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City · 7,378 residents · Onslow County, North Carolina

Half Moon , North Carolina

In Half Moon, a typical home is worth $182,500 and typical rent is $1,210 a month. Compared with all of Onslow County, the typical home value is 23% lower and the share of households that own their home is 12 points higher.

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  • Typical home value

    $182,500

    23% below the county

    37% below North Carolina

    • Half Moon
    • Onslow
    • North Carolina

  • Typical rent

    $1,210a month

    4% below the county

    About the same as North Carolina

    • Half Moon
    • Onslow
    • North Carolina

  • Typical household income

    $68,946a year

    About the same as the county

    5% below North Carolina

    • Half Moon
    • Onslow
    • North Carolina

  • Households that own their home

    76%

    12 points above the county

    9 points above North Carolina

    • Half Moon
    • Onslow
    • North Carolina

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Half Moon is in Onslow County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Onslow County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Half Moon apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. Nearby, in Kinston, the typical home value is $119,300: 35% less than in Half Moon ($182,500).

  2. Nearby, in Kinston, the typical rent is $867: 28% less than in Half Moon ($1,210).

  3. The typical home in Half Moon is worth $182,500, 23% less than in Onslow County as a whole ($236,400).

  4. 76% of households in Half Moon own their home, against 64% in Onslow County.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Half Moon

What homes there are in Half Moon, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

In Half Moon, 8 in 10 homes are single-family detached houses; in Onslow County, 7.

Year built

The typical home in Half Moon was built in 1988, 10 years before the typical one in Onslow County.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,220 a month

Onslow County: $1,531 a month

Without a mortgage

$307 a month

Onslow County: $495 a month

Owners with a mortgage

73%

Onslow County: 71%

In Half Moon, 73% of owners have a mortgage, and their typical cost is $1,220 a month, against $1,531 in Onslow County. Without one it drops to $307.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Homes in Half Moon gained value more slowly than in Onslow County: 22% since 2015–2019, against 51%.

Rents in Half Moon rose faster than in Onslow County: 33% since 2015–2019, against 27%.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureHalf MoonOnslow CountyNorth CarolinaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate7.9%7.1%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1.3%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate2.3%2.2%3.4%
People per household 2.612.482.442.53
Drive alone 70%66%72%69%
Carpool Unreliable estimate12%9%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate7%2%3%
Work from home 9%13%16%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate2%1%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Households in Half Moon are bigger: 2.61 people on average; in Onslow County, 2.48.

To get to work, 70% of workers in Half Moon drive alone; in Onslow County, 66%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Half Moon?

A typical home is within reach of the typical income

We start with a typical home in Half Moon, worth $182,500, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 25% of the typical household income in Half Moon, which is $68,946 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Onslow County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Half Moon. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $6,388 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$1,451

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$179,194
Total interest
$257,818
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $3,082 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,609 a month

    Your payment · 25%

  • Tight

    $1,609 to $2,068 a month

  • Hard

    more than $2,068 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Half Moon ($68,946 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$1,451
Principal & interest$1,214
Property tax$81
Home insurance$76
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$81

You need at least $6,388 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Half Moon and Onslow County

Half Moon is in Onslow County, North Carolina. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Half Moon's own numbers

Typical home value
$182,500
Typical monthly rent
$1,210
Typical yearly household income
$68,946
Households that own their home
76%
Effective property tax rate
0.53%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Onslow County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,319
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+69%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
5%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Onslow County.

Everything about Onslow County

Buying

Buying a home in Half Moon

A typical home in Half Moon is worth $182,500: 23% below the county and 37% below North Carolina. With the typical household income in Half Moon ($68,946 a year), a typical home costs 2.6 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Half Moon 2.6 years
  • Onslow 3.5 years
  • North Carolina 4.0 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Onslow County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Onslow County rose 109% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Onslow County.

