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

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

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

Metric Charlotte, NC Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
Alpha Score4525
Price Momentum4450
Inventory Health291
Affordability2615
Economic Strength9040
Rental Yield4126
Median Sale Price$423K
Price-to-Income5.34.5
Payment-to-Income31.3%27.4%
Months of Supply4
Gross Rental Yield3.9%4.3%
Overvaluation Index8020

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 26/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 15/100.
  • Price Momentum: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria leads — Charlotte, NC 44/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 50/100.
  • Inventory Health: Charlotte, NC leads — Charlotte, NC 29/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 1/100.
  • Economic Strength: Charlotte, NC leads — Charlotte, NC 90/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 40/100.
  • Rental Yield: Charlotte, NC leads — Charlotte, NC 41/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 26/100.

Frequently asked questions

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

Charlotte, NC scores higher — 45 vs 25 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 5.3 in Charlotte, NC and 4.5 in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria.

Which housing market has stronger momentum, Charlotte, NC or Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria has stronger price momentum — 50/100 vs 44/100.

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.