other/Mixed 2.6%
Hispanic/Latino 1.5%
👶 Under 18
23.5%
This area
23.5%
USA
22.0%
👴 65 and Over
22.1%
This area
22.1%
USA
17.3%
📊 Poverty Rate
33.1%
This area
33.1%
USA
11.5%

Crime & Safety

🚧

Crime & Safety Data Coming Soon

We're integrating comprehensive crime statistics including violent crime rates, property crime, and safety scores to help you make informed investment decisions.

Expected: Q1 2025

🎓 Nearby Colleges & Universities

1 Nearby 736 Off-Campus Students
C
Surry Community College
2,758 students · 10.9 mi

Investor Insight: With 736 students living off-campus nearby, this area has strong rental demand from the college population.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the typical vacancy rate in Thurmond, NC?

Thurmond, NC vacancy trends elevated. Investors running standard buy-and-hold plays see reasonable downtime between tenants.

How does Thurmond, NC rate as a rental market?

Thurmond, NC scores 3.0/5 for investability. Home values sit at $231K and rents near $837/mo, which keeps the rent-to-price ratio in reasonable territory for buy-and-hold investors.

What price range are homes in Thurmond, NC?

Median home price in Thurmond, NC is near $231K, with a 5-year CAGR of 0.0%. Prices have been stable and supportive of buy-and-hold strategies.

Is rental property easy to operate in Thurmond, NC?

Landlord-friendliness in Thurmond, NC is landlord-friendly. Eviction timelines and lease enforcement are considered reasonable by most property managers.

What is the renter demographic in Thurmond, NC?

Tenant quality in Thurmond, NC ranks as solid. Landlords generally report predictable occupancy at market rents of $837/mo.

You know 28683 now. You don’t know where it ranks.

This page stays free — all of it. What one page can’t tell you is how 28683 compares to every other market. Investor ($19/mo) screens every U.S. ZIP by cap rate, the 1% rule, vacancy and landlord climate, and exports your shortlist.

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How 28683 ranks in Mount Airy, NC

Every ZIP in this metro, ranked. Free.

Cash Flow → Appreciation → Affordable →
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