Rowan County, North Carolina
83,292 parcels. Parcel data edition 2026-11-02.
Who owns the land
| Measure | County | Of what | North Carolina | Rank in state (highest first) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Out-of-state owners | 5.0% | 4,128 of 82,255 parcels with a known mailing state | 9.8% | 79 of 96 |
| Absentee owners | 35.8% | Estimated from 58,745 in-state parcels whose addresses could be compared, plus out-of-state owners | 39.6% | 62 of 78 |
| Vacant lots | 22.8% | 18,961 of 83,292 parcels in all | 22.8% | 66 of 91 |
| Inherited (estate or heirs) | 1.0% | 794 of 83,090 parcels with an owner name | 1.3% | 67 of 99 |
| Owned by individuals | 83.7% | 69,505 of 83,090 parcels with an owner name | 80.2% | 44 of 99 |
| Publicly owned | 1.0% | 868 of 83,090 parcels with an owner name | 1.5% | 72 of 99 |
Where out-of-state owners live
By the owner's mailing address, for the 4,128 out-of-state parcels.
| Mailing state | Parcels | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 486 | 11.8% |
| Georgia | 386 | 9.4% |
| Arizona | 365 | 8.8% |
| South Carolina | 349 | 8.5% |
| New York | 318 | 7.7% |
| Virginia | 301 | 7.3% |
| California | 273 | 6.6% |
| Texas | 256 | 6.2% |
| New Jersey | 201 | 4.9% |
| Tennessee | 127 | 3.1% |
| 40 other states and territories | 1,060 | 25.7% |
| US military mail (APO/FPO) | 1 | under 0.1% |
| Outside the US, or an unrecognized code | 5 | 0.1% |
Housing context
| Measure | County | North Carolina | Rank in state (highest first) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms | $1,196/month | $1,095/month (median county) | 37 of 99 |
| Fair market rent, change over 5 years | +34.2% | +35.5% (median county) | 53 of 99 |
| Median home value (owners' estimate) | $238,400 | $220,100 (median county) | 43 of 99 |
| Price-to-rent (home value / a year of rent) | 16.6 | 16.3 (median county) | 48 of 99 |
| Housing units, 2020 to 2025 | +6.1% | +9.3% | 41 of 99 |
Rent: HUD FMR (FY26); HUD sets one rent for a whole metro area. Rent change: HUD FMR, FY2021 to FY2026. Home value: Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average; price-to-rent divides it by twelve months of the HUD rent above. Housing units: Census Housing Unit Estimates (vintage 2025).
Compared with neighboring counties
| County | Out-of-state owners | Absentee owners | Vacant lots | Inherited (estate or heirs) | Owned by individuals | Publicly owned | 2BR rent | Rent change, 5 yrs | Price-to-rent | Housing units 2020-25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rowan County | 5.0% | 35.8% | 22.8% | 1.0% | 83.7% | 1.0% | $1,196 | +34.2% | 16.6 | +6.1% |
| Cabarrus County | 8.6% | no data | 11.2% | 1.4% | 79.7% | 0.9% | $1,686 | +46.5% | 17.5 | +12.7% |
| Davidson County | 3.4% | 32.9% | 19.8% | 0.2% | 84.0% | 0.6% | $960 | +36.2% | 19.0 | +6.3% |
| Davie County | 3.2% | 28.3% | 22.1% | 0.5% | 87.2% | 0.7% | $1,232 | +49.3% | 17.2 | +6.5% |
| Iredell County | 8.1% | 35.3% | 20.1% | 1.3% | 80.8% | 0.9% | $1,340 | +45.2% | 20.0 | +17.6% |
| Stanly County | 4.7% | 40.3% | 26.9% | 2.5% | 85.3% | 1.1% | $925 | +33.5% | 21.8 | +6.8% |