States › North Carolina › Washington County › ZIP 27970
ZIP code
ZIP 27970
Washington County · North Carolina
FHFA notes: The FHFA HPI is a broad measure of the movement of single-family house prices. The FHFA HPI is a weighted, repeat-sales index, meaning that it measures average price changes in repeat sales or refinancings on the same properties. FHFA describes its ZIP code indexes as developmental: they may be revised as new data arrive or methods change, and the index does not give a dollar value for any home.
Washington County, North Carolina ZIP 27970 has 18 years of index history. Since 2003 the FHFA index has moved from 100 to 134, a change of +33.9%. FHFA's most recent value for this area is for 2022, so every span here ends in 2022.
Over the ten years to 2022 the index rose +12.0%, about +1.1% a year: below Washington County (+24.9%), well below North Carolina (+89.0%) and well below the national index (+86.1%). The change over 2021–2022 was −8.0%.
From its 2006 peak the index fell −36.1% to a 2016 low and has not yet regained that peak.
Building activity is measured at county level: Washington County authorised 5 housing units in the 12 months to August 2026, 0.5 per 1,000 residents, 100% of them single-family.
Same span, five levels
| Change in the FHFA index | ZIP 27970 | Washington County | Metro area | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year (2021–2022) | −8.0% | +2.6% | — | +20.9% | +15.5% |
| 5 years (2017–2022) | +10.7% | +36.6% | — | +59.6% | +46.2% |
| 10 years (2012–2022) | +12.0% | +24.9% | — | +89.0% | +86.1% |
| 20 years (2002–2022) | — | +46.5% | — | +107.3% | +101.4% |
| Since 2000 | — | +49.6% | — | +121.1% | +126.5% |
| Since 2003 | +33.9% | +41.5% | — | +104.0% | +92.7% |
| 10-year annualised | +1.1% | +2.2% | — | +6.6% | +6.4% |
| 20-year annualised | — | +1.9% | — | +3.7% | +3.6% |
Every column uses FHFA's annual all-transactions index family and the same start and end years, so the figures are directly comparable. A dash means the level has no index for that span.
Decade by decade
| Decade | Change | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s (2010–2020) | −4.6% | +35.5% | |
| 2020s so far (2020–2022) | +7.9% | +28.9% |
FHFA reports each index with a value of 100 in its base period, the first year the area has enough transactions (2003 here). A decade's change is the index at the end of the decade divided by the index at the start, so it does not depend on the base year; the United States column covers the same years. Decades before 2003 are not shown.
Peak-to-low declines
Falls of 5% or more from a previous high in the annual index, and the year the earlier peak was regained.
| Peak | Low | Decline | Peak regained |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 2016 | −36.1% | not by 2022 |
Building permits in Washington County
Permits are reported by county and by permit-issuing place, not by ZIP code. Housing units authorised in Washington County, latest 12 months.
Housing units authorised in Washington County by month, Sep 2025 to Aug 2026single-family2+ unit buildings
Full permit history and every city in Washington County
Other ZIP codes in Washington County
Ranked by ten-year change in the FHFA index.
| ZIP | 1 year | 10 years | Since 2000 | Index through |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27962 | — | — | +90.7% | 2025 |
All 2 ZIP codes in Washington County
Questions and answers
How much have home values in ZIP 27970 risen over 10 years?
The FHFA house price index for 27970 rose +12.0% between 2012 and 2022, about +1.1% a year compounded. Over five years the change was +10.7% and over one year −8.0%.
How does 27970 compare with Washington County?
Over the same ten years to 2022, Washington County rose +24.9%, North Carolina +89.0% and the United States +86.1%, against +12.0% for the ZIP.
What happened to prices in 27970 after 2007?
The index peaked in 2006, fell −36.1% to its 2016 low and had not regained that peak by 2022. Nationally the fall was −21.3% from 2007 to 2012.
How many homes are being built in 27970?
Building permits are published by place and county, not by ZIP. Washington County authorised 5 housing units in the 12 months to August 2026. The county page lists permits by month and by city.
Where does the index for this ZIP come from?
From the Federal Housing Finance Agency's annual five-digit ZIP code house price index (all-transactions), last updated March 31, 2026. FHFA labels the ZIP-level indexes developmental: they are calibrated on appraisal values and sales prices for mortgages bought or guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and may be revised. The index tracks price changes for the same homes over time; it does not give a dollar value for any home.
Provenance
Index: Federal Housing Finance Agency, annual house price index for five-digit ZIP codes (all-transactions, developmental), last updated March 31, 2026, values 2003–2022, public domain. County, state and national comparison series are FHFA's annual indexes for those levels from the same release. ZIP to county assignment uses the Census Bureau's 2020 ZCTA-to-county relationship file (largest land share); county to metro uses OMB's July 2023 delineations. Permits: Census Bureau Building Permits Survey through August 2026. Errors in processing are corrected at the next build; see corrections. FHFA HPI datasets.