As Cabarrus home prices have increased, candidates weigh how to make growth more affordable

Candidates for the General Assembly, county commission and school board outline approaches to housing, infrastructure and school capacity as Cabarrus County continues to grow.

N.C. Senate District 34 Republican candidate Kevin Crutchfield speaks during the Central Carolina Association of Realtors legislative breakfast Thursday morning in Kannapolis. Photo by Chris Miller.

As Cabarrus County continues to grow rapidly, the rising cost of buying or renting a home is straining thousands of household budgets.

More than 23,000 households — 28% of the county — spend more than 30% of their income on housing, according to 2026 data from the North Carolina Housing Coalition. Half of the county’s renters are considered cost-burdened.

Meanwhile, the median home sales price in Cabarrus County reached $390,000 in January 2026, up 5% from $371,253 a year earlier, according to Canopy MLS, the regional multiple listing service that tracks residential real estate sales.