Franklin County’s Housing Crossroads: What the Data Tells Us, and What We Can Do

Franklin County is no longer a “sleepy rural county” at Raleigh’s edge; it is now one of North Carolina’s fastest-growing communities. The population of this county rose an estimated 11.7% from 2020 to 2024 and is projected to climb another 10.5% by 2030.

Growth has brought higher incomes to the community from those working in the Triangle, yet cost-burdens for those who work within the county, especially teachers, first responders, young families, and seniors whose wages have not kept pace with escalating home prices. In short: demand has outstripped supply.

Our new Housing Assessment (conducted as a partnership between Innovative Research Insights and UNCG Center for Housing and Community Studies) documents both the scale and structure of the challenge. Using market data, GIS analysis, and key-informant interviews the study estimates a current shortfall of at least 777 units and, absent policy change, a gap of roughly 5,610 units by 2030 (about 766 rental and 4,844 ownership).

This is not just a numbers problem; it is a systems problem. Infrastructure allocation, fee structures, and zoning interact to steer development toward large-lot, single-family subdivisions while constraining middle density options (duplexes, townhomes, small multifamily) and workforce rentals near jobs and services. Stakeholders underscored displacement pressures, the scarcity of family-sized rentals, barriers faced by people with disabilities, and the need to better align growth with water, sewer, and transportation capacity.

The report’s recommendations are pragmatic and sequenced across near-, mid-, and long-term horizons:

• Unlock supply and choice. Modernize ordinances to permit by right a broader mix of housing types, especially in town centers and along planned transit corridors; streamline approvals for infill and adaptive reuse.
• Target affordability. Pair local gap financing with LIHTC deals; preserve naturally occurring affordable housing; and consider targeted SDF waivers or credits for developments that produce income-restricted units.
• Align land use with infrastructure. Prioritize utility allocations for compact, mixed-use areas; co-plan housing with bike/ped and transit investments to lower household transportation costs.
• Stabilize households. Expand eviction-prevention tools, housing counseling, and down-payment assistance; co-locate social services where housing instability is concentrated.
• Govern for equity. Monitor fair-housing access, reduce exclusionary effects, and coordinate regionally so growth does not simply leapfrog affordability problems from one jurisdiction to the next.

The full report (linked below) offers maps, market detail, and policy roadmaps you can take to your board room or town hall. Read it, share it, and help build a Franklin County where prosperity and housing are broadly shared.