Housing affordability has shifted from a personal budgeting issue to a regional economic problem. Across North Carolina, more than 24% of homeowners and about half of renters are considered cost-burdened, meaning they spend 30% or more of their income just to keep a roof overhead.
For the Cape Fear region (Pender, Brunswick, and New Hanover counties), that pressure is showing up everywhere: longer commutes, employers struggling to hire, young adults delaying independence, and families getting priced out of the communities they help power.Cape Fear Trade Alliance exists to push for practical, pro-housing solutions because when housing stalls, everything stalls. Those barriers are not abstract. They include permit delays, excessive fees, costly regulations, and inconsistent code requirements that slow down projects and raise costs for everyone.
What “Cost-Burdened” Really Means (and Why It Matters)
The 30% benchmark is widely used by housing agencies and researchers to flag when housing costs start crowding out necessities like groceries, healthcare, childcare, and transportation.
It’s not just renters feeling it. In 2023, North Carolina data shows nearly half of renter households were cost-burdened, and homeowners with a mortgage were “about one-in-four.” Nationally, the U.S. Census Bureau reported 49.7% of renter households were cost-burdened in 2023, reinforcing that this is a widespread problem, but one with very real local consequences in fast-growing coastal counties.
The Cape Fear Region Snapshot: Pender, Brunswick, and New Hanover
Here’s what the latest county-level profiles show for housing cost burden across the three counties CFTA supports:
Pender County
- 27% of households are cost-burdened per North Carolina Housing Coalition
- 51% of renters have difficulty affording their homes per North Carolina Housing Coalition
- 22% of homeowners have difficulty affording their homes per North Carolina Housing Coalition
Brunswick County
- 26% of households are cost-burdened per North Carolina Housing Coalition
- Renters and homeowners both feel the squeeze, with renters facing some of the highest affordability pressure (as shown in the county profile). North Carolina Housing Coalition
New Hanover County
- 35% of households are cost-burdened per nccommunityfoundation.org+1
- 53% of renters have difficulty affording their homes per nccommunityfoundation.org+1
- 23% of homeowners have difficulty affording their homes per nccommunityfoundation.org+1
These aren’t small numbers. They represent tens of thousands of households making trade-offs every month.
Why Housing Costs Keep Rising: The “Built-In” Drivers
1) The cost to build has surged
Between 2013 and 2024, the average total construction cost to build a home rose about 73.7% (construction expenses only, not including the lot).
When construction costs jump that much, the market can’t “wish” its way back to affordability.
2) Housing is a team sport, and the trades pipeline matters
On average, building a single new home requires 24 different subcontractors.
When the skilled trades workforce is stretched thin, schedules extend, bids rise, and housing delivery slows down.
3) Policy friction compounds the problem
The Cape Fear region is growing quickly, but growth only works when housing and infrastructure can keep pace. CFTA has been clear about the real-world friction points: permit delays, excessive fees, costly regulations, and inconsistent code requirements all slow production and increase costs that ultimately land on families.
The Hidden Cost of a Housing Crisis: Jobs, Growth, and Quality of Life
When housing becomes unattainable, the effects ripple far beyond real estate.
- Employers struggle to hire and retain workers because they can’t live near job centers.
- Commutes increase, adding transportation costs and time away from family.
- Local small businesses lose spending power as more income goes to housing.
- Young adults delay independence, a trend tied to housing pressures statewide.
CFTA Website Content
Meanwhile, statewide data shows the count of cost-burdened households is trending up over time, even when percentages move slightly, meaning more families are getting pulled into the squeeze, perCarolina Demography.
What CFTA Is Advocating For: A Pro-Workforce, Pro-Housing Path Forward
Cape Fear Trade Alliance is focused on solutions that help the region build enough housing to match demand, without compromising safety or quality.
Priority actions that actually move the needle
- Faster, more predictable permitting so projects don’t bleed time and money before construction even starts.
- Fee and regulation accountability, with a clear understanding of how added costs impact first-time buyers and working households.
- Infrastructure-first planning (roads, schools, utilities) so housing growth is sustainable and coordinated.
Support for the skilled trades, because the region’s housing future depends on the people who build it.
Bottom Line: This Is a Regional Competitiveness Issue
Housing affordability is now one of the biggest threats to long-term prosperity in Pender, Brunswick, and New Hanover counties. If the Cape Fear region wants to stay a place where families can put down roots, employers can grow, and young adults can build a future, we have to treat housing like the essential infrastructure it is.