Charlotte, NC vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria: Housing Market Comparison (2026)

Side-by-side Alpha Scores, affordability, momentum, supply, jobs, and rental yield · as of August 2026

Charlotte, NC vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria side by side

Metric Charlotte, NC Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
Alpha Score3918
Price Momentum44
Inventory Health301
Affordability2915
Economic Strength6346
Rental Yield2915
Median Sale Price$424K
Price-to-Income5.14.6
Payment-to-Income30.8%28.8%
Months of Supply4
Gross Rental Yield4.2%4.2%
Overvaluation Index7020

Highlighted = the stronger read for that metric (supply, valuation, and payment burden are better when lower). Income/rent inputs lag annually.

How Charlotte, NC and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria compare, dimension by dimension

  • Affordability: Charlotte, NC leads — Charlotte, NC 29/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 15/100.
  • Inventory Health: Charlotte, NC leads — Charlotte, NC 30/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 1/100.
  • Economic Strength: Charlotte, NC leads — Charlotte, NC 63/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 46/100.
  • Rental Yield: Charlotte, NC leads — Charlotte, NC 29/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 15/100.

Frequently asked questions

Which has a higher Alpha Score, Charlotte, NC or Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?

Charlotte, NC scores higher — 39 vs 18 out of 100. The Alpha Score is a 0-100 composite of price momentum, inventory health, affordability, economic strength, and rental yield.

Is Charlotte, NC or Washington-Arlington-Alexandria more affordable?

Charlotte, NC is more affordable on our affordability dimension. Price-to-income is 5.1 in Charlotte, NC and 4.6 in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria.

Want to swap in other cities, change the metrics, or chart the trend over time? Customize this comparison → in the interactive Compare tool. Or read the Charlotte, NC market brief and the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria brief.