Period County North Carolina U.S.
Last year (2025) +2.9% +2.5% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +69% +60% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +109% +107% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Half Moon next to Onslow County, North Carolina and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Half Moon $182,500
  • Onslow $236,400
  • North Carolina $288,900
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Half Moon $1,210
  • Onslow $1,265
  • North Carolina $1,228
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Half Moon $68,946
  • Onslow $68,148
  • North Carolina $72,388
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Half Moon next to Onslow County and North Carolina
Measure Half Moon Onslow County North Carolina U.S.
Typical home value $182,500 $236,400 $288,900 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,210 $1,265 $1,228 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $68,946 $68,148 $72,388 $80,734
Households that own their home 76% 64% 67% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $964 $1,502 $1,896 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.53% 0.64% 0.66% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 46% 51% 49% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Onslow County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Half Moon

For a typical $182,500 home in Half Moon, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Half Moon's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $1,451a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $6,388
    Cash to close
    $11,863
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $81

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,418a month

    Down payment
    $9,125
    Cash to close
    $14,600
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $87

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,146a month

    Down payment
    $36,500
    Cash to close
    $41,975
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,314a month

    Down payment
    $27,375
    Cash to close
    $32,850
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Half Moon and for Onslow County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Half Moon

0.53%of the home’s value each year

$964 a year for the typical owner in Half Moon.

  • Half Moon 0.53%
  • Onslow 0.64%
  • North Carolina 0.66%

What North Carolina publishes Elderly or Disabled Homestead Exclusion (North Carolina General Assembly (statute))

Exemptions and deadlines in North Carolina

Flood risk in Onslow County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Onslow County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
5%
3,491
Of those, with NFIP insurance
73%
County North Carolina U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 5% 2.8% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 73% 53% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Half Moon

Typical rent in Half Moon is $1,210 a month: 4% below the county. In Half Moon, 46% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Onslow County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,319 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $25.37 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Onslow County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,067 $20.52 $42,680
1 bedroom $1,073 $20.63 $42,920
2 bedrooms $1,319 $25.37 $52,760
3 bedrooms $1,826 $35.12 $73,040
4 bedrooms $2,205 $42.40 $88,200

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Half Moon

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Half Moon has 2 ZIP codes with their own.

For 2 bedrooms it runs from $1,250 in 28540 to $1,360 in 28546.

1 of the 2 is above the fair market rent for Onslow County ($1,319).

  • 28540 $1,250$1,730
  • 28546 $1,360$1,880

2 of these ZIP codes cross the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Half Moon when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Half Moon

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There is 1 HUD-approved agency with an office in Onslow County; none says it serves in Spanish.

A grandmother pushes her grandson on a playground swing.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Half Moon

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Half Moon or Onslow County. The ones below are statewide in North Carolina: they work in Half Moon the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in North Carolina

  • NC Home Advantage Mortgage

    Statewide in North Carolina

    NCHFA fixed-rate mortgage with down payment assistance, for first-time buyers and for people who have owned a home before, in North Carolina. Offered by North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA).

    Forgivable

    See the program Official page

  • NC 1st Home Advantage Down Payment

    Statewide in North Carolina

    A fixed amount of NCHFA down payment assistance for first-time buyers and veterans in North Carolina. Offered by North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA).

    Type not stated

    See the program Official page

  • Community Partners Loan Pool (CPLP)

    Statewide in North Carolina

    NCHFA interest-free loan with deferred payments of up to 25% of the price (maximum $50,000) for the down payment of low- and moderate-income buyers in North Carolina; you apply through a member organization. Offered by North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Half Moon

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Half Moon, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • City of Jacksonville

    815 New Bridge St, Jacksonville · 6 miles away

    • Budget and financial counseling
    • Budget and credit workshops
    • and 3 more
    (910) 938-6551

  • Cape Fear Regional CDC

    500 Compton St, Wilmington · 49 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 4 more
    (910) 762-7555

  • City of Wilmington

    929 N Front St, Wilmington · 49 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Fair housing pre-purchase workshops
    • and 5 more
    (910) 341-7836

Every agency in Onslow County All counseling agencies in North Carolina

Help in Spanish near Half Moon

2 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Half Moon

In HUD’s record, no housing authority with an office in Onslow County is named for Half Moon or Onslow County.

One other authority has an office in Onslow County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Onslow County

These cities are also in Onslow County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Onslow County Housing in North Carolina

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Half Moon, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Onslow County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Half Moon.

All guides
A mother holds hands with her two daughters on the beach at sunset.

Questions

Housing questions about Half Moon

Short answers with the numbers for Half Moon and all of Onslow County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Half Moon?

The typical home value in Half Moon is $182,500, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Onslow County it is $236,400.

How much does it cost to rent in Half Moon?

Typical rent in Half Moon is $1,210 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Onslow County is $1,319.

What is the FHA loan limit in Half Moon?

Half Moon uses the FHA limit for all of Onslow County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Half Moon?

The typical homeowner in Half Moon pays $964 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.53% of the home’s value; in Onslow County, the rate is 0.64%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Half Moon?

There is 1 HUD-approved counseling agency with an office in Onslow County. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).