North Carolina cities are showing what it means to build for renters — offering more space, built-in storage, and access to self storage. Two of the state’s midsize metros — Fayetteville and Wilmington — are now national leaders in livability for renters, attracting attention for both housing quality and population growth.
Over the past 20 years, Fayetteville has nearly doubled its apartment inventory, now totaling close to 6,000 units by the end of 2023, according to a recent StorageCafe study on housing inventory evolution. The military population at Fort Bragg plays a defining role in shaping housing demand. Many soldiers opt to live off-base for a more flexible lifestyle — and with a Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) supporting rental affordability, the local rental market sees higher occupancy and steady demand. The city’s housing policies reflect this need.
To relieve pressure on the market and enable more housing development, Fayetteville has adopted zoning policies that promote higher-density housing, particularly in its Mixed-Residential 5 (MR-5) communities. These allow developers to build up to 24 units per acre, with buildings as tall as six stories (75 feet). This zoning flexibility helps the city respond to strong, consistent demand from a dynamic renter base…